In what can genuinely be considered an Emerging Ireland squad, Dan McFarland has named 10 uncapped players in the starting XV to face Russia in Friday’s Nations Cup in Bucharest (kick-off 2pm Irish time).

Nobody is an established international with Craig Gilroy and Tommy O’Donnell yet to feature for a second season of Test match rugby while Ian Keatley, Paul Marshall and particularly Michael Bent were capped more out of necessity than merit.

Still, it’s a side littered with potential, particularly the halfback pairing, left wing Andrew Conway and a backrow of captain Dominic Ryan, O’Donnell and new Munster signing Robin Copeland at number eight.

The match will be streamed live on irb.com.

EMERGING IRELAND: J Murphy (Munster); C Gilroy (Ulster), E Griffin (London Irish), S McCloskey (Ulster), A Conway (Munster); I Keatley (Munster), P Marshall (Ulster); C Black (Ulster), N Annett (Ulster), M Bent (Leinster); M Kearney (Connacht), D Foley (Munster); D Ryan (Leinster, capt), T O’Donnell (Munster), R Copeland (Munster).

Replacements: J Tracy (Leinster), J Ryan (Munster), B Holland (Munster), S Dougall (Munster), L McGrath (Leinster), JJ Hanrahan (Munster), B Macken (Leinster).