AFTER A loose, un-Kidney like performance in Paris, yesterday’s selection may well signal a return to a more pragmatic approach. On foot of Martin Johnson naming an unchanged England side, and most likely an unchanged approach, Declan Kidney has selected a well-balanced team designed, it seems, to meet the chariot full-on and low down. This has the makings of a quasi Leicester-Munster affair.

Along with reinstating Rory Best for the suspended Jerry Flannery, by recalling Geordan Murphy and Donncha O’Callaghan they have brought to seven the number of Irish players on this team who have beaten England at Twickenham.

Kidney and co could have gone further by retaining Ronan O’Gara, of course, but opted for a fourth change by continuing the investment in Jonathan Sexton, whose last-ditch drop goal earned Leinster a draw against London Irish at Twickenham in January.

By ensuring Ireland have two outhalves for the future, rather than one, there is also a degree of pragmatism here too.

The same is true for retaining Tomás O’Leary at scrumhalf, for he, like Sexton, is physically strong in defence. O’Leary may not have had one of his better games in Paris, but his tackling around the fringes as a fourth backrower is liable to be tested regularly, as his England counterpart, Danny Care, pops the ball more to the one-off forward rumblers than to Jonny Wilkinson.

O’Callaghan’s recall at the expense of Leo Cullen is tough on the Leinster man, who has contributed handsomely to Ireland’s superb lineout in the opening two games. But the Munster lock is obviously refreshed and fighting fit, and provides the mobility and work-rate designed for this game, and may improve Ireland’s clearing out in the rucks.

Kidney, restating his reluctance to talk up one player for fear of talking down another, said: “It’s an opportunity cost whichever way we go. In Leo not being there I know that can cost us in something. They’re slightly different type players, no two players are the same, and (it’s) just the mix Donncha will bring to this one is the right mix for this game. It’s a call on slim margins.

“There’ll obviously be little bit of debate around town, I understand that, but I think people will respect the fact that we see what goes on in training too. It’s what I would have said to Leo and to Donncha. It’s not like Leo is playing poorly, he’s playing very well. We had an exceptionally good defensive lineout. But I suppose that’s my role, to make these calls on what I see and all the factors that are put in front of me.”

The same holds true at outhalf. “To leave someone like Rog out for this match is not an easy call on him, with the wealth of experience and the knowledge he has. I just felt it was right to give Jonathan this go. He’s been training well, and that’s the type of squad we want. If we didn’t have that squad then we could be caught badly.”

Murphy could scarcely have timed his first 80 minutes in five months last Saturday any better than one of his incursions into the line. The experience of the 61-time capped Leicester fullback, who has probably played at Twickenham more than any other Irishman in the professional era, balances his relative lack of match practice.

John Hayes will become the first Irishman to reach a century of caps, and it only took 10 years and 99 caps for him to grant his first full-on media audience yesterday. Camera, lights, action . . . hogging it he is, to a ridiculous degree.

Seán Cronin has been promoted to the bench, as has Tony Buckley at the expense of Tom Court, in what is perhaps the biggest surprise in the 22, for Court is more proven on both sides of the scrum.

Unsurprisingly, in the absence of Seán O’Brien, Shane Jennings joins his fellow ex-Leicester man Cullen on the bench to provide cover at openside.

There is also a tacit admission in the backline replacements – a specialist scrumhalf, specialist outhalf and outhalf cum centre – that they got that wrong in Paris.

Although Andrew Trimble, preferred to Paddy Wallace, is to all intents and purposes a winger who occasionally reprises his original position of centre, there is enough versatility between him and the existing outside three to avoid having to move Gordon D’Arcy from the centre to the wing.

All that said, there would have been arguments for recalling Shane Horgan, not to mention another former two-time winner over England at Twickenham, in Peter Stringer.

Ireland have won five of the last six meetings and England have been copping fearful flak in their press, yet they are the bookies favourites to win, and as Brian O’Driscoll maintained: “Irrespective of how well they have been playing, they have a huge pool of players to choose from and England are never a bad side. Any time we’ve played against them and beaten them it’s usually been by one score.”

Roll on another arm wrestle.