Not only are Irish selection panels getting smaller, so are their meetings. One would imagine that the latest one consisted of Donal Lenihan reading out 15 names and Warren Gatland - never one to use even a couple of words where one will do - replying "yep" 15 times.

And so, once more into the breach for Saturday's second Test at Loftus Versfeld go the starting XV which rattled the Springboks cage last week. All of which is about as surprising as bumping into a humble Afrikaaner hereabouts. Even though Denis Hickie was, in some respects, on trial against North West on Tuesday evening, and Richard Wallace produced a match-winning try, there wasn't much doubt that Hickie would hold on.

Neither was particularly outstanding in defence, but at least the St Mary's flyer showed more appetite for contact in a few tackles than he had done three days beforehand.

Wallace, to his credit, extracted an improved performance from a personally low-key tour.

For Hickie, even after his nadir last Saturday, and his subsequent rollicking/discussion with Warren Gatland, plus his run-out on Tuesday, it probably would have done him more harm than good to be dropped. Hickie is bright enough and talented enough to learn from the last few days, so in both the long and the short term his retention is a prudent call.

The rest pretty much picked themselves. The tight five must have taken all of, ooh, two seconds. Justin Fitzpatrick goes down as one of the big pluses of the tour after his frying-pan debut last Saturday; to think that Reggie Corrigan, Ross Nesdale and Jeremy Davidson aren't with us is reassuring. Ireland have rarely had so many quality miners for the coalface.

The balance of the back-row still isn't fine-tuned, and you'd half like to see Dion O'Cuinneagain and Andy Ward swap sides. Ward is the biggest, most offensive tackler of the trio - unusual in that he is the openside - and does most of his best work close-in, as he showed in his starring substitute's role on Tuesday.

Yet when the game moved wide in the second-half, Ward missed a few tackles. Nor was he prominent in recycling the ball. O'Cuinneagain, by contrast, was ensnared too often in the tight exchanges for his liking, or that of the coach's, who wants his talents employed wider out.

Beyond that, no rival candidate emerged from the back-row understudies. Lion-hearted though he's been, Trevor Brennan's best days are probably still a year or so away. For the time being, Brennan is best left on the bench, where he will be again presuming he recovers from the dead leg he sustained on Tuesday.

An added complication, which explains the vacancy on the bench, is the knee injury to the unfortunate David Corkery. With Anthony Foley an injured bystander, that would leave only David Wallace as cover. His three displays have merely fuelled the suspicion that he is more likely a number six or eight than a 7.

Conor McGuinness hasn't clicked on tour after an arduous rookie season which, curiously, only serves to underline his status as first-choice scrum-half. (It also raises doubts about the decision by the player and St Mary's to make him club captain next season. Surely he needs that like a hole in the head?)

Derek Hegarty has come along nicely and has hinted that he may ultimately offer more than Brian O'Meara, but the latter has again been preferred on the bench. Fair enough really, as this is not one for boys, least of all coming on cold as a replacement.

Despite David Humphreys' superb place-kicking and moments of flair, Eric Elwood's greater physical presence and commanding nature has at least temporarily ended that vexed debate. Rob Henderson and Killian Keane in a midfield were clearly unsure of each other, so re-enforcing the Mark McCall-Kevin Maggs partnership. Ditto in-form winger Justin Bishop and solid, reliable Conor O'Shea.

"There was very little debate really," admitted Lenihan at a restrained, even muted, press conference requested and organised by the host union, held around a big oak table in a committee room at Loftus Versfeld, reminiscent of the scene in The Godfather where the heads of the five families came together.

"We were happy with certain aspects of our performance last Saturday, not happy with other aspects. But it didn't take a huge amount of time to select the side really," added Lenihan. "Most of this side have played together over the last three Saturdays and we felt this was one last chance for them to play together on tour."

Gatland, head bowed, was in vintage form. Asked if Ireland might vary their tactics, the Irish coach responded: "Yeah, we're going to kick everything."

To another lengthy query from a member of the home media, along the lines of the Springboks invariably being so much better next time around, Gatland was only marginally less curt and sarcastic. "I just hope that people think that. That's the way I want them to think."

Gatland has grown weary of the patronising, belittling and arrogant attitude of the host nation, and especially its media, who in rare moments approaching equilibrium can just about summon up the cliches. "Irish pride and passion," etc etc, and usually without getting the names right.

Lenihan was mildly astonished at the thinly veiled notion that Keith Wood might be targeted as a result of stiff-arming Gary Teichmann in the first Test. "Under Nick Mallett, South Africa's disciplinary record has been quite good, so I think that talk is rubbish, to be perfectly honest."

Lenihan also played down a report quoting an Irish player, namely Paul Wallace, criticising Ireland's tactics last Saturday. "We've spoken to the player. He seems to be a little amused by the report. We're happy that there is no conflict whatsoever. We're not concerned about it."

The Blue Bulls union anticipate a crowd in the region of 35-40,000 in the 50,000 capacity stadium come the 5.15 p.m. kick-off. The all-seater Loftus Versfeld stadium is an impressive sight, with its two electronic scoreboards and loudspeaker system, plus a billiardstop surface re-sodded only five weeks ago.

Ireland have adopted a mascot for the day, namely a local eight-year-old boy, Donovan Verwey who suffers from spina bifida. His mother had asked the Irish management if the rugby mad boy could meet the Irish players, and they invited him onto the team bus yesterday and along to training at the match venue.Niall Hogan, the 13-time capped scrum-half and former Irish captain, has been released by London Irish, who have signed the veteran New Zealand-born, Natal-based scrum-half Kevin Putt, who, ironically, once kept Hogan out of the Terenure team.

As the clear-out of Irish players at London Irish continues, it is also believed Gary Halpin will follow the Dungannon-bound David Humphreys, Mark McCall and Justin Fitzpatrick through the Sunbury exit door. Halpin has been linked with Harlequins.

In another twist to Gabriel Fulcher's protracted negotiations for a return home, the IRFU contracts committee, which have approved the lock's request to join Lansdowne, rather than rejoin Cork Constitution, have yet to approve his request to play for Leinster. Thus, even though he will be based in Dublin and playing for a club side, as things stand a condition of his putative Irish contract for next season is that he plays for Munster. Bizarre.

Aside from forcing a ridiculous travelling burden on the player, the union's demand would also oblige Leinster to seek a second-row from abroad, as neither Malcolm O'Kelly (London Irish tied, perhaps Bath or Castres bound) nor Brian Cusack (joining Richmond from Bath) is coming home.

Ireland: O'Shea; Bishop, McCall, Maggs, Hickie; Elwood, McGuinness; Costello, Ward, O'Cuinneagain, O'Kelly, Johns (capt), Wallace, Wood, Fitzpatrick. Replacements: O'Meara, Henderson, Humphreys, Clohessy, Clarke, Fulcher, Brennan.