Wasps prop Peter Bracken has today been named in Eddie O'Sullivan's 30-man Ireland squad to tour New Zealand and Australia as replacement for the injured Simon Best.
Best broke his leg during Ulster's 12-12 draw against Llanelli in their penultimate Celtic League match last Friday night. The injury will require surgery and has ruled him out of the tour.
Ulster coach Mark McCall was all too aware how untimely Best's injury was: "This is a major blow to us and to Simon, particularly with the Ireland tour coming up. He has had a wonderful season and has led from the front on the field, as well as being inspirational off the field."
O'Sullivan has been forced to plan with some other notable omissions including, second row Malcolm O'Kelly, flankers Simon Easterby and Johnny O'Connor and Wasps scrumhalf Eoin Reddan.
A groin injury means O'Kelly, Ireland's most capped player with 80 appearances, may need an operation during the summer while both O'Connor and Easterby have been out since the Powergen Cup final early last month.
Reddan's groin injury, however, has opened the door for Ulster's Isaac Boss to act as understudy to Peter Stringer. His performances since the turn of the year have impressed everyone, including O'Sullivan.
Boss' inclusion will be of great benefit to another uncapped youngster, his Ulster teammate and prop Bryan Young. Both he and Boss have played for Ireland 'A' but it is their contribution to Ulster's climb to the top of the Celtic League that will take them to the southern hemisphere.
"I would have preferred to be dealing from a full deck for the tour, but the absences leave the door open for the players coming into the squad," O'Sullivan said.
The 2006 Ireland Squad to tour New Zealand and Australia is as follows:
Backs (14)
Isaac Boss, Tommy Bowe, Gordon D'Arcy, Girvan Dempsey, Gavin Duffy, Denis Hickie, Shane Horgan, John Kelly, Geordan Murphy, Brian O'Driscoll (c), Ronan O'Gara, Jeremy Staunton, Peter Stringer, Andrew Trimble
Forwards (16)
Neil Best, Rory Best, Peter Bracken, Leo Cullen, Jerry Flannery, Anthony Foley, Keith Gleeson, John Hayes, Marcus Horan, Denis Leamy, Donncha O'Callaghan, Paul O'Connell, Mick O'Driscoll, David Wallace, Bryan Young, A.N. Other
N.B. A.N Other to be announced after the final round of the Celtic League.
