Denis Leamy: 'It's a great opportunity for the boys coming in to show what they can do'

Paul O'Connell will name his matchday squad to face the Georgians from Tbilisi on Thursday with Craig Casey set to captain from scrum-half with the interim boss set for a big decision at fly-half where the duel between Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley continues

Ireland assistant coach Denis Leamy at a press conference. Picture: Leah Scholes/Inpho

Paul O’Connell’s Ireland squad take off for Tbilisi on Wednesday ahead of the first of two summer Tests which could prove to be pivotal to many of the 33 squad members international rugby aspirations.

This Saturday’s meeting with Georgia and the following week’s Lisbon Test against Portugal represents perhaps the biggest window of opportunity in a generation for the 13 uncapped players in the touring party and the dozen with less than 10 Ireland caps thanks to the absence of 16 frontliners on British & Irish Lions duty, an injury to captain Caelan Doris and the international retirements post-Six Nations of Cian Healy, Conor Murray and Peter O’Mahony.