Squad or team announcements in the Warren Gatland era, unlike previous ones, are not designed for shock effect and the latest offering is no different. Resisting the temptation for change, the Irish management made none yesterday when unveiling a 23-man squad for Saturday week's game against Wales; the only alteration being the recall of fit-again Andy Ward.
A decision on Victor Costello's rib cartilage injury will probably be made early next week after the squad assembles in Finnstown House on Sunday night. Should Costello be declared fit, then Trevor Brennan will revert to a starting place in the A team - where he was an original selection for the A game against France - to play their Welsh counterparts in Ebbw Vale on Friday week, and thus fill the vacancy which has been left at number six.
In the event of Costello being ruled out, then Brennan will retain his place in the senior squad, with the vacancy being filled by either David Corkery or Eddie Halvey. Given Alan Quinlan has been named on the open side, it seems likely that Corkery (an effective replacement in the `A' win) will be given the nod ahead of Halvey.
As things stand, the only personnel change on the A side sees the recall of Gary Longwell, an original selection for the French game until he missed out with a shoulder injury, at the expense of Gabriel Fulcher. As regards the unchanged Test squad, Irish coach Gatland, merely said: "We just feel satisfied with the squad of players we have and the depth within the squad. We wanted to give a vote of confidence to the players within the squad." Simple as that really.
Both he and the team manager Donal Lenihan declined to talk about individual cases such as, for example, Niall Woods. Nonetheless, it seems safe to presume that this was the case which provoked the most debate when Gatland, Lenihan and Philip Danaher convened on Tuesday night.
However, the decision to keep the London Irish flyer-cum-goal kicker on the A team makes sense. After all, consistency of selection and sound defence are two of the basic principles around which this ever-improving Irish side has been constructed. Picking Woods would have gambled with both.
Were Woods's inclusion not to prove a panacea for all ills against Wales, where would that then leave this Irish team? Young Dempsey would have been jettisoned, and David Humphreys would have had confidence in his place-kicking further undermined, and by the management at that.
There is a case for including Woods (indeed it does look the next best option) and were it to happen it would be an exciting prospect. At this juncture though, it could send out the wrong psychological message to this settled squad. Woods, though place-kicking regularly for his club this season, has never been tested in this regard at international level. Humphreys, though not place-kicking for his province this season (and with Simon Mason aboard, no-one in Humphreys's position would have been), has kicked goals regularly for Ireland.
Indeed, were it not for the cruel gust of wind which helped blow his late penalty off course much of this fickle debate wouldn't be happening.
Granted, there remains a worrying suspicion that the cumulative load of place-kicking and restarts (which Humphreys was freed from for Ulster this season) could weigh on the rest of the Irish out-half's game; all the more so if place-kicks start going adrift again at Wembley. It would be more comforting too if there was a credible alternative in the starting line-up.
However, for the time being, retaining the status quo - injuries permitting - probably makes the most sense.
Ireland Squad: C O'Shea (London Irish), J Bishop (London Irish), K Maggs (Bath), J Bell (Dungannon), R Henderson (Wasps), G Dempsey (Terenure), D Humphreys (Dungannon), E Elwood (Galwegians), C McGuinness (St Mary's College), C Scally (UCD); P Clohessy (Young Munster), P Wallace (Saracens), J Fitzpatrick (Dungannon), K Wood (Harlequins), R Nesdale (Newcastle), P Johns (Saracens), J Davidson (Castres), M Galwey (Shannon), E Miller (Terenure), D O'Cuinneagain (Sale), V Costello (St Mary's), T Brennan (St Mary's), A Ward (Ballynahinch).
Ireland A Squad: G D'Arcy (Lansdowne), J McWeeney (St Mary's), S Horgan (Lansdowne), K Keane (Garryowen), N Woods (London Irish); B Everitt (Lansdowne), G Easterby (London Scottish); R Corrigan (Lansdowne), A Clarke (Dungannon, capt), A McKeen (Lansdowne), M Blair (Ballymena), G Longwell (Ballymena), A N Other, A Quinlan (Shannon), A Foley (Shannon). Replacements: S Mason (Ballymena), P Duignan (Galwegians), T Tierney (Garryowen), A N Other, G Fulcher (Lansdowne), J Hayes (Shannon), R Weir (Portadown).
