IRB Rugby World Cup
Ireland coach Joe Schmidt keeps squad guessing on World Cup places
ESPN Staff
July 31, 2015
Iain Henderson
Iain Henderson© (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Ireland coach Joe Schmidt is keeping his players on their toes as he prepares the squad for their first warm-up match against Wales next Saturday.

Following a week with their provinces, the Ireland squad will reconvene at their training base on Sunday night, with Ulster lock Iain Henderson admitting he is "in the dark" as to who will be involved at the Millennium Stadium.

Schmidt is expected to use the game against Wales and Scotland to fine-tune his squad before naming his final 31-man selection on the Aug. 31 deadline.

"Joe is so hard to predict when it comes to selecting squads," Henderson told the Press Association.

"He keeps us on our toes at all times, so it's typical of him to be keeping us in the dark and that's what's happening now.

"It's making everyone work harder and harder all the time, and that in turn probably puts more pressure on him just to make those selections decisions.

"We're not even sure what the squad will be like for next weekend's game yet: Joe has kept us in the dark on that, and no doubt that's deliberate."

Ireland head into the World Cup as back-to-back Six Nations champions and with a great chance of making a first World Cup semi-final.

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