At around 3.0 p.m. in Dr Hickey Park yesterday, some 30 minutes into the Irish squad session, David Humphreys lined up among the first-choice XV and Eric Elwood picked up a tackle bag along with the rest of the replacements. In the heel of the hunt, Warren Gatland went with the man in form over the man in situ.
Confirmation came with the ensuing press conference back at the team hotel in the foothills of the Wicklow mountains. There are three other changes in personnel and a couple of resultant positional switches from the team beaten 27-13 by South Africa two months ago, all in the pack.
As expected, Andy Ward has been withdrawn after sustaining strained medial ligaments in Ulster's European Cup final win over Colomiers, though he should be fit for the Welsh game at Wembley a fortnight later. So Dion O'Cuinneagain switches to open side with Eric Miller returning on the blind side. Paul Wallace also returns at tight head, with Peter Clohessy moving across to loose head, and Jeremy Davidson comes in for Malcolm O'Kelly in the second row.
This will be Davidson's first international start since the Murrayfield defeat at the end of the 199697 season, thus ending the unbroken Paddy Johns-O'Kelly partnership of the intervening dozen tests - by some distance the team's one consistent thread in that time span.
However, another spin-off of Davidson's return is that this will be the first game in which all four Irish Lions will pack down together since that summer tour to South Africa of '97. Trevor Brennan is promoted to the bench.
However, it was the intriguing out-half conundrum which invariably provoked the most interest, as the rest of the team pretty much picked itself, even if Gatland himself is becoming weary of the debate.
Gatland began by pointing out that the selection of Humphreys still came within his loyalty policy; for Humphreys has been a regular member of the squad throughout his 11-month tenure as coach.
"The nice thing about this week is that the players have fitted in so comfortably and get on so well together. We have a squad of 22 who are familiar with the calls and moves."
"In terms of the (number) 10 situation, we've talked about this long and hard. We felt that the easy decision was to pick David Humphreys given the media and public attention, and the way he's been playing and Ulster's season."
"It was a difficult decision to leave out Eric Elwood. We weighed up the options and looked at the two players, and the confidence factor, and it was a decision that was discussed long and hard," said Gatland.
Gatland became irked when questioned as to whether Humphreys would be the place-kicker. "In South Africa his kicking was outstanding. I don't see what the issue is about David Humphreys' kicking. We're very happy with his kicking in an Irish shirt," said Gatland, citing Humphreys' record-breaking last start in an Irish jersey against North West Districts, when he kicked seven penalties out of seven in the 26-18 win.
Pointing out that Humphreys had developed "a little bit more structure" to his natural ability, Gatland added: "I don't want to get hung up on the number 10 decision and over-emphasise the story between Elwood and Humphreys that went on between Campbell and Ward, and Dean and whoever, from the players' point of view and ours."
Humphreys himself admitted he was "a little bit surprised" when Gatland told him yesterday morning. "I didn't expect to be in but having said that, I'm absolutely delighted. No matter how good the Ulster season was, my ultimate goal has always been to get back in an Irish team. The next stage his staying in it," added the 11-times capped 27-year-old, "so hopefully I can try and produce a performance similar to the Ulster ones of the past few weeks."
Humphreys, like his Ulster team-mates, is on a roll and admits that while Ulster "have been on the crest of a wave, perhaps I have as well." Extending his winning run against the French "would be the nicest one of all, I can assure you." All the more so as his debut came almost three years to the day against the same opposition in Paris, which he summarises in one word - "stuffed."
Elwood was, predictably, gutted, and Humphreys could readily appreciate his room-mate's disappointment. "I've been there many, many times and it's not a nice position to be in. He was the first person to wish me well. He's always been very good to me throughout the last few years and this time it was no different."
Manager Donal Lenihan confirmed that O'Cuinneagain would make his first Five Nations' start as the open-side flanker, though he and Miller could be "interchangeable." Effectively one of three number eights in the back-row, O'Cuinneagain played much of his formative senior rugby with Western Province as an open side, and played there eight or nine times for Sale last season. He's certainly no slouch anyway, having played on the wing for Sale twice this season.
The ripple effect of O'Kelly and Ward's withdrawal from the senior squads and the subsequent promotion from the A team to the replacements' bench of Brennan and Mick Galwey means that Alan Quinlan has been promoted to the Ireland A back row. Furthermore, David Corkery and Gabriel Fulcher have been named to fill the other vacancies on the A replacements' bench.
Irish Team
Ireland: C O'Shea (London Irish); J Bishop (London Irish), K Maggs (Bath), J Bell (Dungannon), G Dempsey (Terenure); D Humphreys (Dungannon), C McGuinness (St Mary's); P Clohessy (Young Munster), K Wood (Harlequins), P Wallace (Saracens), P Johns (Saracens), capt, J Davidson (Castres), E Miller (Terenure), D O'Cuinneagain (Sale), V Costello (St Mary's).
Replacements: R Henderson (Wasps), E Elwood (Galwegians), C Scally (UCD), T Brennan (St Mary's), M Galwey (Shannon), J Fitzpatrick (Dungannon), R Nesdale (Newcastle).
