Murphy returns to Irish squad after lay-off

GEORDAN MURPHY has been recalled from Leicester’s pre-season preparations in France to re-join the Irish squad today after coming through 56 minutes of the Tigers’ pre-season defeat in Montpellier on Monday night unscathed. Leicester lost 52-24 but reported no injuries, with Murphy happy after his first outing since sustaining a broken foot and damaged ankle against Northampton last January.

Murphy missed the 2003 World Cup when he suffered a broken leg in Murrayfield two days before the squad was announced, and scored a try in the defeat to Argentina in Ireland’s final pool match four years ago when belatedly given his first game. The classy 33-year-old offers Declan Kidney experience as well as versatility, but is in a race against time to make the cut on August 22nd, and is unlikely to feature in the match-day squad for Saturday’s game in Bordeaux.

Realistically, therefore, Murphy would need to start in the return game the following week, or at any rate Ireland’s match against Connacht, to prove his well-being.

Ireland’s defeat to Scotland last Saturday has seen them slip two places, from fourth to sixth, in the IRB world rankings, as both England and France move above them.

Mick O’Driscoll, Niall Ronan, Marcus Horan, (who all played in Edinburgh), Damien Varley and Peter Stringer were all released back to Munster and will travel with the squad to France tomorrow for a training camp that concludes with the first of three pre-season matches in the picturesque port town of La Rochelle on the Bay of Biscay on Friday night. Also included in Munster’s squad are newcomers BJ Botha and Ian Keatley, along with Under-20 International JJ Hanrahan.

Similarly, Tom Court has been released to play for Ulster in their seasonal opener in Bayonne this evening, whereas Rory Best, Paddy Wallace and Andrew Trimble have not. Development and Irish under-20 World Cup outhalf James McKinney and Academy winger Ricky Andrew, who spent the past season at the Castres academy, will both make their debuts for the senior side.

As the preparations for the World Cup intensify, three of Ireland’s pool rivals are in action this weekend. Australia play South Africa in the Tri Nations in Durban, while Italy play Japan in Cesena on Saturday and Eddie O’Sullivan’s USA Eagles host Canada in Glendale, California, in a return meeting after the Canucks won the first match 28-22 in Toronto last weekend.

Mazda have been confirmed as the Official Title Sponsor of Connacht Rugby yesterday, and will invest over €1.5m over the next three years as part of a major sponsorship deal which will facilitate the development of both brands.

ULSTER (v Bayonne):A D'Arcy; C Gaston, D Cave, I Whitten, R Andrew; J McKinney, P Marshall; T Court, A Kyriacou, D Fitzpatrick, T Barker, N McComb, P Wannenburg, C Henry, R Diack. Replacements: C Black, P McAllister, A Macklin, J Cronin, J Burns, L Stevenson, M McComish, W Faloon, I Porter, P Jackson, C Gilroy.

MUNSTER SQUAD (v La Rochelle):D Hurley, S Zebo, D Howlett, J Murphy, S Deasy, JJ Hanrahan, D Barnes, L Mafi, I Keatley, D Cusack, G Hurley, P Stringer, D Williams, D Hurley, W du Preez, BJ Botha, M Horan, P Borlase, S Archer, D Varley, D Fogarty, M Sherry, M O'Driscoll, I Nagle, D O'Callaghan, P Butler, B Holland, N Ronan, J Coughlan, T O'Donnell, P O'Mahony.