THREE matches down and the Irish management move ever closer to their first-choice XV for the final games of the A/Development squad's tour, against the New Zealand Maoris and Western Samoa. Accordingly, the team to play King Country on Friday in Taupo is a typically unpredictable mix of those with their feet under the counter and those at the last chance saloon.
Nearing the final straight of the tour, the demarcation lines between those rested and those dropped has not been divulged, as the experiments continue. Showing nine changes from the side which accounted for Thames Valley, this selection's strength would seem to lie up front, where the management have opted for another particularly mobile back five, with two open side flankers.
Behind the scrum, the party's one recognised out-half, Richard Governey, has been rested after three successive outings - no doubt in readiness for the final two - so Mick Lynch is moved from the centre. More surprisingly, Andy Matchett is recalled despite an off-colour 27 minutes when his passing untypically let him down badly, while his more-than-effective replacement, Stephen McIvor, is left on the bench.
Alan McGrath, no doubt fearful he wasn't going to get a starting run at one point, is retained in midfield, while Rob Henderson is recalled, possibly to play in the final three games. Justin Bishop is given a fourth outing and a second on the wing after an improved half against Thames Valley, whereas Marcus Dillon is not given a second chance and - now - may not be.
The same may apply to the late call-up and third hooker Shane Byrne, given that Stephen Ritchie is recalled. The props alternate once more. The hard-working Gabriel Fulcher, a mainstay of the pack, is retained for his fourth game of five (which may ultimately be five of six), and, as Pat Whelan admitted, David Wallace's selection for what is virtually his fifth game of the tour (including two lengthy appearances as replacements) is a tribute to his performances.
"Number one, we obviously want to try to win the match, because it would give us so much more confidence going in against the Maoris on Tuesday," Whelan explained. "That was to the forefront of our thoughts. But at the same time, we can't afford to forget that the primary aim of this tour is to try out players."
Though the final two games are being regarded as "tests" within the context of the tour, Whelan is more concerned with how the various hosts have and will label these tour games. Hence, he has written to the Western Samoans to stress that the Irish will not be awarding caps for this game and re-iterating that this is a development tour.
Yet that game is the second of a four-match programme for the Samoans which culminates in tests against the Maoris, Tonga and Fiji, and Whelan admits that the misinterpretation of this A/Development tour isn't the New Zealand Rugby Union's fault. They must have got the wrong idea from somewhere.
"That's correct, yes, but so be it. All I'm doing is correcting the situation. I think it's important that people out here realise the exact nature of this tour." Albeit a bit tardily.
With regard to the final two games, Whelan said: "We have our minds made up in certain areas, and in other areas we haven't. There are other players who are required to do an awful lot of physical work in order to measure up to the required standard.
"They know who they are and we've told them," added Whelan, who, separate from Ashton, has been holding interviews with each player. "By the end of the tour each player will know precisely where he stands."
As part of that process, Ashton and Whelan are also closer to completing an estimated final panel of "32 to 35" players. These names will be put forward to the IRFU with a view to establishing an elite tier of players to be contracted to the union up to and including the 1999 World Cup.
