Schmidt: I have selection headaches ahead of All Blacks rematch

Ireland coach Joe Schmidt has stated he has some real “selection headaches” in the build-up to his side’s Test with the All Blacks this coming Saturday.

His side are now on a two-match winning run following their back-to-back wins over New Zealand and Canada, with yesterday evening’s 52-21 victory over the latter lending several players in a second-string outfit the chance to push their case for inclusion in the All Blacks rematch.

"It's tough, yeah - in the back-row, the back-three, even front-row there's some tough decisions," said Schmidt.

"So we'll get together and sort those out. We'll announce the squad on Thursday and that squad will have been really, really closely looked at.

"Hopefully it will be the right squad to give the All Blacks another really good game."

The bulk of the team that saw off New Zealand 40-29 in Chicago a fortnight ago will likely start again in the second Test; however, with Jordi Murphy sidelined for nine months with an ACL injury, there is a spot up for grabs at openside with Josh van der Flier and Sean O’Brien competing for that slot.

Keith Earls and Garry Ringrose are also competing for the 23 jersey in the matchday squad next weekend, while tries for Tiernan O’Halloran (2), Luke Marshall and Kieran Marmion all pressed their case. Ultan Dillane delivered a man-of-the-match performance from second row as he at the very least assured his place on the bench, if not better.

"Really I take quite a long time going back through the game," said Schmidt.

"You get a gut feel post the game and there's some tough decisions to make.

"Then you try to crystallise those decisions with a really intensive look back.

"Then you get together with the other coaches and they will all put in their opinions and we try to best judge what will be the best 15, 23, even 25."