Dave Kearney gave Irish rugby another boost yesterday when he confirmed he was ready to sign a new deal to play his rugby at home.

Andrew Trimble is hoping being on the same page as head coach Joe Schmidt will help keep him in the Ireland team to face Wales on Saturday, but the wing is not taking anything for granted.

USA 12 Ireland 15

Tommy Bowe may be in a rich vein of try-scoring form right now on the Irish wing but if duty called he would be more than happy to move inside and get to grips with a midfield role.

Ireland’s coaching staff are backing Fergus McFadden to comfortably fill the breach created by the late withdrawal of Keith Earls from Ireland’s starting line-up to face Wales tomorrow.

Leinster scrum half Isaac Boss believes the foundations for Ireland's next generation of players is already in place with the likes of Fergus McFadden and Eoin O’Malley poised to take on more responsibility at international level.

REGULAR readers will have become (perhaps wearily) aware that I believe all of modern United life can be illustrated using similes from either World War Two or The Simpsons.

FEW Irish rugby players have matured with quite the same speed as Luke Fitzgerald.