PROFESSIONAL RUGBY PLAYERS on this island will no doubt try to tell you that they are focusing on the imminent match against Saracens / Ospreys / Edinburgh / Leicester.

However, come 9.30am or so this morning every Irish qualified player in the land will shelve Heineken Cup matters for a while and take an anxious glance at their phone to see if there happens to be a text or a voicemail inviting them for an all-expenses paid trip to Carton House.

Yes, Joe Schmidt will today announce his squad for the Six Nations and he more than anyone will know that, while running New Zealand close was a lift to the rugby mindset in this country, only results will matter from here on in.

There will be some absentees, most notably Sean O’Brien and Mike Sherry, unavailable from the 34-strong list Schmidt put out before the November series. All in all though, Schmidt is unlikely to see this as the window for wholesale changes.

So who would you like to see capped or brought in from the international cold?

Is it finally time to award Kieran Marmion with a cap? Or perhaps James Hart?

Has JJ Hanrahan merited a room in the Kildare resort, or are three out-halves enough to argue over?

With Tommy O’Donnell back fit, is he the answer to O’Brien’s absence? Or has Jordi Murphy done enough to merit a place instead?

Answer these questions (or ignore them completely, we’re not fussy) in the comments section below.