DAVEY Watt believes Pirates teenager Darcy Ward is fully equipped to make a big impression on his senior World Team Cup debut for Australia.

Ward, 18, was a shock winner of the world under-21 individual championship last year. But he has found it tough going in this season’s competition, struggling to reach the three-legged final which begins at Gdansk tomorrow.

Ward, still getting used to riding on unfamiliar away Elite League tracks since his big-money step up from second-tier King’s Lynn over the winter, has also just dropped to reserve in Poole’s team.

The Pirate and the rest of his Aussie junior side have also missed out on a World Under-21 Team Cup final place after their first semi-final points tally was passed by Denmark and Sweden in semi-final two at Gustrow last Saturday.

But Watt, speaking ahead of this month’s week-long WTC from July 24 to 31, said: “Darcy might be reserve at Poole but he scored paid 17 points in our home win over Coventry a couple of weeks ago.

“And he got another 10 paid 11 against Lakeside on Wednesday.

“He’s going well and would be in the main body of anyone else’s Elite League team.

“Our opening World Cup tie is against Great Britain, Sweden and Finland on July 26 at King’s Lynn and that’s Darcy’s old Premier League track.

“We want to field the best team we can. If we have any track specialists, they’re the ones who should be in the team, and I believe Darcy’s shown he’s ready to make a big impression on his senior bow for Australia there.

“We’ve both been in Chris Holder’s pit crew during GP meetings to soak up the atmosphere.

“You get a feeling for how the meeting is run, the pressure and all that sort of stuff.

“It’s a good way to ease someone into the big meetings.

“Darcy is world under-21 champion and there’s a lot of pressure in those meetings.

“He’s shown he has been able to handle that, so why not for Australia at King’s Lynn?”

Holder, a third Pirate, also features in Australia’s side alongside ex-Stars rider Watt, Troy Batchelor and Rory Schlein as they bid to secure top spot and a direct route into the final at Vojens on July 31.

Jason Crump is sitting out the WTC to undergo an operation on his arm, while Leigh Adams has retired from internationals.

Great Britain’s confirmed line-up for event two is Scott Nicholls, Simon Stead, Chris Harris, Lee Richardson and Tai Woffinden.

• Buccaneers use ex-Wildcat Jon Armstrong as a guest in place of unavailable James Brundle for their National League trip to Weymouth tonight (7.15pm).

Buccaneers: 1 Armstrong, 2 Halsey, 3 Mason, 4 Howarth, 5 M Baseby, 6 A Baseby, 7 Resch.

Weymouth: 1 Bekker, 2 R’r Day, 3 Brown, 4 Cottham, 5 Cockle, 6 Andrews, 7 Chessell.