IRFU hold firm on Italy game

The Irish selectors will meet next Tuesday or Wednesday to finalise the team to play Italy in Bologna on December 20th, carrying on regardless despite the growing discontent amongst the English clubs who have Allied Dunbar Premiership games on the day of the game.

Manager Pat Whelan points out that he has had no written or verbal contact about the matter, even though the English First Division clubs have apparently written to the Irish and Italian unions seeking a postponement of the game.

According to an International Board diktat, the clubs are duty bound to release their players, but the clubs feel that the two aforementioned unions are in breach of an agreement to hold internationals in a generally recognised period of the season. The clubs are considering not releasing their players.

This dilemma could at least be partially eased in the case of the many London Irish players and Bristol's Kevin Maggs were five of the London Irish players included in the squad. This would permit a cancellation of Irish's game against Bristol.

However, while aware of this situation, Whelan is understandably reluctant to allow it influence the selection of the side to face Italy. "Our brief is to pick the best team without any consideration of anything else. If it so happens that we pick five or more London Irish players then that'll be great. But if we decide to pick four so be it," he said.

"We're not going to facilitate one club because of factors which are extraneous to the selection of the team. It would create a precedent which would make a complete nonsense of the whole procedure."

As it is, both the Newcastle members of the Irish front row, Nick Popplewell and Ross Nesdale, will be released to play for their club in arguably the least important match involving an English club that weekend - namely the European Conference semi-final away to Agen.

Apparently, this decidedly curious decision was made by the IRFU, with neither the Irish management nor the two players aware of it at the time.

Meanwhile, it is believed that the Irish management have recommended that only three more players out of the half dozen or so candidates be given international contracts.

The identity of the three has not been revealed, although it is known that Conor McGuinness is one.