Discerning anything tangible from last night's match at Thomond Park was nothing more than an exercise in futility for the watching Irish management team of Brian Ashton and Pat Whelan: 15 substitutions between the sides rendered the game little more than a conveyor belt of faces.
Recognising one's own team mates at the end of the 84 minutes that referee John Cole allowed would have been something of an achievement. Given that backdrop to the occasion, a lack of continuity is both understandable and predictable, and therefore it is no surprise that the game degenerated quite quickly into an error-strewn morass.
Passes were put to ground, ball was spilled on contact and individuals became isolated when driven by adrenaline rather than intelligence as both packs were inclined to take possession one step too far.
Re-cycling of possession was pedestrian, thus offering little encouragement to either backline when ball was finally made available.
To their credit, there was no lack of commitment or effort on the part of the players, but it could not make up for the shortfall in quality. What Ashton may have gleaned from the exercise is that the country possesses an abundance of backrow talent.
Victor Costello, Trevor Brennan and Alan Quinlan all enjoyed moments of prominence, especially Costello, who grabbed a brace of tries. This trio would have been known to him, but possibly not Exiles number eight Simon Easterby and excellent open-side Stephen O'Neill, who enjoyed an abrasive evening.
The Exiles made use of their three scrum-halves, Guy Easterby, Australian Brad Free and Patrick Horgan, all of whom appeared accomplished players in their shortened cameos: Lansdowne's David O'Mahony lost nothing in comparison.
Former Neath starlet Matthew McCarthy, now with Orrell, demonstrated some nifty footwork and a keen eye for a gap, intelligently linking with backs and forwards. The Exiles possessed the greater thrust behind the scrum, and were more incisive when the opportunity arose.
In contrast, the Development XV, for whom young Bohemian prop Martin Cahill enjoyed a couple of surges (raucously greeted by the 4,000 crowd), enjoyed an edge up front, yet never quite managed to confirm that authority, too frequently undermined by mistakes.
Graham Heaslip and Shane Leahy provided a solid platform out of touch, but the Development XV lacked the cohesion, familiarity and clarity of purpose of a team that spends time together: the Exiles made a better fist of the hurried preparation.
The pick of the tries on a bitterly cold evening was that of Australian Free, who finished off a move that originated in the Exiles 22. Small consolation on a largely disappointing night.
