While it would come as a major surprise were Ireland not to win their Test match against Fiji on Saturday by a comfortable margin, the game could prove something of a benchmark for both countries.

Ireland will in all likelihood take their unbeaten run to 10 consecutive games since November last year and Fiji are again likely to struggle for parity against a top tier nation, but there is much at stake for the players.

With Ireland having made five changes to their backline and three to their pack from the team which salvaged a last movement 20-20 draw against Australia on Saturday, Declan Kidney, the Ireland head coach, talked this week of "adding depth to the team's playing resources" and of "building a squad".

He spoke of his "belief in the players" selected for the Fiji Test, which gives these players a golden opportunity to stake their claims for inclusion in the team to play against South Africa next week and the chance to impress with early claims for inclusion in the Six Nations squad.

There are specific areas of their game on which the Irish will want to improve this week after being shown up as mediocre against the Wallabies.

The scrummaging was ordinary at best, and at times poor, the back row performed below expectation, and playing much of the game in their own half did them no favours.

Australia won the battle for field position on Saturday and Ireland will be focussed this week on territory as much as on possession. Against the Springboks next week, the battle for field position could well be decisive in determining the result.

Kidney's promise that Ireland intended to adopt a more attacking philosophy, starting with the Test against Fiji, makes for exciting expectation.

How committed the team will be to this attacking approach in the reality of a tough Test match 80 minutes, and how competently they execute the plan against Fiji, will no doubt influence the game plan against the Springboks on 28 November.

Having been awarded his first cap at No.10, Jonathan Sexton faces his biggest challenge to date. The 24-year-old, highly regarded for skill as well as decision-making, was a stand-out performer in Leinster's victorious Heineken Cup campaign earlier this year.

An impressive performance Saturday could see him exerting pressure on Ronan O'Gara as first-choice No.10 for the Six Nations if not for the game against South Africa next week.

With Luke Fitzgerald out for four to six months and Tommy Bowe rested this week, wings Keith Earls and Shane Horgan will be determined to prove they deserve serious consideration as first-choice Test selections, while centre Gordon D'Arcy and scrumhalf Eoin Reddan will be very keen to show they are viable contenders for selection ahead of Paddy Wallace and Tomas O'Leary.

It is likely to be creativity that Kidney is looking for inside Brian O'Driscoll at centre, which means D'Arcy needs to impress with judgment and flair. O'Leary's mediocre performance last week offers Reddan a chance to make the scrumhalf position his own with a slick, dynamic performance on Saturday.

Tom Court has a lot to prove as the replacement for last week's debutant loosehead prop Cian Heal, who was the best of the Irish front row against the Wallabies, while Leo Cullen can show he is the strongest back-up for Donncha O'Callaghan, who is likely to come off the bench in the second half.

David Wallace was not at his best last week and was somewhat shown up by Australia's impressive David Pocock. Denis Leamy will be desperately determined to put in a huge performance to gain recognition as a genuine Test selection contender.

Against Scotland, Fiji had nine debutants in the starting 22. With a combination of players tried and untried at international level, some overseas-based and some local, the new coaching panel compromising head coach Glen Ella and assistants Mike Brewer and Sam Domoni, had insufficient opportunity to put together unit and team combinations.

It was clear against Scotland that they had enjoyed too little time to prepare as a team and with the extra week of preparation behind them, they would hope to fare appreciably better as combinations, most specifically in winning their own set piece ball.

Indeed, a clear goal for them will be to focus on a substantial improvement in their set piece performance. At international level a team which struggles to win 75 percent of their line-out ball and 50 percent of their scrums, as they did against Scotland, will always have a problem competing.

Most notable of the five selection changes for Saturday is that Asaike Tarogi and Viliame Seuseu have been brought into the front row in an attempt to bolster the Fijian scrummaging technique and strength.

Though the Irish scrummaging was disappointing against the Wallabies, their line-out is always formidable and while the Fiji scrummaging should be stronger this week, they may in fact have a tougher time winning their own line-out ball than they did against Scotland.

