Memories of the 2019 World Cup defeat remain, and the Irish management retain huge respect for a Japanese side who beat Italy convincingly last Saturday in Tokyo. But there is also a need to maximise this three-match opening segment of the inaugural Nations Championship in building toward next year’s Rugby World Cup. As such, Andy Farrell may well delve deep into his 36-man squad when announcing the Ireland side on Thursday to face the Brave Blossoms on Saturday. To some degree, Farrell’s hand has been forced again, due to the head injury Jeremy Loughman suffered in last Saturday’s win over Australia with the 20-year-old Billy Bohan set to make his Test debut. Where do Ireland now stand in the Nations Championship? Listen | 37:31“I guess Jeremy [Loughman] dropping out makes that decision for us,” scrum coach John Fogarty said from the team’s base in Sydney. “We’ve brought the younger players over here to see what they’re made of, so we’ll see. The side will be selected on Thursday. There always has to be a balance because it’s a Test match and it’s against an organised side with a good scrum that are well-coached.”The other uncapped players in the touring party are Bohan’s Connacht team-mates – tighthead Sam Illo, whom Fogarty intimated would also be involved, and Sean Jansen – and Ulster brothers Zac and Bryn Ward. Paul O’Connell has admitted that the hard-carrying New Zealand-born Jansen is a player who has particularly interested them. And Bryn Ward’s irreverent approach has been lauded by team-mates and coaches alike. [ Billy Bohan and Sam Illo in line to make Ireland debuts against Japan ]Given Rónan Kelleher could start on the day he reaches 50 caps, Tadhg Beirne might well assume the captaincy with big guns such as Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Jamison Gibson-Park, Garry Ringrose and Hugo Keenan possibly rested before playing the All Blacks in Eden Park. This would see Craig Casey start, with Tom Stewart and Nathan Doak also involved. At outhalf there would be a certain sense in also holding back Sam Prendergast and if there were ever an opportunity to expose Ciarán Frawley or Harry Byrne to Test rugby at outhalf, then this is it. Connacht-bound Frawley (28) is set on being a “10″, yet although a match-winner against South Africa in Durban two summers ago with two drop goals his only start in 13 caps was at fullback against Wales in the 2024 Six Nations.Ireland’s Josh van der Flier with Stuart McCloskey in Saturday's game against Australia. Photograph: Ben Brady/INPHO Stuart McCloskey, like Beirne, was a little rusty last Saturday against the Wallabies so may start again. If Keenan is rested, Jamie Osborne has been his go-to deputy in recent times, which could see Jacob Stockdale start, with Jimmy O’Brien retained on the right wing.Tom O’Toole will likely start again, and Fogarty confirmed he envisages the Ulster tighthead as a loosehead. “He’s got great flexibility and range of movement through his hips when he’s in a scrum position. He can hit and get down to height as a tighthead, but as a loosehead he’s able to load through his hips,” he said. “He’s a big, big body. He’s naturally aggressive. He’s ticking a lot of boxes to say that this lad is a loosehead. That’s where I’ve seen him over the last number of years, and that’s where I see him probably over the next year.”At the start of the season the odds on either Bohan or Illo (25) making their Test debuts before the campaign was out would have been considerable. Bohan hadn’t played a senior game and Illo had started twice in 33 matches for Connacht. But both have flourished under Stuart Lancaster. Illo, a product of Wesley College and Old Wesley, ultimately started 13 of his 18 matches for Connacht this season. “We watched Sam through the 20s [in 2021] and we brought him on an EI tour a couple of years ago. His ability to be powerful, though not in a brilliant position at scrum time back then, stood out for me. He wants to be aggressive, wants to get forward at scrum time,” Fogarty said. “Sam has consistency from playing, and he’s gotten lots of confidence. He’s added a lovely ball carry to what he does. He’s quite explosive and powerful, so he’s improved his game sense to get on the ball a little bit more.“He’s someone I’ve had a close eye on for quite a while, and the idea of having him out here and be reviewed by the coaches, to get tips from the other more experienced tightheads, looseheads, and for him to learn and go back, it’s really, really exciting.“We’ve got a world-class tighthead in Finlay [Bealham], in my opinion, at scrum time. We know he’s there and it’s a tough one to say, ‘Let’s leave Finlay here and let’s bring this kid’. But growing the depth, backing him after a good season, that’s what we wanted to do and he’s been great so far.“I wouldn’t have brought him unless he’s capable, and he’s well capable.”Bohan’s rise has been meteoric: 11 starts in 16 games in his rookie season, and he is evidently feeling more at ease.“The lads do a bit of craic on the bus, and he was up the top, and I didn’t see it coming, but he’s quite funny. I thought he was a shy, reserved kid. He’s great in front of the group,” Fogarty said.“He naturally has size. You can tell he’s going to continue improving by his attitude. All that was taken into consideration from speaking to Cully [Colm Tucker] and Stuart [Lancaster] in Connacht and understanding what type of kid he was.“Physically he’s good. He’s 120kg. He still has to improve, but he has got the capacity to do that, and that’s what we bore in mind as we were bringing him out here, and that’s what we’re seeing now.“He’s 20, so he’s got a road to go on, and it’s going to be full of ups and downs I’m sure, but he looks like he’s capable. So it’s exciting.”