Four Ulster stars in Schmidt’s team for warm-up match

Donnacha Ryan and Keith Earls will both end 29 months without Test rugby when they start Ireland’s World Cup warm-up clash against Wales in Cardiff.

Walker says he is excited to get another chance to represent his country after a series of injuries hampered his return to the game.

While the southern hemisphere teams contest the Rugby Championship, the first of the World Cup contenders from the north have a chance to flex their muscles.

But Ireland defence coach Les Kiss has admitted it won’t be a friendly as his side aim to avoid a second defeat in Cardiff in 2015 following the Six Nations lost which denied Ireland a Grand Slam five months ago.

“Those boys will be coming down from the Valleys and putting a red jersey on”.

“We’ve taken them right to the edge in training and almost pushed them over on a couple of occasions”. I was well looked after by England, but Wales gave me an opportunity I could not turn down.

Former Ireland prop Corrigan expects only stellar showings in home and away meetings with Wales and a Dublin battle with Scotland can now alter Schmidt’s way of thinking.

“We visited here earlier in the year and we did not get the result we wanted in the Six Nations”.

He said, ‘I know you guys think it’s about individuals and pressing, but something that’s been hammered in to us and guys are pretty selfless about is that this is about Ireland going over and getting a win in the Millennium and trying to get a good team performance.’.

“Pre-season is always quite tough so I’ve just got to empty the tank and it’s as much mental strength as anything”.

‘So for each individual it’s the challenge to make sure they can keep their focus to where it is – the task at hand, this Test match.

The Leinster skipper and number eight will be joined in the starting XV by club team-mate Mike Ross, who will his 50th cap, as head coach Joe Schmidt explores his options ahead of the Rugby World Cup with as many as seven players expected to be cut next week.

The Irish have two pool matches and a potential quarter-final in Cardiff with the Millennium Stadium roof closed on Saturday afternoon to replicate World Cup conditions.

“It is all I have ever dreamed of”, he said, “growing up in Swansea with my father having played for Wales”.

“It’s a grand stadium with an awesome atmosphere”.

“We are a long way ahead now from a conditioning and organisation point of view than before the 2011 tournament, when we reached the semi-finals”, Gatland said. “But I have been handed the opportunity to play and hopefully I can do what I can to get the chance [to go to the World Cup]”.

“I think from that perspective there were some nice touches, and obviously the area he’s really working on a lot more is his kicking game”.