A decision on Keith Wood's fitness for the Test against Australia on Saturday week at Lansdowne Road is likely to be made by the time the 22-man squad assembles at their Greystones base on Sunday night, though the odds on him making it must be long.

Wood has asked for as much time as possible to see if he can recover and has been named captain of the squad which was announced yesterday.

Yet the 51-times capped Irish hooker, who has led Ireland a record 29 times, has had to rest his injured neck for the past five weeks before resuming light training on Monday and he would presumably be obliged to play in some of Harlequins' game against Bath this Saturday.

Wood has played in only four of Ireland's last 10 internationals, and hasn't played at Lansdowne Road since the 40-29 defeat to New Zealand almost a year ago. Then again he played little or no rugby before his sparkling end-of-season comeback against France in Paris at the end of last season.

Wood would dearly love to play in this game, having described the chance to beat one of the leading Southern Hemisphere sides as "a nice carrot in the autumn. Few Irish players have ever had any experience of beating a Southern Hemisphere side and those that have did so with the Lions."

Indeed, Ireland haven't beaten one of the big three from the Southern Hemisphere since the Ollie Campbell-inspired 2-0 Test series win in Australia in 1979. Since then Irish teams have lost 25 tests in a row to Australia, New Zealand or South Africa.

And although it's generally perceived that Irish teams are less mentally cowed when playing the Wallabies, 11 of those 25 defeats have been against Australia (whereas there have been eight against the All Blacks and six against South Africa in that time).

Initially ruled out of the World Cup qualifier at home to Georgia five weeks ago with his neck problem, Wood's nominal return to the squad, at the expense of Frankie Sheahan, constitutes one of only three changes from the panel on duty last time out.

Shane Horgan - injured for all three Tests in September - returns for Rob Henderson, who is convalescing from an operation last week on a torn bicep, while Victor Costello, who earned his 23rd cap in the seasonal opener against Romania after three years in the wilderness, returns for the injured Simon Easterby.

Horgan is likely to start on the bench, having been picked as cover for the threequarters ahead of Geordan Murphy.

The gifted Murhpy, in contrast to Wood, has been ruled out of consideration because of a lack of match practice, despite augmenting a two-try return to action against Calvisano last Saturday week with a try and a match-clinching long-range drop goal for Leicester against Saracens last Sunday, when watched by Irish coach Eddie O'Sullivan.

The selection of Horgan would seem to suggest the management have every faith in David Humphreys's ability to provide cover at full back in the event of anything happening to Girvan Dempsey.

Others not considered because of injury were David Wallace, Paul O'Connell, Eric Miller (who may return for his club this weekend), Jeremy Davidson and Bob Casey.

Leinster have 11 players in the squad, compared to Munster's half dozen, two from Ulster and three from England, though at this stage of the season the call-ups have more relevance to the clubs.

Shannon, better covered than most, Blackrock and St Mary's all have four players in the squad, and all home-based players have been ruled out of their club games for this weekend as well.

A curious feature of yesterday's squad is the nomination of three vice-captains, namely Anthony Foley, David Humphreys and Brian O'Driscoll.

The All Blacks, for one, always place great store by this and make significant play about their nominated vice-captains whenever they announce a squad.

By comparison, as recently as the first Test in Dunedin last summer, the Irish management hadn't named their vice-captains two days before the Test, so clearly this change of tack is in keeping with a desire to develop more team leaders, or on-field lieutenants.

They are also broadening the net of alternative captains to Wood, not just with the Australian game in mind, but perhaps too for the game at home to Fiji on Sunday November 17th.

A 22-man squad for that Test will also be announced next Tuesday, when the starting XV and replacements for the Australian match will also be finalised.

It's likely to be much changed given the third of the autumnal series at home to Argentina on November 23rd is just six days after the Fijian match.

Brian O'Driscoll has been nominated for the International Rugby Players' Association player of the year award.

He is one of five players shortlisted for the award alongside Frenchman Fabien Galthie, Australia's Stephen Larkham, England outhalf Jonny Wilkinson and All Black Scott Robertson.

England have also been nominated in the team of the year category with France, New Zealand and Australia. The awards will be presented in London on November 13th.