15. Conor O'Shea

Club: London Irish. Position: Full-back. Age: 27. Caps. 16 . Perceived to lack subtlety and good positional sense. Yet better than Nowlan in this regard, more experienced and stronger. Prolific club form hints at first Irish try if given the chance.

14. Richard Wallace

Club: Saracens. Position: Right wing. Age: 30. Caps: 25. Once a dodgy tackler and weak when the ball was played in behind him. But a better player for move to England. Like O'Shea, experienced, fresh, and scoring tries. Proven finisher at this level.

13. Kevin Maggs

Club: Bristol. Position: Centre. Age: 23. Caps: 3. Initially picked on wing and yet to prove that he's got the handling vision to put wide strike runners away. But good tackler and fearless sort who won't shirk from having to tackle Tait all day.

12. Mark McCall

Club: London Irish. Position: Centre. Age: 30. Caps: 9. Not the quickest, nor is he liable to crash through the midfield minefield. But he's laid the `weak tackler' stigma to rest and can put strike runners in space. His club's best player this season.

11. Denis Hickie

Club: St Mary's. Position: Left wing. Age: 21. Caps: 6. Out-of-sorts earlier this season after Leinster's out-half change, defensively vulnerable and stale. Gradual return to form, though, with high strike rate; genuinely quick and quality finisher.

10. David Humprheys

Club: London Irish. Position: Out-half. Age: 26. Caps: 8. Ireland's most talented rugby player? Quick hands, real vision, elusive runner and true footballer, but mentally fragile. Coach believes in him and style should suit him.

9. Brian O'Meara

Club: Cork Con. Position: Scrum-half. Age: 21. Caps: 3. Technically very sound, with crispest pass of Irish number nine club. Also kicks and tackles well. Sometimes, you'd like to see him take on more. In good form, and more mature now.

1. Reggie Corrigan

Club: Greystones. Position: Loose-head prop. Age: 27. Caps: 2. Late bloomer who deserves full-time contract. Big jump from AIL Division Two, but flip side is that Greystones use him an awful lot as runner and decoy. Unproven but mobile.

2. Keith Wood

Club: Harlequins. Position: Hooker. Age: 26. Caps: 11. Genuinely world-class; inspirational figure on and off pitch. Phenomenal work-load. Injury prone, but now refreshed and if he can last 80 minutes, will leave indelible mark on the match.

3. Paul Wallace

Club: Saracens. Position: Tight-head prop. Age: 26. Caps: 14. The other contender for Five Nations XV as things stand. One of the few Lions to retain form, effective scrumagger and very mobile. Missed in Bologna around pitch. Comforting to have him back.

4. Paddy Johns

Club: Saracens. Position: Lock. Age: 29. Caps: 37. "You need a JCB to lift him," according to one prop. Good line-out man, scrumagger and honest toiler close in, who without fuss has become team's most experienced player.

5. Malcolm O'Kelly

Club: London Irish. Position: Lock. Age: 23. Caps: 3. Hugely talented, modern mobile lock, and brave with big work-rate. In good form earlier this season, but 20-plus matches have taken edge off game. Should benefit from last week's rest.

6. David Corkery

Club: Bristol. Position: Flanker. Age: 25. Caps: 21. Not the best footballing back-row player about, but not the worst either. Will bring abrasive edge, big hits, experience and will be straining at the leash. Should be just what the doctor ordered.

7. Kieron Dawson

Club: London Irish. Position: Flanker. Age: 22. Caps: 6. Prone to (concentration?) lapses; could be a little mentally stronger. Good hands (out-half at schools), quick, strong tackler - potentially a class international.

8. Eric Miller

Club: Leicester. Position: Number eight. Age: 22. Caps: 6. Dynamic, modern-day number eight and modernday victim of too much rugby. Has looked mentally burnt-out lately and possibly trying too hard for Ireland. Needed last weekend's rest; buzzing in training.