Joe Schmidt has made 14 changes from the first Irish side to beat the All Blacks on home soil last weekend, for tomorrow's final Autumn international against the USA. Only Garry Ringrose has been retained from last week's starting XV, which had 680 caps compared with tomorrow's 188. Gerry Thornley explains: "This will be the last opportunity to experiment in such fashion until the World Cup warm-up matches next August, and even then those games will be as much about fine-tuning the front-liners." In his column this morning, Liam Toland writes that there is plenty at stake for Ireland's supporting cast in USA clash: "can tomorrow's Irish team replicate similarly against the USA where the greatest window into a team's culture is when the second-string step in to mimic the stars." Meanwhile Schmidt looks set to inform the IRFU, probably no later than next Monday, that he does not intend to extend his tenure beyond next year's World Cup.
Dundalk manager Stephen Kenny has no doubts about his own ability to succeed Martin O'Neill as Republic of Ireland manager, telling reporters: "I am qualified to do it. I am absolutely qualified." Mick McCarthy, however, remains well placed to return to the post over the coming days. The FAI has started what is described as "the process" of finding Martin O'Neill's replacement, and there is talk of a six-strong shortlist. It is likely to be the early part of next week before any announcement would be made.
The concept of a graded All-Ireland goes before this weekend's meeting of Central Council, which has a big agenda, including the experimental football rules and any tweaks to the senior championship format. Leinster chair Jim Bolger says that there isn't a consensus at present on the subject of a tiered championship in football, with some counties having "legacy issues with the All-Ireland B and the Tommy Murphy, and some counties have very bad experiences there, legacy issues."
Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry staged a wet weather clinic at the World Cup of Golf on Friday to give Belgium a share of the lead with South Korea, as the top nations floundered through atrocious conditions during the second round. They are six shots ahead of Irish duo Shane Lowry and Paul Dunne who shot a second round 76 in Melbourne.
