Ireland squad news:Ulster's Chris Henry has been rewarded for an excellent performance against Leinster last weekend with a call-up to the 39-man Ireland squad ahead of the November internationals, but team-mate Ian Humphreys has been left out of Declan Kidney's panel.
Henry and Humphreys were in imperious form when helping Ulster to victory over European champions Leinster, with the latter delivering a commanding display at outhalf. It wasn’t enough, however, to earn him a place in a large squad that includes nine uncapped players.
With Ronan O’Gara, Jonathan Sexton and Paddy Wallace included, Kidney has options at outhalf and given the Leinster number 10 is yet to be capped it may simply be a case of one at a time.
Isaac Boss’s try at the Ravenhill wasn’t enough to see him named either, with Leinster’s Fergus McFadden in contention to earn his first cap, having been included among the scrumhalves with team-mate Eoin Reddan and the Munster pair of Tomás O’Leary and Peter Stringer, who has started just two games this season and featured in five altogether.
There is a feeling of change elsewhere, however, with Henry and Seán O’Brien (Leinster) likely to put pressure on the established order in the backrow, Denis Leamy, David Wallace, Stephen Ferris and Jamie Heaslip. After some superb performances from Kevin McLaughlin and Willie Faloon, both will feel hard done by to see experienced, but unpredictable Northampton flanker Neil Best named.
Alan Quinlan’s absence is not unexpected but surely signals the end of the international road for the Munster backrow.
Among the locks are Devin Toner and Donnacha Ryan, meaning the two have kept their more experienced team-mates – Malcolm O’Kelly and Mick O’Driscoll respectively – out of the reckoning.
Leinster captain Leo Cullen has also been selected with the usual suspects, Donncha O’Callaghan and Paul O’Connell.
Again, it means London Irish captain Bob Casey has been overlooked, but the emphasis with Toner and Ryan appears to be on the long–term goal
The uncapped pair of Connacht’s Brett Wilkinson and Leinster’s Cian Healy will also be pressuring the likes of Tony Buckley, Marcus Horan, John Hayes, Mike Ross and Tom Court in the front row.
Indeed, Hayes is currently serving a ban for a stamp on Healy and, though he will be available for all three games, he is unlikely to feature in the first against the Wallabies on Sunday 15th. Healy, in particular, looks a sure bet for a first cap next month.
Bernard Jackman’s wayward darts appear to have cost him a place in the squad. Instead, the hooking berths go to his provincial club-mate John Fogarty, Munster’s Jerry Flannery and uncapped 22-year-old Connacht-man Seán Cronin.
At 32, Fogarty is another yet to be capped at senior international level.
For the likes of Humphreys, Boss and McLaughlin, there were words of encouragement from Kidney today, who said: "The games so far this season have given plenty of options in terms of competition for places. There were some hard calls made in selection, which is what you want, and players not included today will come into the reckoning for the two games against Tonga and Argentina Jaguars.
“We now have to try and come up with the combinations to not only win against some of the best teams in the world, with two of those sides ranked above us, but also continue to develop the international experience levels for some of those players. "
While there are plenty of potentials for the future among the 39, Kidney has given a few another chance, namely Best, Andrew Trimble and Gavin Duffy, though latter's inclusion must owe something to the shoulder injury that is keeping Geordan Murphy out of action until Christmas.
With Girvan Dempsey omitted, Keith Earls will therefore, offer compeitition for Rob Kearney's full-back position, while he could also vie with Ulster's Darren Cave and Leinster's Luke Fitzgerald for selection in the centre alongside Brian O'Driscoll.
Gordon D'Arcy's form at 12 for Leinster would suggest he is anything but a shoo-in for a starting place, but Shane Horgan's return to form has earned a deserved recall.
Kidney will trim his squad for Australia to 30 at the end of camp in Limerick next week, while an A squad to face Tonga on Friday 13th will also be named then.
Tickets for meetings with Australia and South Africa (28th) are sold out, but a limited number remain for the RDS clash with Fiji on Saturday 21st.
Ireland Squad
Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Neil Best (Northampton), Tony Buckley (Shannon / Munster), Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins / Ulster), Tom Court (Malone / Ulster), Sean Cronin (Buccaneers / Connacht)*, Leo Cullen (Blackrock College / Leinster), Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne / Leinster), Gavin Duffy (Galwegians / Connacht), Keith Earls (Young Munster / Munster), Stephen Ferris (Dungannon / Ulster), Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College / Leinster), Jerry Flannery (Shannon / Munster), John Fogarty (De La Salle Palmerston / Leinster)*, John Hayes (Bruff / Munster), Cian Healy (Clontarf / Leinster)*, Jamie Heaslip (Naas / Leinster), Chris Henry (Ballymena / Ulster)*, Marcus Horan (Shannon / Munster), Shane Horgan (Boyne / Leinster), Robert Kearney (UCD / Leinster), Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution / Munster), Fergus McFadden (UCD / Leinster)*, Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution / Munster), Paul O’Connell (Young Munster / Munster), Brian O’Driscoll (UCD / Leinster), Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution / Munster), Tomas O’Leary (Dolphin / Munster), Sean O’Brien (Clontarf / Leinster)*, Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne / Leinster), Mike Ross (Clontarf / Leinster), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon / Munster), Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary’s College / Leinster)*, Peter Stringer (Shannon / Munster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne / Leinster)*, Andrew Trimble (Ballymena / Ulster), David Wallace (Garryowen / Munster), Paddy Wallace (Ballymena / Ulster), Brett Wilkinson (Galwegians / Connacht)*
*Denotes uncapped player
