Luke Fitzgerald looks set to be handed the number 13 jersey against Wales at the Aviva Stadium when Joe Schmidt announces his side at lunchtime today, as the Irish coaching staff continue to look at their outside centre options as cover to Jared Payne.
The expectation is that the front-liners who have heretofore been kept back will make their seasonal re-appearance this Saturday, namely Rob Kearney, Robbie Henshaw, Johnny Sexton, Conor Murray and Peter O’Mahony, with Paul O’Connell to make his first start in leading the side on his farewell Test on home soil.
Similarly, Dave Kearney is given an opportunity in the ultra-competitive outside backs’ department to confirm his positive impression in training with a start on the wing after his impressive impact off the bench against Scotland.
Foot injury
Amid ongoing concerns over
Marty Moore
, yet to play this season after recovering from shoulder surgery and now sidelined with a foot injury which required wearing a protective boot until today, the
Ireland
coaches are obliged to explore all options at tighthead.
This probably means an end to Mike Ross' record as the only ever-present in Schmidt's 20-game tenure thus far, with Nathan White and Tadhg Furlong to both have game time. White won his first cap as a replacement against Scotland, while the 22-year-old Furlong is uncapped.
With even graver concerns over Cian Healy’s recovery from neck surgery, Jack McGrath is due a run at loosehead after being rested against Scotland. Seán Cronin and Richardt Strauss appear set to return to the equation, with Rory Best presumably in line to start against England on Saturday week.
Iain Henderson and Donnacha Ryan are both due game time after starting against Wales, with one or other to start alongside O’Connell. Jamie Heaslip will in all likelihood return to the number eight position, with Schmidt and co perhaps of a mind to explore their options at open side by having a look at Jordi Murphy in that role and keep Seán O’Brien on the bench.
But it is the possible selection of Fitzgerald at outside centre which would arguably be the most eye-catching. The 30-times capped Fitzgerald returned to the Test arena after a hiatus of over two years in the Six Nations-clinching win over Scotland in March on the left wing, and re-appeared there in the win over the same opponents two weeks ago.
However, he hasn’t started a Test at centre since playing the last of three games in a row there during the 2008 November window against Argentina at Croke Park. Furthermore, he has only played there sporadically for Leinster recently.
Locked and fully loaded
Clearly though, with versatility a vital commodity amongst the half-dozen or so players who will cover the outside back positions, Schmidt and co want to test this option. That should certainly be the case against a locked and fully loaded Welsh side, likely to perm their first-choice midfield of Jamie Roberts and Scott Williams when
Warren Gatland
also announces his hand today.
The likes of Gethin Jenkins, Alun Wyn Jones, Luke Charteris, Sam Warburton, Taulupe Faletau, Rhys Webb, Dan Biggar, Jamie Roberts and Leigh Halfpenny are all set to make their seasonal re-appearances.
Andrew Trimble and Tommy Bowe are seemingly set for game time with Ulster away to Edinburgh tomorrow night. Hence Keith Earls, who impressed at outside centre in the opening warm-up win at the Millennium Stadium three weeks ago, looks set to revert to the wing in what also affords him the opportunity to nail down a place in the 31-man World Cup squad.
Paddy Jackson looks like being the back-up half-backs and it may be instructive to see who Schmidt names as his scrumhalf replacement. If it is either Isaac Boss or Kieran Marmion, it might suggest either of them is best placed to travel as one of three scrumhalves. If it is Eoin Reddan, that suggests they are keeping an open mind, and also considering the possibility of Ian Madigan as a notional, third-choice scrumhalf.
All those not involved with Ireland this weekend, are liable to be released for game time with their provinces tomorrow evening, and this by no means would mean a demotion per se, or that some of those won’t make the cut for the World Cup.
Ireland are obliged to submit their 31-man squad to the World Cup organisers by 5pm on Monday, with a formal announcement coming that afternoon or the next day.
Possible Ireland XV
v Wales, Aviva Stadium, Saturday, 2.30, Sky Sports 1 15 Rob Kearney (Leinster) 14 Keith Earls (Munsterr) 13 Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster) 12 Robbie Henshaw (Connacht) 11 Dave Kearney (Leinster) 10 Jonathan Sexton (Leinster) 9 Conor Murray (Munster) 1 Jack McGrath (Leinster) 2 Richardt Strauss (Leinster) 3 Nathan White (Connacht) 4 Iain Henderson (Ulster) 5 Paul O'Connell (Toulon) 6 Peter O'Mahony (Munster) 7 Jordi Murphy (Leinster) 8 Jamie Heaslip (Leinster) Replacements: D Kilcoyne (Munster) or M Bent (Leinster), S Cronin (Leinster), T Furlong (Leinster), D Ryan (Munster), S O'Brien (Leinster), E Reddan (Leinster) or I Boss (Leinster), P Jackson (Ulster), F Jones (Munster) or S Zebo (Munster).
