Lenihan: Big chance for 'A' players to stake claim

Donal Lenihan says Ireland's rising talents and fringe stars must put their hand up against a strong All Blacks XV at the RDS tonight with the clock ticking for World Cup selection.

Munster scrum-half Craig Casey captains an Ireland side that will contain seven uncapped players, including Ciáran Frawley, who is named at out-half.

Andy Farrell will be watching closely; his team face South Africa in an intriguing Autumn International on Saturday, but tonight's game against New Zealand's back-up team represents a massive chance for Irish men to force their way into his thoughts for next week's clash with Fiji.

"It's a fascinating weekend of rugby," Lenihan told RTÉ s Morning Ireland.

"A lot of the players who are featuring for the Ireland A side tonight would have been down in South Africa for that Emerging Ireland side and made good impressions down there.

"We're now less than 11 months to the World Cup so the countdown really has started in terms of generating the last few places in that squad. There's a lot of talk about who is going to back up Johnny Sexton in the World Cup and Ciaran Frawley is handed the No 10 jersey for tonight.

"He's played most of his rugby in the centre for Leinster, he actually played at full-back a couple of weeks ago, so that versatility will be huge for him. But he hasn't had that many outings at ten so the focus will be on him."

It's not just the young guns who will be desperate to turn Farrell's head.

It's a chance too for others who have fallen down the pecking order, while the All Blacks are also packed with quality players aiming to prove a point.

"You look at Jacob Stockdale who was the star of the Ireland Grand Slam side of 2018," Lenihan added.

"Injury has wreaked havoc on his career really so