Ireland hopefuls bid to impress in Tbilisi

Tbilisi could prove the unlikely stepping stone for several players aiming to play their way into Joe Schmidt’s World Cup plans.

Emerging Ireland open the 2015 Tbilisi Cup today against Emerging Italy in the Georgian capital and while the tournament itself may have limited kudos, the repercussions could be far greater.

Billy Holland, Andrew Conway and Stephen Archer all start in a side that includes plenty of experience, captained by Rhys Ruddock, all hoping to squeeze themselves into the reckoning for the main event later this year.