Ireland v USA: While the absence of A international matches may have frustrated the representative ambitions of some players in the last couple of years, conversely, it has also contributed to the fast-tracking of two of the outstanding young talents in Irish rugby into Test action this Saturday.

Though relative rookies in provincial terms this season, Tommy Bowe and Denis Leamy, who with anything like reasonable luck and development have huge futures in the game, are the new caps in the Irish team to face the USA Eagles at Lansdowne Road.

Along with promotions for the seven replacements who were on the bench against South Africa last Saturday, this makes for nine changes in personnel from the starting side in that famous 17-12 victory. Half a dozen players are thus asked to front up again against the Eagles, and presumably could be against Argentina the following week, with Geordan Murphy switching to full back and Shane Horgan to the wing for this encounter.

Bowe, the first former Royal School Armagh pupil to play for Ireland since Brian McCall 20 years ago, hasn't had too much chance to shine amid Ulster's difficulties this season, but ever since he broke into the Irish schools and under-21 sides, it was clear he was a special talent and, understandably, coach Eddie O'Sullivan has wasted little time in recognising that.

Bowe, converted from full back to wing for this match, has pace, strength and a sharp change of direction.

He is the first ex-Monaghan RC man to play for Ireland, only the sixth from Co Monaghan, and the first since Disney Gray in the mid-1920s.

Bowe is an ever-smiling, easy-going chip off the old block (his father, Paul, won a Leinster Schools Senior Cup medal with Newbridge and a colours with UCD).

"He's got plenty of speed, a good footballer, athleticism, but the thing I like about him is his physical and mental toughness in contact," commented O'Sullivan. "He's only 20, but he's made a lot of hard yards for Ulster in the Heineken Cup this year."

The Leamy (22), as a one-time number eight with Rockwell College and the Irish schools, is also something of a converted openside, and not, as O'Sullivan agreed yesterday, quite the out-and-out version which last Saturday's debutant, Johnny O'Connor is.

But his huge hands and immense strength have made their presence felt at the breakdown, as has his strength with the ball in hand and in the tackle.

Leamy also has more than a bit of the Munster dog in him, and simply imposes himself on games by sheer force of will, although the manner he withstood provocation last season and this (between recovering from a knee operation which sidelined him for six months) demonstrates he's mended the firebrand ways of his youth.

"This is a good opportunity for Denis and he's earned it and I think he'll do very well," O'Sullivan said.

Leamy packs down behind the entire Munster tight five, and there would have been a call-up for another Munster man had Anthony Horgan's desperate bad luck with injury not resurfaced in training on Monday, when he picked up a hamstring strain.

You'd have thought that O'Sullivan would like to have rested Paul O'Connell, Simon Easterby and especially John Hayes, giving the Bull a respite after the Springboks in readiness for the Pumas, but O'Sullivan made the point that "John tends to play better the more games he plays." Just as well.

This is one of O'Sullivan's more experimental and daring selections, but, that said, there will be a number of disappointed players.

With O'Connell retained, Leo Cullen is consigned to the replacements, but with Anthony Foley (who became Munster's most capped Test player last weekend) also named on the bench, Aidan McCullen's disappointment at missing out on the 22 after being called into the Irish camp will be even more acute given his high-quality performances for Leinster this season and the knowledge that nine back-rowers have been ruled out.

The changes will also freshen things and safeguard against any anticlimactic reaction to what appears a less demanding assignment.

"South Africa is over and done with," O'Sullivan insisted. "It was a good week's work, a great performance, but it's yesterday's news now. We've just to get our focus exactly as it needs to be and with the nine changes I don't think it's too difficult. These are professional players and I'm pretty confident that's not an issue now."

O'Sullivan, mindful of the Eagles' credible 39-31 defeat against France last June when they scored five tries to four, expects a tough game.

"They'll be very fired up and motivated, because they're representing their country. There's no other team that I know of who'll give 110 per cent for every minute of the game."15 Geordan Murphy (Leicester)

14 Shane Horgan (Leinster)

13 Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt)

12 Kevin Maggs (Ulster)

11 Tommy Bowe (Ulster)

10 David Humphreys (Ulster)

9 Guy Easterby (Leinster)

1 Marcus Horan (Munster)

2 Frankie Sheahan (Munster)

3 John Hayes (Munster)

4 Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster)

5 Paul O'Connell (Munster)

6 Simon Easterby (Llanelli)

7 Denis Leamy (Munster)

8 Eric Miller (Leinster)

Replacements: G Dempsey (Leinster), R O'Gara (Munster), P Stringer (Munster), S Best (Ulster), S Byrne (Leinster), L Cullen (Leinster), A Foley (Munster).