Duignan only new kid on the block

The first selection of the season from Irish coach Warren Gatland, for next Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Georgia, is largely predictable and demonstrates an immediate attempt to develop the team's midfield potency with an intriguing new centre partnership of Jonathan Bell and Pat Duignan.

Bell's stock has risen since he won the last of his 22 caps against Scotland two seasons ago while the uncapped 26-year-old, Canadian-born Aussie-reared Duignan is the one new kid on the block.

Aside from the ensuing positional switch which sees Kevin Maggs revert to the left-wing, these are two of the five changes in personnel from the side beaten 33-0 in the second Test by South Africa last June.

On foot of his occasional switches to loose-head on that tour and since for Munster, the inform Peter Clohessy begins a new international career to the exclusion of Justin Fitzpatrick. Ross Nesdale fills in for absent friend Keith Wood (out of sight, but not of mind) while Eric Miller's rehabilitation from summer non-tourist to prodigal son is completed with his selection at blind-side flanker ahead of Dion O Cuinneagain.

Regarding his one-time Connacht protege, Gatland said of Duignan: "In terms of pace he's probably the quickest back we've got at the moment. We're hoping to give him a little bit of space and room which he can exploit with that pace."

The untried Bell-Duignan combination was also the preferred choice of assistant backs coach Philip Danaher, and will provide much of the interest in Saturday's Test both for him and Gatland. "We're looking to probe a little bit more through the middle and looking to get the wings and fullbacks away. It's something that we've been conscious of trying to achieve, but we haven't been able to do that that successfully."

Bell's running opportunities as an outside centre with Ulster have diminished since Mark McCall's injury and Gatland hinted as much. "He hasn't received as much ball as he would have liked at outside centre. We're trying to put him at inside with more of a pivotal role. He's had 22 Test matches as it is and it's just good for us to see him fit and with a few games under his belt, and to be confident in his own fitness. He's obviously a very skilful player and we just think that that skill and experience will add a great deal to the team."

Donal Lenihan waved away any doubts about the fitness or match hardness of Eric Elwood, Victor Costello and Miller, who will now have played in all three back-row positions within his first nine caps. "His fitness has been exceptional, as has his enthusiasm since his difficulties in trying to get him out of Leicester."

Similar sentiments were also expressed for the infectious "enthusiasm" of Jeremy Davidson. "He just wants to get into an Irish jersey again." With his inclusion on the bench, the Castres lock is one step nearer.

Girvan Dempsey, given he covers the back five positions (as Maggs can switch to centre) may well win his first cap on Saturday, fair reward for his enduringly consistent form for Leinster, although the in-form Rob Henderson is a little unlucky while another uncapped Leinster player, Ciaran Scally, is on the bench.

They are joined on what Lenihan calls "the subs to tog" by David Humphreys, Allen Clarke, Justin Fitzpatrick and O Cuinneagain. The unluckiest of all is Alan Quinlan, whose shoulder injury is liable to sideline him for another two to three weeks, and duly forced his withdrawal from the squad, although no replacement will be announced before Monday.

The road-show's presence in the North of Ireland for the first time in eight years was a rip-roaring success again yesterday, perhaps too much so, as hundreds of schoolchildren converged around the scrumagging machine and on a pitch side, for, it seemed, a non-vintage session on a breezy morning in Bangor's Upritchard Park.

For the first game together in four months, "we can't expect everything to click straight away," said Lenihan, who also attempted to build up the Georgians after their four-week preparations in France. Lenihan was acutely aware that Ireland are effectively on a hiding to nothing in this game, as nothing less than a win will do for the Irish public, bar a hiding for the Georgians.

Ireland: C O'Shea (London Irish); J Bishop (London Irish), P Duignan (Galwegians), J Bell (Dungannon), K Maggs (Bath); E Elwood (Galwegians), C McGuinness (St Mary's College); P Clohessy (Young Munster), R Nesdale (Newcastle), P Wallace (Saracens), P Johns (Saracens) capt, M O'Kelly (London Irish), E Miller (Terenure), A Ward (Ballynhinch), V Costello (St Mary's).

Replacements: C Scally (UCD), D Humphreys (Dungannon), G Dempsey (Terenure), D O Cuinneagain (Sale), J Davidson (Castres), J Fitzpatrick (Dungannon), A Clarke (Dungannon).