WHEN Richard Hill, the 23-year-old Saracens flank forward, heard that he had been chosen to play for England against Scotland last month his initial reaction was one of "shock" that he was to achieve his primary ambition of a senior cap for his country.

He knew that competition for places in the back row was, to say the least, "fairly intense. The one thing you cannot afford to do is build yourself up to a high level of expectation and then find that you are not in the side; the sense of disappointment in that case is considerable. I was careful to avoid that. Obviously, I was hoping I might make it, but I did not allow myself to go beyond that point before the team was announced," he said as he prepared for the match against Ireland at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

"I knew I was in with a chance. There was a lot of speculation about the team and about the composition of the back row. Obviously my focus was on what the back row would be. I knew I was in the frame, but I think some people were more confident about my chances than I was.

"But when I got the confirmation that I had been selected, it came as a bit of a shock. I suppose that is always the case with a first cap. Even when you know you have a chance, when the ambition is realised, I think the sense of relief and delight is accompanied by a kind of shock element. That was certainly my experience at any rate."

Hill made his contribution to England's big win over the Scots and there was no doubt that he would be retained to play against Ireland. "Things went well for us against the Scots, but we know just how big a challenge we face playing against Ireland in Dublin. That represents a different kind of challenge and we know it. Ireland's win over Wales has to be a great confidence boost. They have now ended a losing run and did it away from home and you have to respect that," he added.

Hill thinks that the Irish pack is especially. good and has regular first hand knowledge of two of that pack, his Saracens club-mates, tight head prop Paul Wallace and second row Paddy Johns. "They are two very good players as I know so well. They play in front of me week in and week out and I have great respect for both Paul and Paddy. They both played very well in Cardiff and the Irish performance showed the ability of the side and the character in it. Instead of going into the match against us trying to avoid a possible wooden spoon now everything has changed as Ireland stand in with a chance of the Triple Crown, just like us, but we will be doing everything to end those ambitions.

"At any time, playing Ireland at Lansdowne Road, as England teams in the recent past have discovered, is difficult. Now the win over Wales gives them an added incentive. We are certainly forewarned, and know the nature of the task we face."

But Hill is not apprehensive about playing in Dublin. "I am very pleased to be getting the opportunity to play, and I am looking forward to the match. I have played in Ireland against Ireland at schools level and I also played against them at under-21 level in Gateshead. I was lucky enough to finish on the winning side on both occasions, now I want to maintain that record," said Hill who was capped at schools level for England while a student of Bishop Wordsworth's School in Dorset.

"I played on the England schools side against Ireland in Thomond Park in 1991," he said. "We won that day and two more of our side on Saturday, Tim Stimpson and Simon Shaw, were also in the England team that day. Paul Burke also played for us in the match but subsequently declared for Ireland.

Hill's direct opponent next Saturday, Ireland flanker David Corkery played for Ireland in that match as did Anthony Foley, an Ireland substitute next Saturday. "I remember both very well," said Hill. "We won the match comfortably enough in the end and Paul Burke scored most of our points." In fact, England won 15-0 and Burke scored a try, two conversions and a dropped goat. Stimpson also scored a try in the match.

"The next time I played against Ireland was in the under-21 match in Gateshead in 1993. And, while we won that match, too, Paul Burke played against us that day, and after we built up what looked like a comfortable lead, Ireland nearly caught us at the end," added Hill, who obviously enjoyed his trip down memory lane.

England won the match 22-15 and in addition to Hill, who played number eight on that occasion, Stimpson, Shaw and Hill's back row colleague on Saturday, Lawrence Dallaglio, were also on the England team. Two of Ireland's current team, centre Jonathan Bell and second row Jeremy Davidson played for the Ireland side that day as did Foley. Bell played full back and Corkery was an Ireland replacement as was the current England scrum half Andy Gomersall.

"I was on the England bench two years ago for the England A international against Ireland at Donnybrook so I cannot claim any part in the England win that day." England won the match 29-10. "All my experiences against Ireland have been good ones and winning ones, I would very much like to keep that record going next Saturday," said Hill, now a full-time rugby player, "but I have no doubt at all that if I do it will be very hard earned. There is not the slightest chance that, we will underestimate Ireland or their coach Brian Ashton. Just look at his record!"