RUGBY: No sooner had Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan and manager Brian O'Brien put their new management ticket together, outlined plans for next week's initial get-together in Limerick and then named a 43-man squad for the week-long training, than outside factors immediately contrived to undermine those plans. Such is the way of international rugby.
The notion that an Irish squad would avail of next week's planned break in Europe by seamlessly switching their thoughts towards international matters was probably a bit too utopian in the modern age anyway, and the postponement of the Toulouse-Leinster game by 24 hours to next Sunday will delay the involvement of their 14-man contingent by at least 24 hours.
"That's going to impinge on our training week," admitted a disappointed O'Brien yesterday, though it might have been considerably worse had sod's law applied and the Newcastle-Leinster game been moved back to the middle of next week.
With such a numerous squad there are no glaring omissions, though the likes of Mick O'Driscoll (overlooked in preference to Paul O'Connell among others) and his counterpart as Leinster second-row incumbent Leo Cullen might feel a little aggrieved, as might Jeremy Staunton. Staunton had, after all, won his first cap two internationals ago against Samoa but his fringe role with Munster lately did not help his chances.
Form has been rewarded and, aside from O'Connell, there are some interesting uncapped inclusions, such as the Ulster scrumhalf Neil Doak, the Ulster utility back Paddy Wallace, Leinster's (upwardly) mobile openside Keith Gleeson and Munster wing Anthony Horgan. There are also some notable recalls in the shape of Victor Costello, Reggie Corrigan and Paul Wallace.
Invariably though, many of those named will either be unable to take part or will only have a limited involvement. Peter Stringer is the most obvious of these, for the Munster scrumhalf has been advised to rest his fractured ankle for another two to three weeks at least.
"I went back for a scan last week to see if the fracture had heeled but there was still evidence of a slight fracture there and even though it feels pretty good, unless you let it heel completely it might crack again," explained Stringer. "So they've advised me to rest it for another two to three weeks before I can start training again."
As things stand, Stringer is definitely sidelined again from Munster's final pool game away to Castres on Saturday and is targeting the Heineken Cup quarter-finals on the final weekend of the month as his comeback date.
"Realistically the goal is to make it back for that. Whether it has heeled enough we'll have to wait and see, but I'd be confident enough."
Worryingly for the Irish management, the first Six Nations game is a week after the quarter-finals, at home to Wales on February 3rd, and it was striking to note that Stringer's understudy of late, Guy Easterby, was left on the Llanelli bench last weekend.
Nor does the Irish captain Keith Wood sound too optimistic about his chances of taking part in Limerick, though there is no doubt about his availability for the start of the championship. "I'm hoping it will be only two more weeks but I don't know, I haven't started running yet," he said.
As to making the Irish squad session next week, Wood is not so sure. "I would hope so but I don't know. I can't say at this stage."
While Leinster have 14 players included in the squad, Munster have 15 and Ulster seven, and there are a further seven from across channel.
It's a vital week for the newly installed Irish coach and his rejigged and more numerous coaching team, which has added Declan Kidney as assistant coach, Niall O'Donovan as forwards coach and Mike Ford as a new defensive coach.
The more coaches there are, the longer time will be spent coaching on the training ground. As the coaching changeover took place in mid-season, next week is effectively the only week in which this new management team can start applying their structure and ideas without the impending focus of a match. Thereafter, it will be matchweek.
