Opportunity knocks for World Cup hopefuls

James Cronin and Stephen Archer will get their opportunity to show national coach Joe Schmidt that they can be relied upon for the World Cup after both Munster props were selected for the Emerging Ireland squad.

The team, a Wolfhounds set-up in all but name, will play three games in the Tbilisi Cup next month against Emerging Italy (June 13), Uruguay (June 17) and hosts Georgia (June 21).

This is the third year that an Emerging Ireland set-up has headed east for summer duty having first participated in Tbilisi Cup in 2013 and then last year they travelled to Romania for the Nations Cup.