Schmidt centre of attention

With just over six weeks to go until the start of the Guinness Series, the debate about who will form Ireland’s new centre partnership continues to rumble.

The possibility of Gordon D’Arcy moving to 13 from his customary inside centre position has been mooted, while the likes of Tommy Bowe, Jared Payne and Robbie Henshaw have also gained support in some quarters.

Speaking on Saturday in St Mary’s College RFC, where he helped to announce the club’s new sponsorship deal with SoftCo, Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt revealed he hasn’t yet decided on a permanent replacement for Brian O’Driscoll, but was impressed with Henshaw’s performance in Connacht’s surprise success over Leinster last Friday.