Declan Kidney has opted to give those who stumbled to victory over Canada a chance to show how much of a lacklustre performance was down to new combinations and the introduction of six starting debutants in Vancouver last weekend. Ireland take on the USA Eagles at Buck Shaw stadium, Santa Clara, on Sunday and will do so with a side showing just one change from that which beat Canada 25-6.

Tighthead prop Mike Ross starts instead of Tom Court, in a move that sees Munster’s Tony Buckley move to loosehead, alongside captain Rory Best.

The rest of the side remains the same, but Leinster’s Devin Toner has been called into the squad as back-up for lock Mick O’Driscoll, who sustained a wrist injury against Canada.

Toner was scheduled to join up with the Churchill Cup squad anyway and is arrival later today will just mean he touches down a bit earlier for the June matches.

Leinster coach Alan Gaffney has also joined up with the coaching ticket after playing his part in the Heineken European Cup triumph in Murrayfield last weekend.

"We felt that after last week's game against Canada that the players who started deserved another chance to improve on that performance,” said Kidney this afternoon.

"We thought long and hard about making further changes to the side, but with only two full training sessions under their belts before the Canada game, we thought that it would be better to give an opportunity for the same players and combinations to find their feet a bit more with some more sessions to work off.

"This tour and also the Churchill Cup is all about building a base of experience with the national coaches and it is particularly tough on the players not selected in the starting team as they have been training just as hard as the players picked and were pushing for inclusion this week.

"The majority of those who will not start on Sunday or are not in the matchday 22 will all have further opportunities in the Churchill Cup."

Best conceded a lack of familiarity played a part in the disjointed performance against Canada but says the players now have a chance to put it right.

“We need to lift our levels from the Canada game if we want to put in a performance that can put us in a position to win," said the Ulsterman.

"There was a little lack of cohesion in Vancouver which was possibly down to the number of new combinations and the eight new caps we had.

"The game on Sunday gives us a chance to build on last week and will require another huge effort in work rate to allow us to compete with the USA team who will be a real challenge for us playing them at home.

"The conditions have intensified with the heat a big factor as well as the physical threat that the opposition bring to the game."

Ireland Team:Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht); Barry Murphy (U.L. Bohemians/Munster), Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Ian Whitten (Ballymena/Ulster), Ian Dowling (Shannon/Munster); Ian Keatley (Galwegians/Connacht), Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster); Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) Captain, Mike Ross (Harlequins); Bob Casey (London Irish), Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster); John Muldoon (Galwegians/Connacht), Niall Ronan (Shannon/Munster), Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Replacements:Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)*, Tom Court (Malone/Ulster), Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon/Ulster), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), Eoin Reddan (London Wasps), Niall O'Connor (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)*, Denis Hurley (Cork Constitution/Munster)*