Compiled by GAVIN CUMMISKEY
Simon Zebo
Age: 22 Caps: 2 Club: Munster Height: 1.88m/6ft 2in Weight: 94kg/14st 8lbs
A smooth, lethal runner, but only if used correctly. His mental strength was proved against South Africa and the green jersey is making him a better player.
Donnacha Ryan
Age: 28 Caps: 22 Club: Munster Height: 1.99m/6ft6in Weight: 113kg/17st 8lbs
The public is growing accustomed to the consistency of his polished performances. Significantly improved lineout and all-round operator than 12 months ago.
Replacements: There's an increasing groan across large swathes of the crowd when Sexton is shifted to inside centre to accommodate Ronan O'Gara. Bent, O'Callaghan, Henderson, McFadden and Cronin should ensure a decent cavalry charge.
Chris Henry
Age: 28 Caps: 3 Club: Ulster Height: 1.91m/6ft3in Weight: 107kg/16st 11lbs
Unlucky to be sin-binned against Fiji but will realise how thin the margin for error is at this level. Hopefully Jaco Peyper will allow him to do his job over the ball.
Jamie Heaslip
Age: 28 Caps: 51 Club: Leinster Height: 1.93m/6ft4in Weight: 109kg/17st 2lbs
With his performance levels now guaranteed, the major challenge here is to learn from the temporary breakdown in communication with Wayne Barnes.
Richardt Strauss
Age: 26 Caps: 1 Club: Leinster Height: 1.74m/5ft9in Weight: 102kg/16st
With his fellow countrymen no longer targeting him, we should see more evidence of why the IRFU were correct to invest in Bloemfontein’s bundle of energy.
Mike Ross
Age: 32 Caps: 23 Club: Leinster Height: 1.88m/6ft 2in Weight: 127kg/19st 13lbs
Major focus on this position continues. Declan Kidney said Ross needed game time to attain optimum form and with that now banked, improvement is needed.
Conor Murray
Age: 23 Caps: 13 Club: Munster Height: 1.88m/6ft 2in Weight: 94kg/14st 8lbs
Has the ability to increase his speed of delivery away from the breakdown and should be trusted for 80 minutes even if the team needs a change in tempo.
Jonathan Sexton
Age: 27 Caps: 33 Club: Leinster Height: 1.89m/6ft 2in Weight: 92kg/14st 7lbs
May need to better the four out of six place-kicking return against South Africa but , injury permitting, will seek to expand all aspects of Ireland’s attacking game.
Cian Healy
Age: 25 Caps: 34 Club: Leinster Height: 1.85m/6ft1in Weight: 112kg/17st 9lbs
Bustos will seek to crush him at every engagement so DJ Church may need to make that his entire focus, forcing others to pick up the slack across the prairie.
Keith Earls
Age: 25 Caps: 33 Club: Munster Height: 1.80m/5ft11in Weight: 90kg/14st 2lbs
Fully fit and maturing, glimpses of his brilliant footwork against the Springboks must be given further scope here. Unlikely, but the number on his back looks right.
Gordon D’Arcy
Age: 32 Caps: 70 Club: Leinster Height: 1.80m/5ft11in Weight: 91kg/14st 4lbs
Despite falling off a few Springbok runners late on, not before slowing them, and despite Luke Marshall’s show against Fiji, he remains the deserved incumbent.
Craig Gilroy
Age: 21 Caps: 0 Club: Ulster Height: 1.83/6ft Weight: 90kg/14st 2lb
Five years after Denis Hickie’s retirement, a natural winger with a sprinter’s pace is selected on form. Looked impressive under the high ball against Fiji.
Peter O’Mahony
Age: 23 Caps: 8 Club: Munster Height: 1.91m/6ft3in Weight: 105kg/16st 5lbs
Ireland badly miss Ferris and O’Brien but this young warrior has made it clear his country’s line of talented backrowers remains unbroken.
Tommy Bowe
Age: 28 Caps: 50 Club: Ulster Height: 1.91m/6ft3in Weight: 98kg/15st 7lbs
Hopefully Les Kiss has been afforded enough time to ensure Bowe returns to his best form via structured attacks and not his individual endeavour in broken play.
Mike McCarthy
Age: 30 Caps: 5 Club: Connacht Height: 1.94m/6ft4in Weight: 112kg/17st 6lbs
His value sky-rocketed after a smashing performance two weeks ago, but such physicality must be repeated today as the Pumas will present similar problems.
