‘Everyone is in the shop window’ – Alex Kendellen on Emerging Ireland players in South Africa

Alex Kendellen was supposed to go on this trip in 2022 only for injury to rule him out at the 11th hour.

This time around, he leads the squad and his mission is to get a group of players who are out to impress individually to work as a team.

It is a tricky balance.

"We're under no illusions," he said. "Everyone is kind of in the shop window here but it's about bringing the team together here and trying to work as best you can for the guy next to you is very important.

"I think that leads to performance then so it's important for us to come together as quickly as possible, get training under our belt and then enjoy those games that we're playing in.

"You're putting on a green jersey, that's enough motivation in itself.

"Everybody here is here for a reason, everyone is a great player, they bring something different to the table.

"It's leading by actions, I suppose, that's my big one, it's just trying to do it on the pitch and let my actions speak louder than words."

Ireland kick off their campaign in Bloemfontein against the Pumas tomorrow, before facing the Western Force on Sunday and the Cheetahs in a week's time.

And Kendellen says the example of the 2022 tour, when Jack Crowley, Joe McCarthy and Calvin Nash used the tour to launch their senior careers, is an inspiration to this squad.

"One hundred per cent. There's a clear trajectory for those players anyway, who've come through," he said.

"Even the lads down in Munster, the Jack Crowleys, the Calvin Nashs, you see them perform on the biggest stages, in World Cups and Six Nations, so yeah, it's massive for us as players to look at that and see what they've done and how they've taken their opportunity.

"I was lucky enough to pick a few of their brains during the week about what this tour is like and stuff like that and they've been very good to me over the last couple of days.

"They just said to go out and enjoy it and try and use it as an opportunity."