Miller a major doubt

Eric Miller remains a major doubt for Ireland in advance of their clash with Canada on Sunday. The ankle ligament injury he picked up against the All Blacks had sidelined him since and a decision will be made when the Irish squad arrives from Limerick at the Fitzpatrick Killiney Hotel this afternoon.

"We're not going to push him and a decision will be made when we arrive in Dublin," confirmed Pat Whelan yesterday. Victor Costello, called into the squad for training this week, looks the likely replacement to win his sixth cap after hitting a rich vein of form with Leinster and St Mary's.

Meanwhile, Niall Hogan has been called in from hibernation to take Brian O'Meara's place on the substitutes' bench. The London Irish scrum-half won the last of his dozen caps when he was tactically substituted for O'Meara in the 466 defeat by England at Lansdowne Road last season and hasn't featured in any squad selection this season - even Wednesday night's A squad.

With Brad Free sustaining a broken tibula in that Irish A win over Canada, the Irish selectors were effectively left with the option of promoting Rotherham's Guy Easterby, the A reserve to Free, or bringing in one of the established guard from the cold.

By opting for Hogan, it means that Stephen McIvor, one of only two contracted Irish scrum-halves at the outset of the season, has been banished to sixth in the number nine pecking order - at best.