Rugby: Declan Kidney has named four uncapped players in his 43-man pre-season training squad ahead of the summer Series and the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in September. Munster's Felix Jones and Conor Murray join Connacht pair Mike McCarthy and Brett Wilkinson in a squad that is without Shane Horgan, Ian Humphries and Nevin Spence.
The injured trio have all undergone surgery on “long-standing injuries” in recent weeks and will not be available for the games against Scotland, France (twice), Connacht and England in August.
However, Kidney has not ruled them out of contention for the 30-man World Cup squad that is to be announced on August 22nd.
The squad includes a number of players – like Leicester fullback Geordan Murphy and Munster hooker Jerry Flannery – who are in the process of rehabilitation from long-term injuries, as well as short term absentees, such as Leinster backrow Shane Jennings and Sale Sharks prop Tony Buckley.
“This is the first step in preparation for the Rugby World Cup and the group called into our first camp shows that there is competition for places right across the board,” said Kidney today.
“There are players who we have identified as part of the larger Rugby World Cup squad who will not be in the first camp and will be based with their provincial and club fitness staff, but that may change as we go through June and July, so none of that larger group are necessarily out of contention for the final squad.
“The aim three years ago was to deepen the strength of the squad and there are a number of players that have come through in that time either playing with their provinces or with the Wolfhounds and the Ireland team. There are big challenges ahead for the group with the coming pre-season and then five games in August.”
The players will come together for three camps at Carton House in Kildare and will disperse to their provinces/clubs in between. The first get together is June 27th – July 1st, before a two-day camp from July 14th and final preparations for the summer series from July 25th – 29th.
“Following the completion of each camp, players will return to their provincial centres to continue their strength and conditioning work,” an IRFU statement read this afternoon. “The Ireland coaching staff will work closely with the squad during each of the camps and also with the players when they are back with their provincial teams.”
Ireland face Scotland at Murrayfield on August 6th, before a trip to Bordeaux to face France on the 13th. A “Select XV” will face Donnybrook on the 18th before another meeting with France in Dublin two days later and the visit of England on the 27th.
Ireland World Cup Training Squad
Backs (19):Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster), Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht), Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster), Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster), Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster), Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster), Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Geordan Murphy (Leicester), Conor Murray (Cork Constitution/Munster), Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster), Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster), Tomás O'Leary (Dolphin/Munster), Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary's College/Leinster), Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster), Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster), Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
Forwards (24):Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), Tony Buckley (Sale Sharks), Tom Court (Malone/Ulster), Sean Cronin (Leinster), Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster), Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster), Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster), John Hayes (Bruff/Munster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster), Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster), Shane Jennings (St.Mary's College/Leinster), Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster), Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers/Connacht), Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary's College/Leinster), Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster), Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster), Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster), Michael Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), Damien Varley (Garryown/Munster), David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster), Brett Wilkinson (Galwegians/Connacht)
Not considered due to injury
Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster) – Knee
Ian Humphries (Ballymena/Ulster) – Shoulder
Nevin Spence (Ballynahinch/Ulster) – shoulder
