VIDEO: Joe Schmidt’s charges ready to kick on

What better way for Joe Schmidt to reach his World Cup squad conclusions than a full-blooded bout of hand- to-hand rugby combat with the Welsh?

Wales head coach Warren Gatland brings perhaps his strongest-available XV to Aviva Stadium this afternoon (2.30pm) with incentives aplenty to spoil Paul O’Connell’s home Test farewell, thus providing fellow Kiwi Schmidt with the toughest examination of his players so far this pre-season.

The story so far in this countdown to Monday’s deadline to submit a 31-man squad to World Rugby has been a mixed bag for the Ireland management. A blistering first 50 minutes against a woefully undercooked Wales side in Cardiff three weeks ago was followed a week later by a performance at home to Scotland which despite ending in victory was yesterday described by captain O’Connell as “a step back”.

Today’s encounter with a much-strengthened Wales side looks set to be a totally different prospect, and the Irish camp’s commitment to improve game by game will be under huge pressure. The opening Pool D encounter with Canada in Cardiff is still three weeks ago but this Test with Wales will be as important as any cup final in many players’ long-standing bids to stand up, be counted and get selected.

That is just the way Schmidt will have wanted it as he prepares to make the toughest calls of his coaching career. Because when he goes into tonight’s final selection meeting with his coaching team, this game will be sure to have provided the most relevant indicators yet as to who is ready to perform to their potential and do Ireland proud over the coming weeks in the biggest tournament of all.

“I do think that the two teams will both really be up for the challenge as two collectives, and within that there’s the individual efforts to make sure they got on the plane,” Schmidt said after naming his matchday squad of 23 on Thursday. “So it’s things that players inevitably balance pretty well and I know that the collective efforts will be there but the individual match ups will be really interesting and those match-ups could be world class.” Not least for his skipper, whose 100th cap for Ireland came against the same opposition during this year’s Six Nations and ended in a defeat that shut the door on dreams of another Grand Slam for the inspirational lock. Five months on, and O’Connell will pull on an Ireland jersey for the final time on home soil and lead his team straight back into a direct contest with his British & Irish Lions second row partner Alun Wyn Jones.

“I don’t think you get much more world class than Paul O’Connell and that’s demonstrated by the longevity, the number of games and the leadership,” Schmidt continued. “Obviously he’s captain of the side and will be playing his last Test at the Aviva, and I think it will be a special end for him if we get a good result.

“He’s up against Alun Wyn Jones, who is world class and I think there’s a number of world class match-ups and the challenge for some players is to match up on the positive side of the ledger.

“Johnny Sexton versus Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb versus Conor Murray, Rob Kearney versus Leigh Halfpenny — they’re very different but both very good at what they do well. And you’ve got two very big men, Jamie Roberts, who is established as a world class operator, and Robbie Henshaw, who is fast heading in that direction but not getting ahead of himself, he’s a very nailed on, low key individual.

“So those match-ups across the board will be really interesting to have a look at.” Henshaw, who will be partnered in midfield by Luke Fitzgerald in his first start for Ireland at outside centre since 2008, will renew rivalries with a Welsh partnership missing the injured Jon Davies but still looking potent with Roberts and Scott Williams that would be a contest to savour on any stage. Yet Schmidt will find other match-ups to be even more instructive in the short-term as he finalises his selections out wide and in the front row.

It promises to provide for some fascinating viewing.

“I just hope it’s a cracking day,” Schmidt said, “and touch wood everyone comes out of it, both the red and the green team get through without injury to springboard themselves a little closer to the World Cup.”