Quiet man Cian Healy craving chance to do his talking on the pitch

The Irish squad have set up base in New Jersey with eight players hoping to make their international debuts and a few others on red alert for a call from New Zealand and elevation to the Lions squad.

Cian Healy, the most experienced player in this touring party, with 67 caps, could be one of the first summoned to New Zealand, but the 29-year old is not letting any of that interfere with the job he is tasked with this week. Aside from the eight rookies, another 15 of the party, including Ulster’s Sean Reidy who will link up with them next week in Japan, have single-figure appearances for Ireland.

Healy, by his own admission, not the most vocal in the team room, is very much the elder lemon in a squad where only Keith Earls (59), Devin Toner (47), Simon Zebo (33) and Paddy Jackson (23) have made more than 20 appearances.