IRELAND coach Declan Kidney has picked his strongest available side for this Saturday evening’s game against France, in the last match to be played before the World Cup squad is announced. (kick off 17.00)Captain Brian O’Driscoll returns to the centre alongside his Leinster compatriot Gordon D’Arcy for their first game of the summer series. Another player who will see action for the first time is David Wallace. The Munster backrower will play at seven alongside Sean O’Brien and Jamie Heaslip.
Felix Jones starts at full back ahead of the injured Rob Kearney as the side looks very much like the team that will line out at the World Cup. Tommy Bowe misses out once more, but with two games this weekend for Ireland, the players in the match day 22 for the French game are almost assured now of a spot on the plane to New Zealand.
Eyebrows however, will be raised at the selection of the Ireland XV to play Connacht on Thursday. Geordan Murphy, John Hayes, Marcus Horan and Conor Murray would all have been favourites to make the trip to the World Cup, but that looks more and more unlikely at this point.
Taking the France 22 from this weekend into account, Kidney has eight more spots to fill for the tournament which kicks off on September 11 for Ireland.
With Bowe and Kearney set to be included, that leaves just six spots from the remaining 22 that will face Connacht. Kidney will have big calls to make at scrum half. Boss appears to be favourite for the third spot as Murray struggles to make it. It also looks like the end of international rugby for Peter Stringer. The Munster ball slinger has been left out of the 44 man panel this week.
Another position down for decision is number six. Donnacha Ryan, Mike McCarthy and Stephen Ferris are all vying for this spot. With Ferris most likely to be cover for O’Brien, both McCarthy and Ryan appear to be locked in a tussle for the fourth, second row spot.
The hooker situation seems to be set at Best, Flannery, Cronin. The prop cover though is not so clear. Does Kidney bring Buckley and Court as cover for Healy and Ross? As both can play either side of the scrum. Or does Kidney make room for John Hayes, as the line outs are certainly going to need him.
With these matches being final trials, the pressure will be on to succeed. The game will mean more to some than others. D’Arcy and O’Driscoll are in need of game time, while Jones, Trimble and Earls will all be looking to earn a first 15 shirt come World Cup time.
The forward pack is the strongest Ireland can name. This will be Ireland’s World Cup pack barring injury.
Fans however, will be a little disappointed that no real “bolter” appears to have made it just yet. Injuries aside, this is the team many would have picked some months ago. The difference it seems now, is that these players know that there is strength and depth. The summer series has been a success so far in terms of game time. It’s only in October that we will know how much of a success it really was.
Ireland Team to play France:
Jones, Trimble,O’Driscoll, D’Arcy, Earls, Sexton, O’Leary, Healy, Best, Ross, O’Callaghan, O’Connell, O’Brien, Wallace, Heaslip. Subs: Flannery, Court, Mc Carthy, Ferris, Reddan, O’Gara, Fitzgerald.
Ireland XV to play Connacht:
G Murphy, J Murphy, Keatley, Mc Fadden, P Wallace, Boss, Buckley, Cronin, Hayes, O’Driscoll, Cullen, Mc Laughlin, Jennings, Leamy. Subs: Varley, Horan, Ryan, Ronan, Murray, Hurley, Whitten.
