The first Irish 24-man squad selection of the season duly rewards form players, contains a degree of youthful experimentation in the choice of Geordan Murphy and Tyrone Howe for perhaps their home Test debuts, signals that Shane Horgan may start at centre for the first time, with Eric Miller seemingly heading the posse for the number six jersey, and all mixed in with a surprise recall for Paddy Johns.
The greater probability of actually starting a match in next Tuesday's Ireland Under-25/Development game against the Japanese sees the likes of Gordon D'Arcy, Jeremy Staunton and the three young locks, Bob Casey, Mick O'Driscoll and Leo Cullen, chosen in that 22-man squad instead. The bigger names to miss out include the likes of Mike Mullins, Victor Costello, Kevin Maggs, Alan Quinlan, Johnny Bell and so forth, all of whom are likely to come back into the reckoning for the A game against South Africa on Wednesday week in Thomond Park.
As Warren Gatland admitted, Saturday week's Test against Japan, and to a degree even the South African game a week later, affords the Irish management more scope for selectorial manoeuvring than perhaps any other of the seven matches this season: "In all of this we're really looking ahead to the Six Nations. We want to have a balance between a bit of youth and experience."
This scenario always made it likely that one of the successes of last summer's visit to the Americas, Geordan Murphy, would be included and Gatland's remarks drop a broad hint that Murphy and the in-form Howe will complete the outside three combination with Denis Hickie, while the Irish management may well have a look at the Brian O'Driscoll-Shane Horgan Leinster midfield pairing.
Gatland admitted they were concerned that Murphy has again been playing much of his rugby with Leicester on the wing this season, and also that he's "had a bit of an ankle problem." Hence the inclusion of Girvan Dempsey ahead of, say, D'Arcy or Dominic Crotty, even though his form has not been exceptional. "Gordon will get a game in the under-25 match," said Gatland.
Howe's inclusion is simply the reward for his continuing good form this season, and his utterly committed approach, culminating in an excellent display for Ulster last Friday against Toulouse. "He's a player who's worked hard and deserves another chance. I've a lot of time for James Topping, for example, but he's not quite at the form he could be at, and one of the things that swayed the selection in favour of Tyrone is that he's been very strong defensively."
In the absence of the injured Simon Easterby, the chase for a vacancy in the back row was largely between Miller and Quinlan, with the former's fine performance last Friday, as suspected, proving welltimed, and he has simply too much all-round footballing ability to ignore.
As for Quinlan, Gatland said: "He's not far away at all. If I've got to be honest, his sinbinnings in the last couple of games are a little bit of a concern."
In the absence of Mick Galwey, it seemed possible that this game would be used to recall Casey, or select one of the other young tyros who have impressed from sporadic appearances this season for their provinces, namely Mick O'Driscoll and Leo Cullen, as opposed to recalling Johns.
But Gatland commented that "I don't think anyone else has really been outstanding," adding that Johns has played more rugby this season and they've one eye on the South African match in this choice, where they will now have three experienced locks to call on.
Even so, it is a surprise, though there are some bigger eyebrow-raisers in the Under25/Development selection (who will be coached by Declan Kidney and Niall O'Donovan) where, admittedly, the Irish management had to pick players on the fringes of provincial squads in what is an entirely home-based squad of 22.
Among these, for example, is Sheldon Coulter, a peripheral figure for Ulster this season. Aside from offering cover on the wing and centre, Gatland said: "Eddie (O'Sullivan) had him in the under-21s and has a huge amount of time for him." Aside from D'Arcy, form players such as Topping, Anthony Horgan and John Kelly are included, as is the New Zealand-born Shane Stewart, even though Bell is keeping him out of the Ulster team and, like Kelly, is 26.
Another of the selection criteria being consistent exposure for their provinces this season, the likes of Richie Weir, Simon Best, Martin Cahill and the impressive young Connacht openside Johnny O'Connor are named.
The Irish squad links up next Sunday in Greystones. The team and replacements for the Japan Test will be named next Tuesday.
UNDER-25/DEVELOPMENT SQUAD: Backs - Gordon D'Arcy (Leinster), James Topping (Ulster), Anthony Horgan (Munster), Sheldon Coulter (Ulster), John Kelly (Munster), Shane Stewart (Ulster), Mark McHugh (Leinster), Jeremy Staunton (Munster), Tom Tierney (Munster), Brian O'Meara (Leinster). Forwards - Marcus Horan (Munster), Simon Best (Ulster), Martin Cahill (Connacht), Peter Smyth (Leinster), Richie Weir (Ulster), Bob Casey (Leinster), Leo Cullen (Leinster), Mick O'Driscoll (Munster), Donnacha O'Callaghan (Munster), Johnny O'Connor (Connacht), David Wallace (Munster), Tony McWhirter (Ulster) capt.