Fiji will trust that the extra week together will have been of real benefit and will hope to mount a serious challenge on the ball-securing efficiency of the experienced, well-organised Six Nations champions.

Perhaps most interesting will be the Fijian game plan.

Famous for their ability to tear the best defences apart with their attacking flair and the continuity of their broken field running, they were strangely inhibited against Scotland. There was abundant endeavour but much of it was conservative, almost mechanical.

Their best bet is to play uninhibited, exuberant rugby, endeavouring to give expression to their attacking flair. This is how they will put the Irish defence under pressure. If they play as predictable a pattern as against Scotland, the Irish defence should have few problems containing them.

This will be first ever senior international to be played on the Royal Dublin Society grounds and a capacity crowd of 18,500 is expected.

Players to watch:

For Ireland: The spotlight will remain firmly on debutant Jonathan Sexton for the full 80 minutes to see if he can make an immediate progression from his distinguished Heineken Cup performances to a positive impression on the international stage. For established, consummate class on the international scene, Brian O'Driscoll, Rob Kearney, Paul O'Connell and Jamie Heaslip are always worth watching.

For Fiji: For all their problems with release of players by clubs, Fiji still have a number of players in their line-up on Saturday who command respect internationally. Bath's accomplished playmaker Nicky Little at No.10, Saracens' experienced Mosese Rauluni at scrumhalf, Clermont Auvergne's Seremaia Baikeinuku outside them at No.12, and Gloucester flank Akapusi Qera are all players highly regarded at top level. Ulster wing Timoci Nagusa could bring something special to the team when he comes off the bench.

Head to head: The novice Jonathan Sexton up against the wily, street-smart Nicky Little. Tighthead Viliame Seuseu, playing in place of Deacon Manu, up against Scotland's loosehead Tom Court. The midfield confrontation between Brian O'Driscoll (captain of Ireland for the 59th time) and Gordon D'Arcy, and Fiji's Seremaia Baikeinuku and Gabirieli Lovobalavu, could be a classic.

Previous Tests:
1995: Ireland won 44-8, Dublin
2002: Ireland won 64-17, Dublin

iafrica.com Prediction: Fiji would expect to show greater team cohesion than against Scotland, but against the Six Nations champions Ireland, who go into the game with a nine-game unbeaten record, Fiji are likely to lose by 15 to 20 points.

Teams:

Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Shane Horgan, 13 Brian O'Driscoll (captain), 12 Gordon D'Arcy, 11 Keith Earls, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Eoin Reddan, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Denis Leamy, 6 Stephen Ferris, 5 Paul O'Connell, 4 Leo Cullen, 3 John Hayes, 2 Jerry Flannery, 1 Tom Court.
Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Tony Buckley, 18 Donncha O'Callaghan, 19 Sean O'Brien, 20 Tomas O'Leary, 21 Paddy Wallace, 22 Andrew Trimble.

Fiji: 15 Norman Ligairi, 14 Vereniki Goneva, 13 Gabiriele Lovobalavu, 12 Seremaia Baikeinuku (captain), 11 Nasoni Roko, 10 Nicky Little, 9 Mosese Rauluni, 8 Asaeli Boko, 7 Akapusi Qera, 6 Apolosi Satala; 5 Ifereimi Rawaqa, 4 Wame Lewaravu, 3 Viliame Seuseu, 2 Viliame Veikoso, 1 Asaike Tarogi
Replacements: 16 Isireli Ledua, 17 Graham Dewes, 18 Leone Nakarawa, 19 Samu Bola, 20 Waisale Vatuvoka, 21 Josh Matavesi, 22 Timoci Nagusa

Date: Saturday, 21 November
Venue: Royal Dublin Society, Dublin
Kick-off: 17.15 (15.15 GMT; 05.00 Fiji time, November 22)
Expected weather: Heavy rain. High of 12?C and a low of 6?C
Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Carlo Damasco (Italy), Tim Hayes (Wales)
TMO: Giulio De Santis (Italy)