Fitzgerald's men face tough test

UNDER 21s: Wales lead Ireland 5-4 in the head-to-head meetings at under-21 level since 1991, and it will require a tremendous performance for the Irish to draw level today. Wales are exceptionally strong at this level, as evidenced by their record in the Northern Hemisphere of having won 34 of 44 internationals.

The Welsh will look to scrumhalf Andrew Williams, who plays for Bath, and Swansea outhalf Gavin Henson, who has appeared for the senior Welsh side.

The most interesting selection sees the inclusion of the entire Neath under-21 front row, where the highly-rated hooker Adam Matthews has Paul James and Adam Jones as his props.

Ireland are without the injured duo of Gavin Duffy and Andrew Maxwell. St Mary's College scrumhalf Conor McPhillips has been selected on the left wing, while Ian Humphreys, a brother of David, forms a talented halfback partnership with promising UCD scrumhalf Brian O'Riordan.

Up front, Ballymena's Brian Young has switched from loosehead to tight this season and forms part of a strong scrum with Sean Phillips and Kevin Corrigan. Phillips has seen plenty of action on the Saracens first team this season. Matthew McCullough is another outstanding pro, while his partner in the second row, UCC's Stephen Keogh, has been likened to Mick Galwey.

The player to whom coach Ciaran Fitzgerald will look for a big game is former Rockwell schoolboy Denis Leamy at blindside flanker. He has been touted as a future international and forms part of a talented back row that includes Ulster players Roger Wilson and Neil McMillan.

IRELAND:

S Young (Ballymena); M McPhail (UL Bohemian), B Lynn: (St Mary's), C O'Sullivan (UCC), C McPhillips (St Mary's); I Humphreys (Dungannon), B O'Riordan (UCD); S Phillips (Saracens), K Corrigan (UCD), B Young (Ballymena); S Keogh (UCC), M McCullough (Ballymena); D Leamy (UCC), R Wilson (Dublin University), N McMillan (Ballymena). Replacements: R Best (Newcastle), J Lyne (Lansdowne), M Carroll (Blackrock), C Hartigan (Garryowen), F Murphy (UCC), P Devlin (Sale), J Norton (St Mary's).

WALES:

G Swales (Swansea); L Roberts (Cardiff), M Brayley (Swansea), H Luscombe (Newport), N Jones (UWIC); G Henson (Swansea), A Williams (Bath); P James (Neath), A Matthews (Neath), A Jones (Neath); A Davidson (Gloucester & Hartbury Coll), B Griffiths (Llanelli); R Williams (Ebbw Vale), G Williams (Llanelli), R Jones (UWIC). Replacements: M Miles (Northampton), C Jones (Llanelli), P John (Llanelli), D Hudd (Ebbw Vale), A Gravell (Llanelli), M Phillips (Llanelli), N Robinson (Cardiff).