O'Gara fends off Humphreys challenge

Seldom is the day when an Irish team remains unchanged for two games running, but, in the hope that it will prove equally inspired against Italy next Saturday, the Irish management yesterday predictably gave a vote of confidence to the team which kicked off the record win against Scotland two Saturdays ago.

Ireland are chasing their first back-to-back wins in the Championship since the victories over Wales and England in 1993, and the last time the same starting XV were retained was for the wins over Argentina last August and the USA Eagles in the World Cup opener. You have to go back to the Tests in South Africa for a preceding case.

Not, as Donal Lenihan stressed, that the starting XV were retained with a cursory nod at the Scottish game on a premise that it was a flawless performance.

"A lot of thought went into the selection," Lenihan said. "We discussed it at length over the past 10 days. We made the players aware of that, that they aren't just being pencilled in because of the last day.

"There's been a lot of debate about it, like obviously for David Humphreys, given the performance he put in, I could understand why he would be disappointed that he's not starting this day. But to be fair to Ronan, we just felt that he deserved another chance to start a game."

Aside from the poser at outhalf, between the promise of Ronan O'Gara and the more experienced David Humphreys, the management's focus of debate clearly concentrated on the backline. "We were fairly pleased with the performance of the pack in general, so having looked at the video in detail we were happy enough there," said Lenihan.

"We had to look at the combinations behind the scrum, given that during the course of the game we ended up with Rob Henderson in the centre and with Mike Mullins at full back, so therefore all those options were discussed.

"But on balance we were happy enough to start with the backline that started the last day. But I think it would probably be fair to say that there was more discussion about the backs than the forwards."

Of course, not everyone in the 23-man squad heaved a sigh of relief. Toward the end of yesterday's session at Dr Hickey Park, Lenihan took Trevor Brennan aside, and the Barnhall Bruiser's body language strongly hinted that he had heard the worse.

It will have been little consolation to Brennan that he lost his place on the bench to a player, Dion O'Cuinneagain, whom the management clearly feel will be more suited to the "impact" role in a game such as this, i.e., perhaps faster and looser against less physical opposition.

Explaining the decision to not even re-route Brennan to the A team, Lenihan said: "Basically the selection on the bench was what we felt a horses for courses selection. Dion, as you know, was left out after the game against England. He's played well in the last couple of weeks and we'd be hoping, given his form latterly, that the pace he can inject into a game may be of substance on Saturday." Had Paris been next on the itinerary, it is arguable the management might have felt more pressed to make changes, as Warren Gatland acknowledged. "We have mentioned to the players that maybe if it was France this weekend, one or two positions might be a little bit different."

There's clearly a concern within the Irish management that the Italians are better than their 47-16 result indicates. Gatland described them as a good, physical side who had targeted this Saturday's game even before the championship.

"We'll definitely need to be on our mettle. We talked to the new caps in particular, because it's relatively easy to play your first one when the adrenalin is pumping, but when you go out there for your second one it's a little bit tougher."

Due to the ripple effect caused by the promotion of Johns and O'Cuinneagain to the Test squad, and the injury to Tom Tierney, the A team, which seeks a third win on the spin at Donnybrook tomorrow evening, shows five changes in personnel.

Along with the ensuing call-ups for Mick O'Driscoll, Andy Ward (with Eric Miller moving from number six to eight) and Derek Hegarty, Geordan Murphy returns from injury on the right wing for Sheldon Coulter and Killian Keane replaces Mel Deane at inside centre. Reggie Corrigan, Mark Blair, Alan Quinlan and Brian O'Meara also come onto the A bench.

Ireland A team in SPORTS ROUNDUP