Garryowen scrum-half Stephen McIvor has been named on the replacements' bench for Ireland's Five Nations opener against Scotland on Saturday following the withdrawal through injury of Niall Hogan.
The 26-year-old McIvor has been promoted from the A bench ahead of Stephen Bell, in part, no doubt, because of his greater experience. Ironically, he won the last of his three caps against Scotland last season as a replacement for Brian O'Meara. David O'Mahony of Lansdowne has been added to the A team's replacements.
Last week's decision by the International Board to increase the number of permitted replacements from six to seven has also had a ripple effect on both the senior and A selections. The A side's captain and lock, Gabriel Fulcher, and number eight, Victor Costello, have been promoted to the Irish bench for Saturday's international, with the unlucky David Erskine moving in the opposite direction to Costello.
Bath lock Brian Cusack takes over from Fulcher in the second row, with Gary Longwell taking his place amongst the replacements, while Paul Burke has been handed the captaincy for the A game at Donnybrook on Friday.
Meanwhile, England coach Clive Woodward has taken a major gamble with a number of potentially selfdestructive selections for Saturday's Five Nations opener against France in Paris. Players have been picked out of position while others have been dropped without good reason.
Out-half Mike Catt has been chosen at full back, scrum-half Austin Healey gets another cap on the wing, and open-side flanker Richard Hill is picked at number eight. England indeed include two open-sides: Neil Back keeps his place at no seven, a position the captain Lawrence Dallaglio also used to occupy before he settled for the blind-side.
Jeremy Guscott, who has played just two games this season, returns at centre after a back injury despite looking short of match fitness in Bath's European Cup triumph in Bordeaux. Mark Regan whose throwing these days finds the opposition with unerring accuracy, returns at hooker, a decision forced upon Woodward by Richard Cockerill's knee injury.
There is no place for Bath fullback Matt Perry or the centre Phil de Glanville who both shared honorably in the 26-26 draw with New Zealand before Christmas. Tim Rodber, a mainstay of last summer's Lions success in South Africa, is again overlooked at number eight notwithstanding his compelling form for Northampton.
Danny Grewcock of Saracens is unlucky to miss out on a second row berth while the veteran prop Jason Leonard who recently complained of burn-out, remains in the front row. Woodward appeared to concede that Guscott might not last the full 80 miniutes in Paris.
Pierre Villepreux, France's assistant coach, said yesterday that Christophe Lamaison, their Grand Slam hero last season, could miss the game against England as he ponders a possible midfield pairing of Thomas Castaignede and Stephane Glas.
Lamaison's virtuoso 18-point performance at Twickenham last season shattered England, gave France an unlikely 23-20 victory and kept them on course for a fifth Grand Slam that duly arrived with success over Scotland two weeks later.
"I am really not sure whether Christophe will play. He is not performing well, and I am not convinced whether he is fully mentally prepared," said Villepreux who watched Lamaison miss two crucial late penalties against Bath in Bordeaux last Saturday. "If we decide to put Thomas Castaignede alongside Stephane Glas, then David Aucagne will be the number 10.
