Ireland A v Tonga -(Ravenhill - 7pm): THERE ARE five survivors from the Ireland A team that beat the England Saxons in the Churchill Cup final during the summer for tonight's clash with a team ranked 15 in the world. Fergus McFadden, Donnacha Ryan, Devin Toner, Neil Best and Chris Henry are all included in the run-on side in Belfast.
Johne Murphy, Isaac Boss, Denis Fogarty and Bryan Young are named on the bench having either started or come on against the Saxons. Shane Horgan, who leads the shadow Irish side, has been in brilliant form, playing as well this season as he has ever done.
The midfield partnership of Darren Cave and Fergus McFadden – they’ll probably play left and right as both are ostensibly outside centres – pairs two of the country’s outstanding young backs while Andrew Trimble and Gavin Duffy complete a backline with plenty of attacking potential. Defensively they won’t find a physically demanding remit and that applies to all contact areas right across the team.
Ian Humphreys should benefit from the quicksilver service of Peter Stringer and it’ll be instructive to note how the Ulsterman copes in all facets of his responsibilities. Brett Wilkinson is given an opportunity alongside Leinster duo John Fogarty and Mike Ross in the frontrow.
There is only one change to the back five from the Saxons match with Seán O’Brien replacing Neil Ronan. Toner and Ryan should not only guarantee lineout possession but provide an athletic presence in the loose, but it is in the backrow that one suspects Ireland will need to be at their most combative.
The Tongans relish the physicality of collisions something that O’Brien, Best and Henry will appreciate more after tonight. The visitors are coached by Isitolo Maka, a brother of Finau, both of whom were team-mates of Trevor Brennan at Toulouse. They follow this game with matches against Scotland A and Portugal.
Their assistant coach Brian Melrose, a former Australian Under-20 and Sevens coach who was brought on the tour to help put attack and defence structures in place within the back division, pointed out: “The team as a whole are a big physical side, with powerful ball carriers and a very strong defence. It is difficult to pinpoint any individual player at the minute, but from my initial work with the squad, the backrow of Vahafolau, Fono and Filo, look to be a useful unit and work well together.
“The skipper, secondrow Kelelolio Paino Hehea, is a very solid and powerful player. In the backs the New Zealand born outhalf Kurt Morath has a lot of talent. Vaka, the inside centre is a big ball carrying runner. The fullback Filmone Lilo and right winger Alipate Fatafehi, are both real prospects for Tonga.”
Toulouse centre Manu Ahota’e’iloa and Viadana outhalf Pierre Hola have been named among the replacements. This will be a really tough assignment for the home team and it’s difficult to escape the feeling that if they’re to prevail it’ll be a squad rather than simply a team effort.
IRELAND A: G Duffy(Galwegians, Connacht); S Horgan(Boyne, Leinster, capt), D Cave(Belfast Harlequins, Ulster), F McFadden(Old Belvedere, Leinster), A Trimble(Ballymena, Ulster); I Humphreys(Ballymena, Ulster), P Stringer(Shannon, Munster); B Wilkinson(Galwegians, Connacht), J Fogarty(DLSP, Leinster), M Ross(Clontarf, Leinster); D Toner(Lansdowne, Leinster), D Ryan(Shannon, Munster); S O'Brien(Clontarf, Leinster), N Best(Northampton Saints), C Henry(Ballymena, Ulster).
Replacements: D Fogarty(Cork Constitution, Munster), B Young(Ballymena, Ulster), D Tuohy(Ballymena, Ulster), K McLaughlin(UCD, Leinster), I Boss(Ballymena, Ulster), I Keatley(Galwegians, Connacht), J Murphy(Leicester Tigers).
TONGA: V Filimone Lilo; LN Alipate Fatafehi, S Hufanga, J Vaka, P Vakaloa; K Morath, K Fangupo; T Toke, S Telefoni, M Moala; K Paino Hehea (capt), E Kauhenga; S Filo, U Fono, S Vahafolau.
Replacements: W Hafu, P Taula, P Fakalelu, L Faaoso, R Mahe, M Fangupo, P Hola, M Ahota'e'iloa.
