Elwood's need for matches a priority

As a motif it could be inscribed on his coaching tracksuit. "My loyalty is both my greatest strength and my greatest weakness." The hoary old chestnut about the out-half conundrum hardly counts in Warren Gatland's mind and, so, to a point, the resurfacing of this debate publicly doesn't matter. Eric Elwood will be the out-half against Romania, and against South Africa, and most probably the Five Nations and next year's World Cup as well.

That it was not a vintage Elwood performance on Saturday is, in hindsight, not surprising. After two months out with a knee injury Elwood still needs games. He's much more Ivan Lendl than John McEnroe, and the former once admitted he could never afford to take a fortnight's break from practice whereas McEnroe's idea of preparation before his sublime straight sets rout of Jimmy Connors at Wimbledon was to give it some holly the night before. David Humphreys, though a nice, even-tempered man and a non-drinker, is more McEnroeesque in terms of natural talent. He is more liable to do something special, whereas Elwood is Mr Consistency. He'll kick his goals, he'll kick to the corners, he'll call the percentages and he's mentally stronger. As a coach, sitting in McEnroe's corner might have been more fun, more of a rollercoaster, but sitting in Lendl's was probably more reassuring.

Humphreys has been playing the most consistent rugby of his career even if Ulster haven't been making the most of his talents since Mark McCall was injured. He doesn't particularly need games at the moment, while Elwood does.

Thus, Elwood's need for a full 80 minutes outweighed the probability that Humphreys might seriously have dipped his bread in the last half-hour against the by then hapless Georgians. True, his stylish handling can sometimes give a false impression as he moves the ball along without drawing the defence, who can then just drift across freely. Nonetheless, it was disappointing that Ireland didn't once move set-piece ball wide and quickly, while Humphreys would also have attacked the blind side better.

By comparison, Elwood, as is occasionally his wont, reverted to type in setting up his midfield too deep behind the gain line and generally seemed unsure of what to do with so much ball and so much space. It shouldn't be quite such a problem ever again.

When even this Irish pack are fighting for at best a 50-50 share of ball, and against the true heavyweights usually less, Elwood understandably is still the man. Furthermore, he adds a physical presence defensively which Humphreys never will.

Elwood wasn't himself on Saturday. It may have been a trick on the eye caused by the heavy strapping on his knee (which we're assured is more a mental thing) but there was even the hint of a limp. But not only does his game and his form of last season warrant his retention against South Africa on Saturday, but if anything his scratchy performance last Saturday heightens his need for another 80 minutes next Saturday against Romania.

So Humphreys may not win a cap this month, or even this season, unless Elwood is injured. There's only one slight problem in all of this. What subliminal message is it conveying to Humphreys? In becoming resigned to being a permanent understudy, might he also become comfortable with it?

Elsewhere, the scope for some experimentation next Saturday remains. On the basis that Elwood needed and needs another 80 minutes, then the rusty Bell-Duignan parternship does too and Jeremy Davidson might benefit from starting against the Romanians to further his standing as a real weapon on the bench against South Africa.

Paddy Johns played like a man who knows the pressure for his place is intensifying. He'll still lead out the side against Romania, and for reasons of loyalty, but also because of his leadership in South Africa, most probably against the Springboks the following week alongside Malcolm O'Kelly in the second row.

In the interim, the game against the wilier, more organised Romanians (perhaps a 30-pointer as against a 70-pointer) offers the chance to play someone like Ciaran Scally from the start and so expose him to a bit more pressure and hence make him a more viable option against South Africa even from the bench. When it comes to giving youth its fling, Gatland is a pretty fearless selector.

Frustrated by an unfulfilled desire to see Girvan Dempsey play at full back this season the Irish management may also like to play him there from the start. He's a touch of real class about him and remains a better full-back than a winger. Depending on his foot injury, if Darragh O'Mahony is able to train this week it would be interesting to see him play. Many good judges have always rated him as Ireland's best all-round if unproven winger.

Second guessing the team to play South Africa is easier: it will probably be the same team that played against Georgia, save for possibly one change in the back row if Dion O'Cuinneagain can force his way in, and, letting all bygone be bygones, Keith Wood at hooker.

With that in mind, there's an argument for calling Wood in this week whether or not Ross Nesdale is declared fit or not. And a tweaked hamstring is liable to tweak again at any moment. Besides, there's a 26th place abegging anyway in the light of Alan Quinlan's withdrawal, and to recall Wood would show an absence of malice from the management. Whether or not he ultimately regains the captaincy is doubtful. Perhaps he doesn't want it anyway. He'll always be an inspirational figure. Long-term, even by the Five Nations, the captaincy issue may resurface if a mouth-watering Davidson-O'Kelly second-row is formed. Conor O'Shea as captain and Wood as pack leader might be the ticket, though better still could be Davidson himself as captain.

Off the pitch, the percentage of children in the 11,466 crowd was another investment in the future ("er, no son, it isn't always 70-0"), although given reduced attention spans and space to wander, it must provide even more of a security headache than a normal full house.

As befits the IRFU's new-found zeal for spreading the gospel, and identifying untapped satellite towns, teachers from Tallaght are being invited to a pre-match lunch in the Berkeley Court next Saturday and then on to the match.

The union, hitherto unaware of the possibilities, also charted new waters on Saturday with a couple of shops at either end of the pitch as part of a new merchandising deal with Club Tricot. All very high-quality stuff, of course. Now that food and drink available, Lansdowne Road is getting there. Now all they have to do is refurbish the tired old ground.