WALES attack coach Rob Howley says the heat is on Lions scrum-half Mike Phillips to show he deserves a World Cup spot by starring against the Irish, writes Chris Kirwan.

The 32-year-old has 93 caps to his name yet is battling with Gareth Davies and Lloyd Williams for the two spots behind first-choice Rhys Webb in Warren Gatland's final 31 for England 2015.

It would be a surprise if the vastly experienced Phillips doesn't get the nod but Howley, a former 9 himself, wants the Racing Metro to shine against Ireland on his first start since the Test against Fiji last autumn.

"Mike has a great opportunity and he knows he is under pressure to perform," said Howley.

"It's great to have the experience that Mike brings at nine. For him, it's about the control element and the accuracy in his kicking game, being there when the ball is available so we are able to play a high octane game at pace and back our fitness.

"The players have been working hard over the last seven weeks and we need to back our fitness starting on Saturday, so we need our nine getting to the breakdown quickly and getting the ball away effectively and accurately so we can play the next phase."

Howley will be looking for Phillips and his former Ospreys half-back partner James Hook to get an exciting back line moving, giving strike runners Tyler Morgan, Hallam Amos, Eli Walker and Alex Cuthbert the ball in space.

"It is nice to see James Hook playing at 10 week in, week out," he said.

"He was quite lateral in attack at the start with Gloucester but he had a good back-end of the season. Hopefully he can transfer that.

"He is playing much squarer now. We talk about playing the game north-south not east-west and that is key. If he plays north-south so do our outside backs."

Howley said that Morgan's "lines of running will be crucial" but doesn't believe that it is all or nothing for the uncapped Newport Gwent Dragons centre or the other inexperienced players.

He said: "I do not like saying last chance: it is an opportunity for players to impress and they have a great opportunity going into the World Cup. I am not that silly to say last chance saloon because it is not."