Simon Easterby insists Ireland hopefuls have to earn the right to be capped after Eric O'Sullivan was the only player called into camp ahead of Sunday's Autumn Nations Cup clash with Georgia.
Young guns such as Harry Byrne, Ryan Baird and Craig Casey will have to bide their time after assistant coach Easterby explained the reasoning to just go with Ulster loosehead prop O'Sullivan as an addition for the game against the second tier nation.
"We had Ed Byrne go down with a bit of a calf strain and it's obviously a specialised position so we need specialist cover," said Easterby.
"Eric has been doing really well up in Ulster, we're really happy with his progress, and it's a great chance for us to see him up close and see him work through the week. Unfortunately, Ed is continuing his rehab now.
"I guess it's always a question that gets thrown around but it's really important that we select the players we originally picked.
"It's another Test match, there are players that are going well in their provinces and putting their hand up, but there's also players who have trained really well over the last couple of weeks that haven't had opportunities with us.
"I guess it's getting a balance there and the squad we selected originally was a squad we felt could take us through the end of the Six Nations and into these autumn games. We felt we wanted to do that justice and probably not look to pick too much from outside the group.
"Players coming in for a week, they have got a lot to deal with and take on board. Is it giving them the best opportunity to perform if we're asking them to come in six or seven days before a Test match?
"It's getting balance and we just felt like the guys who we selected in the original wider squad were guys that we were looking to play in this Georgia game. There will be some experience in the team as well as some inexperience for the weekend.
"We don't want to just be handing out caps as well, we want to make sure that guys earn the right to get selected."
Easterby is Andy Farrell's lineout guru and that element of Ireland's set-piece play didn't go well again last weekend at Twickenham, with 22-year-old hooker Ronan Kelleher enduring a tough afternoon for his first full start at this level.
The fault didn't solely lie at his door, with new captain James Ryan, who called the lineout, already blaming Ireland's woes on a number of factors.
"We are continually trying to grow some experience and some leadership in that group," said Easterby.
"We had a couple of young players in there, Ronan making his first start at Twickenham and he has done really well across the board over the last six weeks.
"We had a number of challenges in there from the opposition, as well as making sure that we get our own drills in order. There is probably a combination of things throughout the week.
"We felt like we had a good preparation but it's very different preparation and then when the pressure comes on and the challenge is laid down, that's when we find out a little bit more about players.
"I would say there's a combination of things. A little bit of inexperience in a number of areas, we probably needed to strip back a little bit some of the options that we had, and we will look to implement those over the next couple of weeks.
"We're also on a journey with this lineout group, it's a new group. We've got a couple of inexperienced younger guys in there who we feel are learning every week and they're growing in their roles. It takes time to grow combinations and get those things right.
"England, in terms of where they're at in comparison to where we're at, they have far more experience that they've gained over the last couple of seasons as a forward pack compared to some of the guys in our group. That's all part of the building process that we're trying to get to.
"There's definitely a couple of fixes and alterations we need to make but I don't think it's doom and gloom. We're really confident with the guys we've selected and the guys that took the pitch on the weekend.
"There was some inaccuracies and hopefully we'll learn from those but there was also the pressure of what the opposition were doing to us. It was a combination of things."
Easterby is hopeful that the problems Ireland have endured at lineout time are not eroding confidence in the set-piece - an area of real strength for Ireland in the recent past.
"You certainly would hope that won't be the case," he said.
"I think there are different combinations and moving parts to the lineout which, consistently, we need to make sure we deliver those things in the week, in the training environment, so that when it comes to the lineout in a game and a pressure moment, that we deliver those.
“Should we be better in those moments? Yes, 100%. We need to take those opportunities when they arise.
"We work hard to get ourselves into those positions, close to the opposition try line, and we need to make sure that we deliver more accuracy and effectiveness in our lineout drills.
"So, certainly not concerned about confidence.
"It's more about the journey that we're on and creating an environment that creates that bit of pressure and then takes the learnings from the weekend and putting those into practise when we get that next situation where we are putting pressure on this week against Georgia or the following week against whoever we play".
