Irish relish return of Wood as Wales test World Cup hopefuls

A clutch of hopeful novices in red and a grizzled veteran in green will be the focus of attention when Wales and Ireland kick off their rugby World Cup preparations at Lansdowne Road today.

Irish fans are eagerly awaiting the return from long-term injury of their talismanic hooker and captain, Keith Wood, in his first international appearance in almost a year.

The success-starved Welsh rugby public have been looking with some trepidation at coach Steve Hansen's experimental line-up for the Dublin match, featuring two new caps in the starting 15 and another four on the bench.

Ceri Sweeney, who makes his second start for Wales at fly-half, said: "Some people may think it's just a back-up team, but this game in Ireland will give a lot of players the chance to put a bit of pressure on the first team boys.

"We're going down a different route and it's going to be a major challenge for us," added Sweeney, who has three Welsh caps. "But we haven't got anything to lose and this is a real chance for us."

The winger Gareth Thomas will become Wales's 119th captain when he leads out a side without the regular fly-half Stephen Jones, the hooker Robin McBride and the back row forwards Colin Charvis and Martyn Williams.

On the other wing, Llanelli's Garan Evans wins his second cap, five years after his debut, and the promising under-21 fly-half Nicky Robinson wins his first cap at full-back.

The other new cap is Gwent's Rhys Oakley, who joins Alix Popham and Richard Parks in a dynamic but untested back row. "It's the biggest game of my life," said Oakley, who lives on the English side of the Severn Bridge in Thornbury, but qualifies through his Cardiff-born parents.

"Bristol's Heineken Cup game against Montferrand at the Memorial Stadium last season was big, but this is another step up the ladder. I would like to think that the World Cup squad is within touching distance, but it all depends on how well you play when you get a chance. I will be doing all I can to get closer and closer to it."

In contrast, Ireland have chosen an experienced side, with the centre Brian O'Driscoll and the No 8 Anthony Foley returning after missing June's tour of Australia and the Pacific islands.

Ireland had also hoped that Shane Horgan of Leinster would return on the right wing, but he pulled out yesterday afternoon with a thigh injury. The Ulster player, Tyrone Howe, will replace him, with Howe's place on the bench going to Leinster's Gordon D'Arcy.

Ulster's David Humphreys resumes fly-half duties, in place of the injured Ronan O'Gara, while Simon Best wins his first cap in the front row alongside Wood and Reggie Corrigan.

The Ireland coach, Eddie O'Sullivan, said: "It will be an interesting test because a lot of the Welsh players are throwing down a marker for the World Cup, so it could be a fairly open, flowing game. We will be looking for a good run-out, will try to keep the ball in hand and get a rhythm into our game."

* Munster have signed the former Bath hooker, Andy Long, on a short-term training contract. Long, 25, has won two England caps, the last against the United States in June 2001, and has been brought in as cover while the first-choice hooker Frankie Sheahan appeals against his doping ban. If Sheahan's 1 September appeal is successful it is likely that he would then be included in Ireland's World Cup squad and Long would figure in Munster coach Alan Gaffney's plans until at least the end of November.

IRELAND (World Cup warm-up Test v Wales, Lansdowne Road, Dublin, today): G Murphy (Leicester); T Howe (Ulster), B O'Driscoll (both Leinster), K Maggs (Bath), A Horgan (Munster); D Humphreys (Ulster), P Stringer (Munster); R Corrigan (Leinster), K Wood (unattached, capt), S Best (Ulster), M O'Kelly (Leinster), P O'Connell (Munster), V Costello, K Gleeson (both Leinster), A Foley (Munster). Replacements: S Byrne (Leinster), J Fitzpatrick (Castres), D O'Callaghan, D Wallace (both Munster), G Easterby (Rotherham), G D'Arcy, G Dempsey (both Leinster).

WALES: N Robinson (Cardiff); G Evans (Llanelli), J Robinson, I Harris (both Cardiff), G Thomas (Celtic, capt); C Sweeney (Celtic), D Peel (Llanelli); D Jones (Neath-Swansea), M Davies (Celtic), B Evans (Cardiff), M Owen (Gwent), G Llewellyn (Neath-Swansea), R Oakley (Gwent), R Parks (Celtic), A Popham (Leeds). Replacements: H Bennett (Neath-Swansea), G Jenkins (Celtic), V Cooper (Llanelli), R Sowden-Taylor (Cardiff), A Williams (Neath-Swansea), A Marinos, N Brew (both Gwent).