Thompson gets his chance

Club International: It is good to see All-Ireland League players getting some form of recognition and the Ireland club side to take on the English Counties tonight (Donnybrook, 7.05, RTÉ 2) is littered with quality players like captain David Quinlan from Shannon and Garryowen flanker Peter Malone, while Clontarf winger Niall O'Brien has plenty of gas.

Fiach O'Loughlin will supply his brother-in-law Andrew Thompson with plenty of snappy possession in a decent half back pairing. Thompson missed out last season against Scotland due to injury, and the Shannon veteran has paid his dues to Irish rugby over the years.

The counties are an unknown quantity, like Ireland really, but outhalf Matt Leek will be familiar with the surroundings having played for Leinster under Gary Ella.

IRELAND: R McCarter (Dungannon); N O'Brien (Clontarf), K Hartigan (Garryowen), G Telford (Dungannon)/P Brophy (St Mary's), C Healy (Cork Constitution); A Thompson (Shannon), F O'Loughlin (Clontarf); D O'Connell (Galwegians), M Crockett (Dublin Univ), S Shawe (Ballymena); M O'Connell (Cork Constitution), A Maher (Lansdowne); P Malone (Garryowen), C Hartigan (Buccaneers), D Quinlan (capt, Shannon). Replacements: K Corrigan (Lansdowne), S Nolan (Terenure), S Crawford (Clontarf), F Cogan (Cork Con), M Bruce (Buccaneers), B Keeshan (Dolphin), A Finn (Shannon).