Ireland not taking any backward steps

Neither Ireland nor the Springboks had a bundle of surprises in store yesterday when they announced their line-ups for Saturday…

Neither Ireland nor the Springboks had a bundle of surprises in store yesterday when they announced their line-ups for Saturday's renewal of hostilities at Lansdowne Road. In fact, both were utterly true to form in their selections.

Whereas the Springboks retained the same starting XV and replacements which accounted for Scotland, 35-10, at Murrayfield in the second leg of their putative grand slam, the Irish management made six changes and one positional switch from the team which beat Romania, 53-35 - a commentary on the slightly more experimental nature of that offering.

Kevin Maggs and Girvan Dempsey replace Pat Duignan and Darragh O'Mahony at centre and left wing respectively, while Conor McGuinness takes over from Ciaran Scally at scrum-half. In the front row, Justin Fitzpatrick comes in as Peter Clohessy switches from loose-head prop to take over from the injured Paul Wallace at tight-head. As expected, Keith Wood returns at hooker at the expense of Allen Clarke, while in the back row, Dion O'Cuinneagain replaces Eric Miller, concussed last Saturday.

A more pertinent comparison can be made with the second test against South Africa in Pretoria, from which there are only three changes in the absence of the injured trio Mark McCall, Denis Hickie and Paul Wallace.

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Ed Morrison and Didier Mene resembled pitch-encroaching policemen rather than the respective touch judges in that second test, as running off-the-ball feuds broke out all over the place, but Warren Gatland played down the likelihood of a repeat.

"I don't think so. We're not looking on this as a grudge match in any way. We are conscious of being as disciplined as we possibly can be. We'll be physical all right but we will also be disciplined. But having said that, if it does get a bit nasty, we won't be taking any backward steps either."

Keith Wood added that "it will be a hard physical contest, which is what the public will want. But anybody who has any premeditated thoughts of violence has no business on the rugby field."

Gatland said the selection was "relatively straightforward" while Donal Lenihan dismissed the notion that the captaincy was much cause for debate. "Once Paddy Johns was in the side he was always going to be captain."

Given Jeremy Davidson has only played one full 80 minute match this season for Castres, and that was a seconds game, it was always likely that he would be considered more of a weapon from the bench than Johns would have been. As regards the selection of a still rusty Eric Elwood, "he gives us the kind of leadership we are looking for from number 10." To which can be added his physical presence when defending.

A similar viewpoint is taken by Nick Mallett of Elwood's hard-tackling counterpart Henry Honnibal. Alongside him, Christian Stewart is retained at inside centre, and it was interesting to note that this pair made 36 tackles between them against Scotland last Saturday. Also retained from that game, none too surprisingly after his quicksilver, two-try performance, was open-side flanker Bobby Skinstad, described yesterday as "probably the best athlete I have ever played rugby with" by former Western Province team-mate Dion O'Cuinneagain.

Stewart, instead of Pieter Muller, Honiball at out-half, Robbie Kempson at loose-head instead of Ollie le Roux and Skinstad in place of Andre Venter at open side constitute the Springboks' four changes from that second test in Pretoria.

As well as Miller and Wallace, other Irish players not considered because of injury are flankers Trevor Brennan and Alan Quinlan, winger Denis Hickie and scrum-half Derek Hegarty. The consequences of their unavailability are reflected in a slightly odd looking `A' side to play the Springboks' midweek team in Ravenhill next Tuesday night, in that it contains a couple of players returning from the outer oblivion which Irish players tend to vanish when no longer in favour, namely Eddie Halvey and, wait for it, Niall Woods.

A notable member of the replacements' bench is Tom Tierney, whose representative career can now resume without distractions after he was recently reprimanded by the IRFU following his hearing with the independent drugs tribunal.

Dempsey is the only player asked to start both matches against the Springboks, for on Tuesday he will revert to his preferred full-back position. Furthermore, in what is the strongest `A' selection possible, the Irish management have named all seven replacements from the test squad in Tuesday's starting line-up as well as existing senior squad members Duignan and O'Mahony, with Mick Galwey captaining the side, as was the case with the Combined Provinces this week, and as one of four Shannon men in the pack.

Ireland: C O'Shea (London Irish); J Bishop (London Irish), J Bell (Dungannon), K Maggs (Bath), G Dempsey (Terenure College); E Elwood (Galwegians), C McGuinness (St Mary's College); J Fitzpatrick (Dungannon), K Wood (Harlequins), P Clohessy (Young Munster), P Johns (Saracens) capt, M O'Kelly (London Irish), D O'Cuinneagain (Sale), A Ward (Ballynahinch), V Costello (St Mary's College). Replacements: R Henderson (Wasps), D Humphreys (Dungannon), C Scally (UCD), D Corkery (Cork Constitution), J Davidson (Castres), R Corrigan (Lansdowne), R Nesdale (Newcastle).

South Africa(Western Province); S Terblanche (Boland), A Snyman (Blue Bulls), C Stewart (Western Province), P Roussouw (Western Province); H Honiball (Natal), J van der Westhuizen (Blue Bulls); R Kempson (Natal), J Dalton (Golden Lions), A Garvey (Natal), K Otto (Blue Bulls), M Andrews (Natal), J Erasmus (Free State), G Teichmann (Natal) capt, B Skinstad (Western Province). Replacements: G du Toit (Griqualand West), F Smith (Blue Bulls), W Swanepoel (Free State), C Krige (Western Province), A Venter (Free State), O Le Roux (Natal), N Drotske (Free State).

Ireland A (v South Africa, Tuesday, Ravenhill): G Dempsey (Terenure Colege); N Woods (London Irish), P Duignan (Galwegians), R Henderson (Wasps), D O'Mahony (Bedford); D Humphreys (Dungannon), C Scally (Blackrock); R Corrigan (Lansdowne), R Nesdale (Newcastle), J Hayes (Shannon), M Galwey (Shannon) capt, J Davidson (Castres), D Corkery (Cork Constitution), A Foley (Shannon), E Halvey (Shannon). Replacements: T Tierney (Garryowen), K Keane (Garryowen), S Mason (Ballymena), E Byrne (St Mary's College), A Clarke (Dungannon), J Duffy (Galwegians), D Wallace (Garryowen).

Gerry Thornley

Gerry Thornley

Gerry Thornley is Rugby Correspondent of The Irish Times