Ireland A v Australia A: Australia are to be commended for taking an enlarged squad to the Northern Hemisphere and working in three A matches in something of an old-fashioned, seven-match end-of-season tour. The beneficiaries will be the aficionados of Thomond Park, who this evening (7.30, highlights tomorrow, 10pm, Setanta) play host to a rare autumnal A fixture between Ireland and their Australian counterparts.
An A fixture at the citadel of Munster rugby is a unique experience for those Irish players outside the province. Previously only used to being treated as "away" rivals, non-Munster players to have played for Ireland A at Thomond Park were struck by how different this experience was, notably the hum of approval and applause in response to a ball-carry or big play. The gist of their message is: enjoy it while it lasts.
Unlike their Australian counterparts, Eddie O'Sullivan will almost certainly overlook any of tonight's contenders for this Sunday's Test game. Indeed, he has signalled as much by deciding to announce the team to play the Wallabies this afternoon.
Allowing for Andrew Trimble's tight hamstring, which has seen Denis Hickie added to the squad, the same 22 who were on duty against South Africa are likely to be named en bloc, with little enough movement from the bench, although insiders suggest Isaac Boss could be in line for his first start now the coach has been given some "elbow room" by Saturday's impressive 32-15 victory.
The stakes are high for tonight's aspirants, given it marks the first step toward the composition of the 30-man squad for next autumn's World Cup in France. A strong showing tonight could at least merit a call-up for Sunday week's concluding November Test against the Pacific Islands.
Now that they've each slipped to third in the pecking order, the Wasps' half-back pairing of Eoin Reddan and Jeremy Staunton will be especially keen to impress on their return to their old haunt.
In the ever-competitive backrow, the same applies to the upwardly mobile Stephen Ferris, Jamie Heaslip and perhaps most of all Keith Gleeson, who has been a little out in the cold for the last year despite playing some of his best rugby, and whose specialist openside skills could add another dimension to Ireland's play. It looks like being a night to get down and dirty as the weather forecast for "very heavy rain, particularly in the east" suggests conditions could be very poor.
The attempt by the Wallabies' think tank to maximise this last Northern Hemisphere tour before the World Cup didn't meet with much success, admittedly, in their opener, when losing 24-16 to the Ospreys two weeks ago. All bar one of the back line that night at Liberty Stadium will line out for this evening's kick-off, the exception being left winger Drew Mitchell, as do three of the pack, locks Alistair Campbell and James Horwill, along with number eight David Lyons.
Horwill is the only uncapped player in the team, with Stephen Hoiles, Campbell and outhalf Mark Gerrard stepping up from the bench from last Saturday in Rome when the Wallabies beat Italy 25-18. Lyons (40 Tests), Gerrard (16) and centre Morgan Turinui (20) are the only players with 10 or more caps.
John Connolly has deliberately delayed naming the team to play Ireland on Sunday at Lansdowne Road until tomorrow, so as to offer the carrot of possible selection for his aspiring As this evening, with the clear suggestion Gerrard especially has the chance to earn himself a tilt at the problematic outhalf position.
Provided Ireland don't become too sidetracked to impress individually, always a risk at this level but less so under the astute guidance of Michael Bradley and Allen Clarke, they should make home advantage tell.
IRELAND A: L Fitzgerald (Leinster); J Kelly (Munster), B Murphy (Munster), K Lewis (Leinster), R Kearney (Leinster); J Staunton (Wasps), E Reddan (Wasps); R McCormack (Leinster), J Fogarty (Connacht), S Best (Ulster) (capt), M McCullough (Ulster), T Hogan (Leinster), S Ferris (Ulster), K Gleeson (Leinster), J Heaslip (Leinster). Replacements: B Blaney (Leinster), R Hogan (Connacht), M O'Driscoll (Munster), R Wilson (Ulster), C Willis (Leinster), M McHugh (Connacht), G Duffy (Harlequins).
AUSTRALIA A: C Shepherd; A Ashley-Cooper, M Turinui, S Staniforth, D Mitchell; M Gerrard, B Sheehan; B Robinson, S Moore, R Blake, A Campbell (capt), J Horwill, S Fava, S Hoiles, D Lyons. Replacements: T Polota-Nau, N Henderson, M Chapman, G Smith, J Valentine, G Fairbanks, C Rathbone.
Referee: R Debney (England).
Betting (Paddy Powers): ½ Ireland, 20/1 Draw, 6/4 Australia. Handicap odds (= Australia +5pts) 10/11 Ireland, 22/1 Draw, 10/11 Australia.
Forecast: Ireland to win.
