A hard pill to swallow.
On Saturday afternoon, under a closed roof and a sell-out crowd, 23 Irish players will pit their wits against 23 Welsh players [if all the subs get a run out].
Many of them, on both sides of the pitch, will not make it to the World Cup.
But at least they are getting a chance.
Joe Schmidt has revealed that some of his 45-man extended training squad for the World Cup may not even get on the pitch over the coming weeks.
Wales are up first, followed by Scotland, the Welsh again and England.
Schmidt was asked about the chances Isaac Boss and Gordon D’Arcy – two of the squad’s veterans – of playing in any of the three remaining games. Both Leinster men missed out on selection for the opening warm-up.
Schmidt commented, ‘I do envisage them getting an opportunity.’ However, he then added:
‘Potentially, there will be players who do not get an opportunity.’
Looking at the players currently considered World Cup outsiders – Rob Herring, Tadhg Furlong, Jack Conan, Noel Reid and Craig Gilroy – that is bad news.
For Schmidt, the training ground is the proving ground.
Saturday’s game is the next level. For some players, performing below the standards set by the Kiwi will see them cut adrift.
‘[With] the roof closed, a full house at home, the game recreates what it should be like in a few weeks.
‘The make-up of the team might not be the same [for our World Cup opener against Canada] but it will show us the individuals in the group that are ready.’
‘I may not get another opportunity’
Fergus McFadden played in all five of Ireland’s games during their Six Nations-winning campaign of 2014.
Injuries, and the form of other players, has seen him out of the Test loop since last June. He is desperate to make a positive impression against the Welsh.
‘It’s got to be urgent,’ he says, ‘That’s the way I look at it, because I look at this game and think I may not get another opportunity.
‘There’s 45 guys out there training today and that number doesn’t go in to 23. I’m lucky enough to get a starting place and I want to take the opportunity best I can.’
However, McFadden insists the team comes first, ahead of any sort of personal desire to make that World Cup plane.
He said, ‘I know you guys think it’s about individuals and pressing, but something that’s been hammered in to us and guys are pretty selfless about is that this is about Ireland going over and getting a win in the Millennium and trying to get a good team performance.’
