Ireland's interim coaching team has named a 37-man squad ahead the match with the Barbarians at Kingsholm on May 27th, but only 30 of those will travel to the southern hemisphere to face New Zealand and Australia.
However, it is the inclusion of Peter Stringer, Isaac Boss and Eoin Reddan, coupled with the omission of Tomas O'Leary, that is likely to prompt the questions over whether new coach Declan Kidney should get involved in selection ahead of the tour.
Kidney has preferred O'Leary to Stringer in the latter stages of Munster's European Cup campaign and looks likely to select him for the final. It seems inconceivable that he would allow someone he rates so highly to be left at home during such a tour, regardless of whether he is in charge or not.
As it stands, however, the scrumhalf, who may well be a European Cup winner when touring gets underway, has only been deemed fit for the Churchill Cup, with Boss, Stringer and Reddan on the plane to New Zealand.
There is a welcome return from international exile for London Irish captain Bob Casey, but with the caveat that regardless of how he does against the Ba-Baas at Kingsholm he will be demoted to the Churchill squad instead of going on tour.
Casey has not worn the green jersey wince winning his fifth cap in 2000 but has this year led his side to the semi-final of the European Cup where they were beaten by Toulouse and been instrumental in their re-emergence as a force in the club game.
A typically powerful performance from Casey against the Barbarians would surely warrant some discussion on whether he should head to the southern hemisphere. Not least because Malcolm O'Kelly is well into the twilight of his career and Mick O'Driscoll is unlikely to push Paul O'Connell or Donncha O'Callaghan for a starting berth if has not already done so at either provincial or international level.
Similarly, the Ulster quartet of Neil Best, Ryan Caldwell, Stephen Ferris and Tom Court, Mike Ross of Harlequins and Leinster's Jonathan Sexton will also join the Ireland A squad to travel to Canada and the USA after featuring against the Barbarians.
Their places will go to the Munster contingent that faces Toulouse in the European final on May 24th. They include locks O'Connell, O'Callaghan and O'Driscoll, outhalf Ronan O'Gara, props Tony Buckley and John Hayes and flankers David Wallace and Alan Quinlan.
All are established names and, like O'Leary, could have more European Cup winners' medals to their name come tour time. Given the lack of cover for O'Gara, though, there could well be a case made for Sexton to be included in the senior squad, especially if he builds on an impressive league-winning season with Leinster with a good performance at Kingsholm.
Notable absentees are the Leinster pairing of Gordon D'Arcy and Leo Cullen and Ulster's Andrew Trimble, who are all injured.
The absence of D'Arcy and Trimble leaves O'Driscoll as the only recognised centre on a tour where being light in midfield should be a last resort. The situation could afford Luke Fitzgerald the chance to prove himself there at Test level, while Shane Horgan is also a capaple centre.
Interim coach Michael Bradley said of the selection today: "New Zealand is a undoubtedly one of the most challenging places to tour and to win test matches and that is quickly followed up with a game against an Australian side that will have the fresh input of a new coach and are always among the top sides in the world.
"We are travelling on the tour with a strong squad conscious of the fact that IRB world ranking points are available and that is what we are playing for."
Allen Clarke's Ireland A side kick-off their campaign against the USA on June 11th and the coach said today: "This tournament continues to be an important competitive environment to expose younger talent as well as those players in the broader international squad. The combination of this international experience with the youth in the squad promises to create competitiveness when it comes to selection."
"The last time the tournament was here in 2006, we had some good results where we left with the plate after a really tight contest with the England Saxons, so hopefully we can continue in that same vein. This year, playing a national side like the USA will be a test for the squad and equally the next game, which is only three days later against a Saxons squad with plenty of quality in it, will be a challenging experience for the players."
Ireland Squad to face Barbarians, New Zealand and Australia
Forwards (22)
Neil Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)*
Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)*
Bob Casey (London Irish)*
Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon/Ulster)*
Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)*
Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)
Jamie Heaslip (Clontarf/Leinster)
Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster)
Bernard Jackman (Clontarf/Leinster)
Shane Jennings (St.Mary's College/Leinster)
Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Malcolm O'Kelly (St.Mary's College/Leinster)
Alan Quinlan (Shannon/Munster)
Mike Ross (Harlequins)*
David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
Bryan Young (Ballymena/Ulster)
Backs (15):
Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster)
Ian Dowling (Shannon/Munster)
Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster)
Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht)
Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster)
Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
Geordan Murphy (Leicester)
Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) Captain
Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Eoin Reddan (Wasps)
Jonathon Sexton (St.Mary's College/Leinster)*
Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
*Players for Barbarians match that will not travel to New Zealand and Australia
Churchill Cup (Ireland A) Squad
Forwards (15)
*Neil Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon/Ulster)
*Bob Casey (London Irish)
Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
Sean Cronin (Shannon/Munster)
*Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
Denis Fogarty (Cork Constitution/Connacht)
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
*Trevor Hogan (Shannon/Leinster)
Daragh Hurley (Cork Constitution/Munster)
*Johnny O'Connor (Corinthians/Connacht)
David Pollock (Queens University/Ulster)
Michael Ross (Harlequins)
Donncha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
*Roger Wilson (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Backs (13):
Gary Brown (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Keith Earls (Garryowen/Munster)
Ian Humphreys (Leicester)
Denis Hurley (Cork Constitution/Munster)
*Kieran Lewis (Garryowen/Munster)
Keith Matthews (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Mark McCrea (Malone/Ulster)
Frank Murphy (Leicester)
John Murphy (Leicester)
Fergus McFadden (UCD/Leinster)
*Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
Johnny Sexton (St.Mary's College/Leinster)
Not considered:
Declan Fitzpatrick (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Niall Ronan (Shannon/Munster)
Barry Murphy (U.L. Bohemians/Munster)
