Bad enough that Munster hog it again, with seven of the pack and the scrum-half, but - ironically given their current plight at the foot of the AIL first division - worse still Sunday's Six Nations opener against Wales is liable to be first and foremost a Young Munster celebration.
Not only will Peter Clohessy (who confirmed his retirement at the end of this season) presumably have the honour of leading Ireland out for the first time on the occasion of his half-century of caps, but his fellow Young Munster man Paul O'Connell will be trotting out a few places behind him to win his first cap.
Continuing this expanded family affair, Luke Clohessy will be winning his second cap as mascot. It's possibly worth stating that there's no truth in the rumour that the two teams will be introduced beforehand to Anna Clohessy as acting President for the day.
It's somehow appropriate that his long standing brother-in-arms Mick Galwey will have the comparatively minor honour of actually captaining the side - somewhat remarkably for only the second time in his career.
"I was there for his first and I'm delighted to be there for his 50th," Galwey said at the team's base in the Glenview Hotel.
"He's played brilliantly in between for Young Munster, for Munster and for Ireland. What he gives you on the pitch and what he brings to the team is invaluable. I've just been lucky enough to be playing with him since 1987. He's the first man I'd have on my team."
Questioned on what was the secret to Clohessy success, Galwey quipped: "I don't know really, I suppose clean living. On hearing of this, Clohessy joked dryly: "Yeah, he'd know a lot about clean living." The old warhorse, granting the rarity of a one-man press conference, was in good form despite announcing his impending retirement. "I want to spend more time with my family and look after my new business (Peter Clohessy's bar and his nightclub "the SinBin").
Asked if he thought he'd ever make it to 50 caps, he said: "Back in '96 I didn't think so," in reference to his 26-week suspension for stamping on Olivier Roumat. It says something about the resilience of the man that he has.
All told there are four changes from the side which last played against the All Blacks in November. All of them are enforced by injuries to Keith Wood, Malcolm O'Kelly, Shane Horgan and the unlucky Eric Miller, who was forced out of contention yesterday due to a stomach virus which has not improved since Sunday.
"The wheel has turned. They had the injuries in the autumn now we have them," observed coach Eddie O'Sullivan. In comes Frankie Sheahan, O'Connell, Geordan Murphy and Simon Easterby.
Further changes to the 22 which did duty against the All Blacks give rise to the possibility of a second new cap at Lansdowne Road on Sunday given the inclusion on the bench of the prodigal Irish-Aussie openside Keith Gleeson.
Both O'Connell and Gleeson have been the form players of the season and utterly deserving of their chance. John Packo Fitzgerald told this newspaper three seasons ago, after O'Connell had made his AIL debut, that he would play for Ireland.
He had discussions with Steph Nel about taking up a contract in Connacht but now, even in his rookie year, there's been no holding him back. He's big, he's athletic (he scored a hat-trick in an AIL game last season), he's mobile, he comes up with big plays and he's got that mean, hard streak in him that all locks need.
"He's been the form player this year when he's been on the field," said O'Sullivan. "A young player, he's a good athlete, contributes well around the field and he's risen to every challenge laid down to him this season so far. I've no doubt that he's ready for next Sunday. I think he'll hold up his end of the bargain."
O'Sullivan admitted that it was a tough call on Gary Longwell, who was jumped in the queue, but explained that "we see him as more of a number two jumper." The one other major discussion centred on the captaincy, with both O'Sullivan and Brian O'Brien stressing that they wanted Anthony Foley, who captained the side against Samoa two games ago, to concentrate on his performance without the burden of captaincy.
Although Galwey has been replaced in seven of his last eight tests, O'Sullivan pointedly remarked. "I don't even anticipate anything like that. He might get a bang in the first two minutes so I don't see where that comes into it really.
He assumed the captaincy this morning. Captaincy isn't just about 80 minutes on the field, I think you have to take a broader attitude than that and he's going to be a very important guy in the lead up to the game as well."
A vacancy has been left at reserve prop pending Paul Wallace's recovery from what Brian O'Brien described as an array of bumps and bruises. A decision will have to be made today as his stand-in and probable replacement, Reggie Corrigan, has been chosen as the Irish A captain.
