Former England Under-20 star Ross Moriarty to make Wales debut

For everyone, it shows how much they want to make the World Cup squad and be a part of it, and it is going to be tough on us as coaches and selectors having to let some players down when we make that final cut.

Four years on and with substantially more experience, Tipuric should realise his dream of making the final squad if he can remain free from injury after the home and away fixtures against Ireland this month.

Cian Healy’s return from neck surgery remains the biggest concern for Ireland ahead of their opening world cup warm-up game against Wales.

Wales’ first warm-up clash – which is set to be a Millennium Stadium sell-out – should see World Cup squad candidates like Gareth Anscombe, Ross Moriarty and Tyler Morgan receive an opportunity, with Gatland’s starting line-up being announced on Tuesday.

Gatland added: “He (Moriarty) has an edge about him”. “We’re looking at guys in training and they’re doing really well, but this week obviously is a Test match and it gives us a great opportunity to draw a line in the sand and see where we are, and hopefully build on that throughout August”.

“This isn’t about development, it’s about going to a World Cup and performing to the best of our ability”.

“They really ramped it up”.

Elsewhere in the line-up, there is only a second Test start at fly-half for Gloucester’s James Hook since the 2011 World Cup, although his half-back partnership with Mike Phillips boasts a combined total of 170 caps.

“There were a couple of little niggles and fights at training with the forwards”.

Gatland said the Ireland head coach, Joe Schmidt, rang him last week to ask how Wales were treating the match, in terms of selection.

“I wouldn’t have thought he would be involved this weekend but I am sure three weeks down the road, he could be involved in the Dublin game”.

“The medical team are on top of things and they’re pretty comfortable about how it’s going”, said former Ireland flanker Easterby. I remarked it is a bit ironic that you wanted it open during the Six Nations and now you want it closed.

The challenge for the Ireland management is striking a balance between getting players who need game time minutes on the pitch, while offering those who have earned an opportunity the chance to impress.

“James did not play particularly well for Gloucester in the first half of the season but he did in the second”, said Gatland.

Wales prided themselves on their fitness at the last World Cup four years ago, when they reached the semi-finals, and Jenkins believes the brutal intensity of work done so far this summer is an essential requirement as preparation for a punishing pool that also includes hosts England and twice-world champions Australia.