Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

AUTUMN INTERNATIONALS:MARCUS HORAN, especially, and Jerry Flannery remain the primary concerns ahead of the Test against Australia on Sunday week at Croke Park. Horan’s condition has been the subject of much rumour-mongering since he left the pitch 17 minutes into Munster’s Heineken Cup win against Treviso two-and-a-half weeks ago feeling faint and dizzy, and more definitive word on his wellbeing will be known tomorrow.

“We can’t give any more information, really,” said Ireland coach Declan Kidney yesterday at the squad’s base in the Carlton Castletroy Park Hotel in Limerick. “There are ongoing investigations, and as you know he has not been able to train. He’s not ruled out of the Australia match but is on the hind foot. He would need to be active next week to be involved. The fact that Marcus didn’t play for Munster for a week or two before is something we’ll have to take a look at.”