The rugby season really kicks off now. With just one weekend left before the Champions Cup - the traditional derby warm-up games, most rugby fans will be tuning into the season for perhaps the first time.
All of the senior players should be back by now, and we can start looking forward to quality rugby, and next month's internationals.
With that in mind, Joe Schmidt enters this November with a lot of selection issues. A number of players are either returning from injury, injured, or youngsters are in form and pushing the incumbents. Never before has Schmidt had so many options, so this weekend's fixtures - Leinster v Munster, and Connacht v Ulster - represent a kind of international trial.
Here's what you need to look out for this weekend, with Irish selection in mind:
Leinster v Munster:
Jack McGrath v John Ryan
John Ryan has had a stunning start to the season, and appears to be developing into a serious option at tighthead. It's a position that Ireland have never been able to reject talent, and while there has been a depth to the position that we've never enjoyed before - having a quality tighthead in another province would be another great weapon to add to our arsenal.
So far, Ryan has face loosehead props like Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh), Brok Harris (Dragons), Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff), and Dylan Evans (Scarlets), so it's safe to say that McGrath will represent his biggest challenge. If he can match up well to the incumbent Irish loosehead, he has staked his claim to be involved in a Joe Schmidt squad.
CJ Stander v Peter O'Mahony v Rhys Ruddock v Jamie Heaslip
In November, Joe Schmidt will face a decision he's never had to make before - pick two of CJ Stander, Peter O'Mahony, Rhys Ruddock, and Jamie Heaslip. When O'Mahony was out injured for the last year, CJ Stander moved from his home at No. 8 to the blindside for Ireland. Now that O'Mahony is back, does he come straight back in for Stander? Will Stander move to No. 8 instead of Jamie Heaslip? What about the consistently excellent and improving Rhys Ruddock? What a potentially mouth-watering collision.
Connacht v Ulster:
Niyi Adeolokun v Craig Gilroy
There is no player in Irish rugby who has improve more in the last 18 months than Niyi Adeolokun. The flying winger has added an intelligence to his game that his seeing him exploit defences for tries, as well as shutting out opposition and cutting down on defensive mistakes.
Craig Gilroy has a similar type of attacking prowess, but his defensive issues seem to have stifled his international career. Assuming that they are in direct competition with each other this Friday night, whoever causes the other one more problems will be in the forefront of Schmidt's mind - with injuries to the Kearney brothers and Fergus McFadden - while Tommy Bowe is slowly coming back from an injury, and Andrew Trimble hasn't made an appearance for Ulster yet this season.
Ultan Dillane v Iain Henderson
I'm making the assumption that Joe Schmidt will value the lineout nous of Devin Toner, and will therefore limit his partner to between Ultan Dillane and Iain Henderson. The two young up and coming locks will go in direct contact on Friday night for the first time.
It will be mouth-watering to see which player is able to make the hard yards, which one can stop the other, and who will stamp their authority on the game.
It's all to play for.
See Also: 7 In-Form Players Likely To Make Their Irish International Debuts This November
Photo by Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile
