Rugby:Keith Earls will fill the final place on the Irish replacements bench for this weekend's clash with South Africa. Paddy Wallace and Andrew Trimble had also been in contention for the berth but Declan Kidney opted for Earls following training this afternoon.
Kidney and his management team kept their options open when announcing the side earlier in the week. And, after putting all three through there paces once more at their new home earlier today, Kidney decided to go with the Munster man.
While Kidney was finalising his selection, his South African counterpart Peter de Villiers was forced to name a makeshift backline for Saturday’s match in Dublin 4.
Jean de Villiers has been named in the South African but is by no means a certain starter as he continues to struggle with a groin strain. The centre, who spent 12 months with Munster last season, will undergo a late fitness test before a decision is made on his availability.
If de Villiers fails to recover, Patrick Lambie is on standby to come into the Springbok midfield. The injury ravaged South Africans arrived in Dublin without 13 key players and their coach has included the uncapped Deon Stegmann in his starting line-up.
Lambie, man of the match when the Sharks won the Currie Cup last weekend, will also win his first cap for the world champions at the Aviva Stadium if called upon while fellow newcomers Willem Alberts, Keegan Daniel and Lwazi Mvovo could also feature from the bench.
Given the extent of South Africa’s injury problems, it comes as no surprise that there are eight changes from the side that finished their Tri-Nations campaign against Australia in September. But the Springbok coach is still confident he has the strength in depth to spoil Irleand’s homecoming at their redeveloped stadium.
“It’s a new-look side but with 13 season-ending injuries it couldn’t be anything else,” said de Villiers. “But we’re looking on the positive side and this is a great opportunity to test some new players in the toughest conditions.
“We’ve not had much time to bed this new team together but the players have worked hard all week to be as well prepared as we possibly can be.”
Ulster’s Ruan Pienaar makes his first appearance since July, with the young pretender Francois Hougaard making way, while former Leinster prop CJ van der Linde is named on the bench.
Reflecting on Stegmann’s selection, the coach said: “Deon is an open-side in the traditional style and has been outstanding for his province. He is used to playing with Pierre (Spies) and we need an out and out specialist to counter Ireland at the breakdown.”
But the big talking point is certainly at centre.
If former Munster midfielder de Villiers does fail his fitness test, it means full-back Zane Kirchner, who only has 10 caps to his name, could play alongside Lambie in one of the most untried pairing in recent Springbok memory.
The coach, however, has confidence in his selections. He added: “Our hand has been forced in our centre selection. Hopefully Jean will recover in time but if not, Patrick Lambie has played at inside centre for the Sharks before he was moved to 10 and Zane is defensively strong and a strong ball runner.”
Ireland:Rob Kearney; Tommy Bowe, Brian O'Driscoll, Gordon D'Arcy, Luke Fitzgerald; Jonathan Sexton , Eoin Reddan; Cian Healy, Rory Best, Tony Buckley; Donncha O'Callaghan , Mick O'Driscoll; Stephen Ferris, David Wallace, Jamie Heaslip. Replacements:Sean Cronin, Tom Court, Donnacha Ryan, Denis Leamy, Peter Stringer, Ronan O'Gara, Keith Earls.
South Africa:Gio Aplon; Bjorn Basson, Zane Kirchner, Jean de Villiers/Patrick Lambie, Bryan Habana; Morne Steyn, Ruan Pienaar; Tendai Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis; Bakkies Botha, Victor Matfield; Deon Stegmann*, Juan Smith, Pierre Spies. Replacements:
Chiliboy Ralepelle, CJ van der Linde, Flip van der Merwe. Willem Alberts/Keegan Daniel, Francois Hougaard, Adi Jacobs, Patrick Lambie/Lwazi Mvovo.