Robbie Henshaw set for World Cup debut in strong selection

Akin to other head coaches who have a clear selection strategy in this World Cup, although not all, Joe Schmidt is expected to largely revert to the starting team which kicked off Ireland's opening game with the win against Canada when unveiling his selection for Sunday's rendezvous with Italy in the Olympic Stadium at lunchtime on Friday.

Schmidt underlined in the aftermath of last Sunday's win against Romania, this game affords Ireland the opportunity to qualify for the quarter-finals with a match to spare. Furthermore, during the week Simon Easterby said the coaches would go with their strongest available side.

However, injuries to Jared Payne and Rob Kearney may force Schmidt to deviate slightly from that notional first-choice XV. Indeed, Payne's badly bruised foot has not only ruled him out of the Italian game, but must raise a doubt as to his fitness for the pool finale against France in Cardiff on Sunday week.

No risk policy

In tournament format especially, Schmidt has also been consistent in not risking players with injuries which could be exacerbated, all the more so if they haven’t trained from early in the week. Simon Zebo’s performances at fullback in the warm-up in Wales, and last week against Romania makes him the most viable option to start at fullback.

With Robbie Henshaw having fully recovered from his hamstring strain, he is expected to make his World Cup debut on Sunday, but any one of three players could step in at outside centre for Payne, namely Darren Cave, Luke Fitzgerald or Keith Earls.

Cave performed impressively when moved to outside centre for the last 22 minutes last Sunday when linking up with Paddy Jackson after his introduction for Payne, with Ian Madigan moving to inside centre with a nice hand in Rob Kearney's try and a second clean line break. As the one specialist centre of the three alternative to Payne, he also offers scope for Henshaw to play outside him.

Fitzgerald also performed well at inside centre in the absence of Henshaw in that win over Canada, adding good footwork and distribution skills to the role. For his part, Earls was praised highly by Schmidt when returning to the international arena in the opening warm-up win over Wales in Cardiff, not least for his tackling, and is in prime form.

Apparently too, Earls was running there during some of the week’s training, which also included a workout against Harlequins.

Wing options

As for the rest of the backline, there might be an argument for giving Tommy Bowe another start on the wing to back up his return to form against Romania, although that could mean the in-form Dave Kearney not being given a game for two weeks, which seems unlikely. Maybe both will start.

Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton seem sure to start, and much of the pack would almost seem to pick itself now.

The one possible conundrum might be whether to invest more game time in Cian Healy, after his bravura return to the starting line-up last Sunday; all the more so given Jack McGrath has started three of the four warm-up games, the two against Wales and away to England, as well as the Canadian match. Then again, he has done little wrong.

Rory Best and Mike Ross should be recalled to the frontrow, while Iain Henderson appears to have usurped Devin Toner, and Peter O'Mahony. Seán O'Brien and Jamie Heaslip have long been established as Ireland's backrow.

IRELAND (possible v Italy): Zebo; Bowe, Earls, Henshaw, D Kearney; Sexton, Murray; Healy, Best, Ross; Henderson, O'Connell (capt); O'Mahony, O'Brien, Heaslip. Replacements: McGrath, Cronin, N White, Ryan, Henry, Reddan, Madigan, Fitzgerald.