In shuffling the deck for Ireland's first warm-up match of the season, against Connacht in Galway this Saturday, the Irish management have strongly hinted that they still have their best hands to fill before the 30-man World Cup squad is announced in 10 or 11 days' time.

Indeed, Angus McKeen has emerged as a potential joker in the pack - not literally, for the presence of Keith Wood and Peter Clohessy already accounts for most of the ribaldry. The strong scrummaging Lansdowne and Leinster tighthead is the only uncapped player in Ireland's starting XV to take on Connacht.

With Peter Clohessy these days regarded more as a loosehead, it could be that the management are aware of the need for an additional tighthead as cover for Paul Wallace.

If so then Justin Fitzpatrick, who ultimately didn't even make the bench for the Tests in Australia, and Reggie Corrigan, who has been sent to Dublin along with four other members of the 34-man Irish squad for Leinster's meeting with Argentina on Tuesday, must be weary of of McKeen's presence in Saturday's Irish selection. Two other areas are likely to focus the attention of the management on Saturday with a view to the make-up of the Irish squad. One is at scrum-half, where Connacht's Conor McGuinness and Brian O'Meara will meet in a possible head-to-head confrontation to join Irish incumbent Tom Tierney in the final 30-man panel. The other is on the wing, where Matt Mostyn and James Topping have both been picked in the absence of the injured Justin Bishop and Jonathan Bell.

Apart from the injured Bishop and Bell, and David Corkery, who must also be sitting edgily in not-so-splendid isolation back in Cork after being released from the squad on Tuesday, 31 of the 34-man Irish squad will be in action either on Saturday or next Tuesday.

Furthermore, Alan Quinlan and David Wallace have been added to plug some of the holes in Connacht's back row at the request of the Irish management. Against that, manager Donal Lenihan yesterday confirmed that neither of the currently sidelined Jeremy Staunton or Shane Horgan would make the World Cup cut.

However, when asked whether some World Cup places were still up for grabs, both Warren Gatland and assistant coach Philip Danaher nodded and stressed, in tandem, "yes."

Lenihan went further by admitting that the balance of the squad in terms of positions covered had yet to be decided upon. "We may decide in certain positions that because of the versatility of some players it may give us scope to double up in other positions.

"But that's something that we're discussing. We haven't formalised the final 30 positions as yet."

This is a clear indication that the versatility of Dion O'Cuinneagain and Eric Miller in the back row could mean the selectors will sacrifice one of the six backrowers for an additional prop, or that the versatility of Girvan Dempsey and Jonathan Bell might result in one of the other four wingers or four centres being sacrificed - most probably the former.

Whereas in the past Ireland might have struggled to fill 24 of 28 positions in a tour party with quality players, Lenihan claimed that now "it's more a question of who we're going to leave out." "Every player we select we would have to be satisfied in our (own) minds that he'd be capable of playing an international rather than giving them the experience in 12 months' or two years' time.

Up until yesterday, the main purpose of this week's get-together had been fitness testing. Admitting that "the front five was an area that required attention," Lenihan went so far as to say that the response had been positive. "We're thrilled with the likes of Justin Fitzpatrick, Peter Clohessy and Jeremy Davidson, who required improvement and all have come up to standard."

Kieren Dawson, after his injury problems last year and early-summer groin operations "still has a bit of work to do fitness wise" and is reckoned to be about five or six weeks short of optimum level.

"But we were quite pleased with him given the injury that he's had," Lenihan said.

"Dawson and Rob Henderson have joined Leinster today for five days' preparation for the match so that they'll be given every opportunity of having a fair chance in terms of their own personal performances."

Nonetheless, as there is no readymade alternative to Andy Ward as a genuine openside (the provincial alternatives have been David Wallace, Liam Toland and Bernard Jackman) and as Dawson is a talented player with international experience, a strong half or so on Tuesday should be enough to earn him selection.

Although a decision regarding the arrangement of the Ulster-Munster interpro originally scheduled for Friday September 3rd at Ravenhill has been deferred until tomorrow, the signs are that both that game and the proposed Ulster-Ireland match in aid of the Omagh fund on Friday September 17th will be switched to Queen's Playing Fields.

Due to the absence of floodlights and concerns about tea-time traffic, this may also mean moving the games to Saturday September 4th and Sunday September 19th respectively.