Talented Leicester full-back Geordan Murphy has been picked in the Ireland A team to meet South Africa this week, despite sharing in the 78-9 Test rout of Japan on Saturday.

Both Murphy and Lions prop Paul Wallace will be in the A side at Thomond Park, Limerick, on Wednesday as Ireland coach Warren Gatland shuffles his resources.

Neither man has been replaced in the senior squad, leaving Terenure's Girvan Dempsey as the only specialist full-back.

However, Murphy was replaced at full-back in the second half against Japan by David Humphreys, indicating a possible change of role for the Ulster fly-half and captain in the Test against the Springboks next Sunday.

Ireland A will be captained by Tom Tierney, who was Ireland's first-choice scrum-half in last year's World Cup, before losing out to Peter Stringer in the Six Nations Championship. Tierney plays alongside his Garryowen club-mate, while Cork Con's Anthony Horgan makes his first appearance at this level.

There are eight full internationals - Murphy, Justin Bishop, Mike Mullins, Kevin Maggs and Tierney in the backs, and forwards Paul Wallace, Bob Casey and Victor Costello. Fly-half Eric Elwood is on the bench.

The Test team will be announced at Tuesday lunchtime after training at Greystones RFC in County Wicklow.

Gatland said: "We have some difficult individual decisions to make for next Sunday's match against South Africa. Any weaknesses will be exposed."

Ireland A team, v South Africa XV, Thomond Park, Wednesday 15 November:

Geordan Murphy (Leicester); Justin Bishop (London Irish), Mike Mullins (Young Munster), Kevin Maggs (Bath), Anthony Horgan (Cork Constitution), Jeremy Staunton (Garryowen), Tom Tierney (Garryowen, capt); Paul Wallace (Saracens), Shane Byrne (Blackrock College), Emmet Byrne(St.Mary's College); Robert Casey (Blackrock College), Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution); Alan Quinlan (Shannon), David Wallace (Garryowen), Victor Costello (St.Mary's College)

replacements: Peter Smyth (St.Mary's Coll), Marcus Horan (Shannon), Leo Cullen (Blackrock Coll), Tony McWhirter (Ballymena), Brad Free (Ballymena), Eric Elwood (Galwegians), John Kelly (Cork Constitution)