Current Irish captain Brian O'Driscoll, John Hayes and Shane Horgan are all expected to be excused duty from the tour to Australia, Tonga and Samoa next month when the 42-man squad for that three-test trek is announced today.

O'Driscoll has been sidelined since Leinster's European Cup semi-final defeat to Perpignan three weeks ago with a hamstring and lower-back problem, which requires further rest.

Hayes, like O'Driscoll, is one of five players to have started each of Ireland's 11 tests in the regular season now ending, the others being Anthony Foley, Kevin Maggs and Malcolm O'Kelly.

The argument for giving them a break too must be considerable, although Hayes has had the additional load of playing 15 times for Munster - including their last 12 in a row - when he wasn't subbed for so much as one minute, and is also being troubled by a groin strain.

Being the honest soul that he is, the Bull doesn't shirk the workload, be it scrummaging, lifting, hitting rucks or whatever. So concerned are the Munster management in advance of the World Cup and an expanded Celtic League that they have reputedly been talking to Glasgow's Dave Hilton.

Horgan hasn't fully recovered from a torn thigh muscle, which he sustained against Scotland in Murrayfield on February 16th, despite returning to the Leinster bench for that European semi-final and then playing a half for Lansdowne in the All-Ireland League semi-finals. He then suffered a reaction to the injury in the "trial" match last Friday week and, again with the World Cup in mind, will assuredly benefit from a rest, full rehabilitation and a proper pre-season.

Meanwhile, Toulouse will be without scrum-half Jean-Baptiste Elissalde for Saturday's European Cup final against Perpignan at Lansdowne Road. Elissalde has torn a thigh muscle but the club are hopeful that prop Patrice Collazo will be fit after intensive treatment on an ankle injury.

"Jean-Baptiste's injury came to light on Friday in a training session . . . and he will not be able to play," Toulouse's general manager, Guy Noves, said. "But Collazo has been having treatment and a decision will be made on Wednesday. He will, however, not train until then."

Full back Nicolas Jeanjean is definitely out of the match after aggravating an old shoulder injury in a play-off victory over French champions Biarritz.