JOE SCHMIDT NAMES his first Ireland team of the new season tomorrow afternoon at 13.45 in Carton House, ahead of Saturday’s World Cup warm-up clash against Wales at a sold-out Millennium Stadium (KO 14.30).
Warren Gatland has selected an experimental Welsh matchday 23 that mixes new caps Dominic Day, Ross Moriarty, Tyler Morgan and Eli Walker with more experienced faces like Mike Phillips, Richard Hibbard, James Hook and Justin Tipuric.
Schmidt is set to name a similar blend of his less experienced squad members and more senior members of the squad with points still to prove. Forwards coach Simon Easterby yesterday promised some “new combinations” and certain players who “won’t have been tested at this level before”.
With the excitement building for Ireland’s first game in the lead-up to the World Cup, let us know the names you’d like to hear Schmidt read out tomorrow afternoon, from 1 to 23.
Would you like to see as many inexperienced faces as possible get caps? Or is there a balance to be found between the younger players and proven leaders?
With Cian Healy, Luke Fitzgerald, Sean Cronin and Marty Moore having been ruled out by Easterby, here are the remaining players in the extended Ireland training squad at present:
Front rows: Rory Best, Richardt Strauss, Rob Herring, Jack McGrath, Dave Kilcoyne, Michael Bent, Mike Ross, Tadhg Furlong, Nathan White
Locks: Paul O’Connell, Devin Toner, Dan Tuohy, Dave Foley, Iain Henderson, Donnacha Ryan (both of the latter also cover blindside)
Back rows: Jamie Heaslip, Jordi Murphy, Sean O’Brien, Chris Henry, Peter O’Mahony, Tommy O’Donnell, Jack Conan
Halfbacks: Conor Murray, Eoin Reddan, Isaac Boss, Kieran Marmion, Johnny Sexton, Paddy Jackson, Ian Madigan
Centres: Robbie Henshaw, Jared Payne, Gordon D’Arcy, Noel Reid, Darren Cave
Back threes: Rob Kearney, Felix Jones, Tommy Bowe, Andrew Trimble, Simon Zebo, Dave Kearney, Fergus McFadden, Craig Gilroy, Keith Earls (covers centre too).
