IRELAND will face a United States team that includes three new caps, two second row forwards who both stand at six feet nine inches and some old adversaries in the international here in Atlanta tomorrow.

The selection includes eight of the side that played against Ireland in November 1994, when Ireland won 26-15, but some have changed positions. Mark Williams moves from outside half to full back and he, along with right wing Vaea Anitoni, centre Ray Green and scrum half and captain Andra Bachelet are the survivors among the backs from the match in Dublin.

In the pack, hooker Tom Billups, and the back row trio Ron Randall, Richard Tardits and Dan Lyle all played in the Dublin game. But Randall was in the second row then and is now on the blind side flank, Lyle moves from blind to open side flank and Tardits who, was on the open side, is now named at number eight in the absence through injury of Robert Lomkong.

The new caps in the side are left wing Malaki Delia, tight head prop Joe Rissore and second row Luke Gross, who like his partner Aaron Freeman, stands at six feet nine inches.

Commenting on the Irish team selection announced on Wednesday, Ireland manager Pat Whelan said: "Selecting the side was in some respects not easy but it is always better to be able to do that from a position of strength with very viable options in several posit ions." Whelan was commenting yesterday just before the squad left their team hotel to go for a two hour training session at the match venue, Life College.

Whelan also cleared up a misunderstanding about the wing posit ions. "In fact Richard Wallace is playing on the right wing and Simon Geoghegan on the left and not as intimated when the team was sent back to Dublin. That was due to an unfortunate misunderstanding when the team was transmitted back to Dublin.

While most of the really hard preparatory work for the match has been done and performed in weather described by Whelan and coach Murray Kidd was most unusual for this time of year in this area there was relief in the Ireland party yesterday when they awoke to bright sunshine and clear sky, even if the weather was a bit crisp. The players' training schedule has now been reduced to one session a day and, no doubt, that too has come as a relief as the unanimous view in the squad was that they have not previously experienced sessions of such intensity.

Kidd said: "No doubt the adverse weather, and rain in particular, added to the situation for the players and made it that much more difficult for them, but I am really pleased with their response. I am particularly pleased at their level of fitness. Some are exceptionally fit but all have come through very well and the general level of physical fitness is very good. That is both important and very encouraging.

"We came here to get away from the wet and the cold," said Whelan "but despite the unusual nature of the weather, the sessions have been really good and we have achieved what we wanted to achieve during the week."

Former All Blacks forward John Mitchell, who has now joined the Ireland management team as coaching adviser to the forwards and will work as RFU Game Development Officer the Limerick area, is a man who knows all about fitness from his days in the All Black and Waikato jerseys. "He has commented on the physical fitness level," said Kidd "and has been very impressed with it. He is surprised we are so advanced in that area."

Commenting on the decisions to award Kurt McQuilkin and Victor Costello their first caps Kidd said: "Kurt has played exceptionally well for Leinster, both in the interprovincial championship and the European Cup, and has earned his selection. Victor has probably been the outstanding forward in some respects in a very good Leinster team pack, certainly in terms of his ball carrying ability and as an attacking back row.

"We are working on areas of his game we think need to be improved, such as defence," added Whelan. "Obviously Jeremy Davidson's injury was a factor in the selection, but we see this as a very good opportunity to give Victor his chance."

Davidson has a badly bruised thigh and Costello replaces him on the blind side flank. McQuilkin comes in for Maurice Field.

On the preference for Elwood over Paul Burke, Kidd said: "Eric Elwood has played well in a losing Connacht team. I want to see now if he can play the type of game I want, which is to move the ball quickly." And Whelan's comment on that selection: "Paul has not played as well as he can in recent times for Munster."

The referee for the match tomorrow will be George Gavorich of Canada. He is a relatively experienced official but Whelan and Kidd have arranged to meet him this morning to discuss the interpretation of some laws.