Interest in the Irish tour has been heightened by the early selection of the Wallabies' team for the first Test. With Matt Burke, Stephen Larkham and John Eales (undoubtedly three of their most influential players) all sidelined, theoretically this could be the best time this summer to take on the Australians. As the second-choice out-half Christian Warner is also injured, Queensland's Nathan Spooner will make his Test debut. This is a further source of irritation for troubled NSW rugby, as Spooner is a former Waratah player, while only one player from New South Wales - Ireland's opponents on Saturday week - makes the first XV.
However, six NSW players make the bench, though one of them is a source of even greater angst generally - the former Springbok captain Tiaan Strauss. He played 15 times for South Africa before taking up a lucrative rugby league contract in Sydney in 1996, though technically he qualifies under the International Board's three-year residency rule as of last week.
The selection of Strauss prompted the Souths club in Brisbane to write a letter of protest to the Australian Rugby Union, questioning the contribution he would make to the game here after he retires, inferring it cost their in-form forward Mark Connors a place in the squad and conveyed a "mixed message" to emerging home players.
Strauss responded by saying: "There were always going to be some people that criticised it, but I know that my future is here.
"Nobody said much when (other dual internationals) Willie Ofahengaue, Ilie Tabua or Patricio Noriega were picked for Australia, so I can't see what the difference is now."
AUSTRALIA (first Test v Ireland - Sydney, Saturday, June 12th): Chris Latham; Ben Tune, Daniel Herbert, Tim Horan, Joe Roff; Nathan Spooner, George Gregan; Dan Crowley, Jeremy Paul, Patricio Noriega, Tom Bowman, David Griffin, Matt Cockbain, Toutai Kefu, David Wilson (capt). Replacements: Chris Whitaker, Nathan Grey, Jason Little, Tiaan Strauss, Jim Williams, Andrew Blades, Phil Kearns.
