WESTERN Samoa, with one win and one loss behind them from their matches in England, play the first of two, matches in Ireland when they face Munster at Musgrave Park this afternoon.
That match is the start of a hectic period of representative activity on the Irish scene over the coming weeks, including the international between Ireland and Western Samoa at Lansdowne Road on Tuesday night and the Ireland A match against South Africa A the same afternoon at Donnybrook.
Indeed, such is the coming programme that representative teams from Western Samoa, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa will be on these shores this coming week. The Australians arrive tomorrow for their five-match tour, the South Africans are in for the A international, and, to complete the Southern Hemisphere block, the New Zealand under-21 side open their tour against Munster at Musgrave Park tomorrow.
Circumstances, of course, decree that what is in effect a Munster second XV will take the field this afternoon because of the unavailability of the Munster members of the Ireland and A squads. The up side is that this match gives a chance to some of the up-and-coming players.
But the Munster team is not without the essential leavening of experience. In that category, one can put full back Pat Murray, centre Sean McCahill, scrum half David O'Mahony, prop Paul McCarthy, second row Len Dinneen and, to a lesser extent, flanker Liam Toland.
Three of that sextet are full internationals (O'Mahony, McCahill and McCarthy), and the others are A internationals.
In contrast, hooker Frank Sheehan has been selected on the Munster under-21 team to meet the New Zealanders tomorrow, and players such as right wing Andrew Thompson and left wing Brian Begley are not long out of the under-21 international scene.
Obviously, with the international only four days away, the Samoans are also going for what is essentially a second team. But, like Ireland, they have a quota of internationals in the side for this, the first meeting between Munster and Western Samoa.
"Although obviously we would like to be able to call on a full strength side, the fixture is still a good one for us and gives our young players very useful experience in a competitive situation," said Munster manager Colm Tucker.
"This is our 12th match this season and we still have a very big one to come, the match against Australia later in the month."
But Tucker is worried that Munster will not be able to call on a full strength side for the match against the Wallabies on the 26th, as there could be rearranged English league matches scheduled for the day of or the day after that encounter.
"Obviously we see it as essential that we can call on all our resources against Australia, but as of now we just do not know how we will stand for that match in terms of player availability," said Tucker. With that doubt existing, good performances today from some of the Munster players could get the reward of selection against Australia.
McCahill is the only one of the Munster side today who has been a first choice for both the Interprovincial Championship and the European Cup. But Pat Murray, Lynch, Begley, O'Halloran, Ian Murray, Paul McCarthy, Len Dinneen and Toland have all played for the province this season in either the championship or European Cup, or both.
There are, nonetheless, only two new caps in the side: Sheehan and flanker Alan Quinlan. For Begley it a good opportunity to regain his place, as an inopportune injury cost his position in the side after he had been a first choice player.
We will learn more today about the Samoans type of play than about the strength of the side they will put in the field on Tuesday night, as the team bears no resemblance to the team that will do duty in the international. But it is possible that the Samoans may give Va'aiga Tuigamala a run at some stage this afternoon, as he is named among the Samoan replacements.
Forward control has not been a notable characteristic of Samoan teams, but they are big and strong and very good with ball in hands. Their pace and spirit of adventure have always been attractive features of their play. So good tackling and cover is necessary against them. They have also proved their worth in the last two world cups.
The team this afternoon does include several internationals, including the centre pairing of Mark Fatialofa and Terry Fanolua, outside-half Fa'aaivai Tanoa'i and his partner Va'a Vitale, prop George Latu and flanker Sene Ta'Ala.
The side will no doubt play their usual attacking and attractive brand of rugby, but may not have the depth and all-round ability to achieve what some distinguished touring sides have failed to manage, victory on Munster soil, despite the depleted nature of the Munster side.
The match tomorrow between the New Zealand and Munster under-21 teams promises to be a very good encounter and will be a pointer to the strength of the current New Zealand crop of youngsters.
There is an under-20 interprovincial between Connacht and Leinster in Galway this afternoon, and junior interprovincials between Connacht and Ulster in Clifden and Munster and Leinster in Kinsale.
