Ireland boldly go for blend of tried and untested

The Irish A team take a step into the relative unknown against the touring Canadians at Ravenhill tonight in what should be a reasonable foretaste of Sunday's full international at Lansdowne Road. Davey Haslett's team have performed pretty well over the last couple of seasons, beating Scotland (twice), Wales and South Africa, while losing to England (twice), France and Wales. However, this is very much a new-look combination, for although it contains seven full internationals, almost perversely, seven of the side have never played at A level. Thus the team includes a combination of former internationals seeking to revive their international pedigree along with some comparative unknowns. In the latter category, it will be especially interesting to see how the well-regarded, Australian-born, Saracens scrum-half Brad Free does.

"He looks very good in training," said Haslett, confirming the impression made by Free when making a try-scoring appearance as a substitute for the Exiles against the Development XV in the trial in Limerick a fortnight ago. "He's very efficient, very skilful, and very quick with a quick pass."

And with players of the calibre of Ciaran Clarke, Paul Burke, Billy Mulcahy, Peter Clohessy, Gabriel Fulcher and David Corkery, the Irish team should have an experienced backbone. The Canadian coach, Pat Parfrey, who won his sole cap for Ireland against the All Blacks in 1974, has also opted for a relatively-experienced side. It contains only five uncapped players, and appears to be a mixture of first-team and second-team players drawn from their squad of 26.

Gareth Rees, Canada's most prolific player with 337 points in 42 Tests, leads the side from outhalf and he is joined in the team at loose head by another player with 42 caps, Canada's most experienced international forward of all-time, Eddie Evans.

However, there are a few notable absentees from tonight's line-up, namely experienced back-row-cum-lock Al Charron, their utility back, John Graf, hooker Mark Cardinal and Canada's find-of-the-season, 24-year-old lock John Tait, who has played in all seven of their internationals this season.

Haslett concedes he knows little about tonight's opposition, "but I would expect them to be big men, physically committed, big-hitter types. Whatever else from the point of view of skill, I'd expect a lot of aggression and physical strength."