RUGBY:Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan has decided to redirect Wasps outhalf Jeremy Staunton to the A squad preparing for the Churchill Cup in England rather than take him to Argentina as originally planned. Instead Leinster's Luke Fitzgerald will take Staunton's place with the senior party.
O'Sullivan explained: "Jeremy Staunton has been passed fit to play by Wasps this week after the injury to his thumb but unfortunately he is not involved in their squad for the Heineken Cup (final). He's had very little rugby in the last while so for that reason I have transferred him into the Churchill Cup squad where he'll be involved from this weekend.
"It (Fitzgerald's call-up) might not seem a straight swap, which it isn't, but my view is that we could use Geordan Murphy as a back-up (outhalf) as we did last year on the summer tour. That'll be the case in the first Test for certain.
"Jeremy would be better getting some rugby under his belt. I don't see him enjoying Argentina just sitting on the bench. It doesn't mean that he won't come to Argentina at some point but we'll wait and see."
Paddy Wallace will start both Tests in the pivot slot.
The coach's priority in training this week - they fly out to Argentina on Saturday - and next is to blend a group of talented players into a team.
He admitted: "There are a lot of new faces, new combinations at midfield, halfback, back three, backrow and even frontrow. There is quite a bit of work to be done at the moment in getting fellas on the same page.
"It's not all about boshing at this time of year; lads have a lot of rugby under their belt. It's about getting guys focused with a clear mind going to Argentina and trying to get two Test wins. It's a very important tour for all the lads here.
"It does give fellas an opportunity to throw down a marker for World Cup.
"Unlike the last lead-in to a Rugby World Cup in 2003, our timeframe is a lot tighter because the World Cup squad has to be named before we finish our warm-up series.
"We will only have one warm-up game before we name a squad; the last time we had three games played. This tour is the real deal for a lot of guys in terms of putting their hand up for a World Cup place. The players know that and there is quite a bit of intensity in training.
"I always had it in the mind to rest as many (senior) players as possible for the tour, which I'm glad we can do. There is a fair bit of pressure on them (the squad) and they have a lot to play for going out there on tour. We're not just going out to fulfil the fixtures, we are going out to win two Test games."
He confirmed it is his intention where possible to give as many players as possible a chance to stake a claim and that the 17/13 split in terms of forwards and backs was to facilitate augmenting the numbers in one area of the squad.
"I felt there was a need to get as many backrow players on the tour as possible. There are so many in the hunt. That doesn't exclude Roger Wilson or Johnny O'Connor who are going to the Churchill Cup.
"I think you'll see quite a bit of change in the team from week to week. The first Test side will be based on what we have here (in Limerick) and then to be fair to those guys (the Leicester and Wasps players who join the tour next Tuesday) you'd give them a shot in the second Test.
"That's not to say everyone will get a game on the tour, that's not the point either. If guys show good enough form and we feel they are good enough to make the World Cup squad then we will give them a shot. You might only get one shot, particularly if you are a backrow player because there are so many guys vying for a limited number of players.
"What I would like to see on the tour is a lot of hunger and a lot of aggression and guys really putting themselves around and giving the best performance that they can. That's the landscape they have to go into now. If I come back from Argentina with a pretty good headset for the World Cup squad, I'll be very happy."
