Clarke keeps Wood on bench

Given a choice between having one eye on the South African test a week later, or treating the two World Cup qualifying matches as an entity in themselves, in the heel of the hunt, the Irish management went for the former. Accordingly, there are only three changes from the side which accounted for Georgia by a record 70-0 for this Saturday's qualifier against Romania at Lansdowne Road.

One of those is enforced, where Allen Clarke is given the nod ahead of the back-in-harness Keith Wood in the absence of the injured Ross Nesdale, while Ciaran Scally and Daragh O'Mahony play from the start instead of Conor McGuinness and Kevin Maggs, who join Wood on the bench.

The clear implication therefore is that Scally and O'Mahony have a chance to play their way into the team for the Springboks test a week later. Scally's service looked quicker and longer than that of McGuinness, who still hasn't hit his best form this season, but impressed though they were with Scally's 26 minute, try-scoring cameo last Saturday, as Donal Lenihan observed: "Ciaran came on when a lot of the hard work was done and we want to see how he copes in a situation where he has to start the game."

Even though it's hard to see Maggs being excluded on Saturday week, bearing in mind his high yardage haul in the first test last summer against the Boks, were O'Mahony to continue his rich vein of try-scoring form on Saturday, then it will be hard to ignore him.

Perhaps Gatland and his assistant coach Philip Danaher are not entirely convinced yet of the Jonathan Bell-Pat Duignan midfield partnership. Certainly, it needs a little more fine-tuning if it is to be thrown at the Springboks midfield, as does a rusty Eric Elwood as well as the retained Eric Miller-Victor Costello-Andy Ward back row.

One suspects the balance and make-up of the latter is causing them more angst than any other combination, for it is somewhat surprising that the classy Dion O'Cuinneagain has been confined to a place on the bench for both these qualifying games.

The notion of having another look at the accomplished Girvan Dempsey must also have been alluring, nor would the Irish management have enjoyed limiting Jeremy Davidson, David Humphreys and Justin Fitzpatrick to places on the bench in both games, and not even that carrot in the case of Mick Galwey and Rob Henderson. The latter, eager for any sort of a game, was granted permission to leave the squad yesterday and play for Wasps against Sale on Sunday.

"There was a temptation to experiment further," admitted Warren Gatland, but this had to be balanced with "the need to look at some combinations again and also giving one or two players an opportunity rather than making wholesale changes." In addition, Gatland forecast that "there will be a number of changes during the match, I suspect, with substitutes."

The Irish coach has been a little irked by the tenor of the reaction to the performance against Georgia, and became a tad tetchy over perceived criticisms of Elwood's performance and the decision not to bring David Humphreys off the bench.

Pointing out that Elwood only kicked the ball once in an expansively-minded performance, Gatland said: "Eric is not long back after a seven-week absence with a knee injury, and in the circumstances, we felt that he needed the full 80 minutes last Saturday, and that he also needs another international match under his belt.

"This certainly does not mean that we are not well aware of the considerable talents of David Humphreys. He is a valued member of the squad, and we have been monitoring his performances with Ulster all season. He's had his best season and we've been very impressed with his performances."

There had, too, been a temptation to throw Wood in from the start on Saturday "but in fairness to Allen Clarke he has been with the World Cup squad from the start. Indeed, aside from the nominated charities who will share Wood's £2,000 match fees this season, Clarke may also be inclined to send Wood a thank-you card given he is set to benefit to the tune of £9,000 over this World Cup fortnight.

Wood has been receiving a fair old ribbing from his squad mates already, and seems set to inherit most of the menial tasks possible this week as part of the humbling and healing process.

It's water off a duck's back of course. His unmistakable pate was its usual prominent self in training, where the changed emphasis on continuity, through keeping the ball in the hand and staying on their feet, was again apparent throughout the 13-a-side run-out off broken play which took up the bulk of yesterday's high tempo session in Dr Hickey Park.

Ireland (v Romania): C O'Shea (London Irish); J Bishop (London Irish), J Bell (Dungannon), P Duignan (Galwegians), D O'Mahony (Bedford); E Elwood (Galwegians), C Scally (UCD); P Clohessy (Young Munster), A Clarke (Dungannon), P Wallace (Saracens), P Johns (Saracens, capt), M O'Kelly (London Irish), E Miller (Terenure College), V Costello (St Mary's College), A Ward (Ballynahinch). Replacements: C McGuinness (St Mary's), D Humphreys (Dungannon), K Maggs (Bath), J Fitzpatrick (Dungannon), K Wood (Harlequins), J Davidson (Castres), D O'Cuinneagain (Sale).