Meanwhile the proposed final RWC warm-up game, a President's XV v Ireland Under 25, scheduled for Landowne Road next Friday, has been cancelled.

The game had originally been organised in the belief that the Ireland squad might need a further competitive fixture prior to departure for Australia. However, the Irish management feel that there is no need for such a fixture and players who have not had international game time will now not do so until the first RWC match against Romania in Gosford on October 11th.