O'Driscoll gets five lieutenants

Six Nations Championship: As expected Brian O'Driscoll has been named Ireland's captain for the forthcoming Six Nations Championship, even though he is unlikely to be fit for the opening game away to France on St Valentine's Day.

Not that Eddie O'Sullivan has left himself short of potential alternatives on the opening weekend, as there are an eye-catching five vice-captains in a largely unsurprising 34-man squad for the championship which was announced yesterday.

The time was, not so long ago indeed, when Ireland were one of the Test nations who were least inclined toward embracing the concept of vice-captains, even though in the Southern Hemisphere particularly they always made quite a big play of it.

Now though, when the norm is two, Ireland have named five, Anthony Foley, David Humphreys, Reggie Corrigan, Paul O'Connell and Ronan O'Gara. Foley and Humphreys have captained Ireland in the past, while the latter three have all been elevated to this new status.

Although Eddie O'Sullivan's contract takes him through to the 2007 World Cup, it was never likely that the Irish coach would make wholesale changes to herald the dawn of a new four-year cycle. Not with a trip to Paris looming amid memories of the World Cup quarter-final exit, and an equally imposing game at Twickenham against the world champions sandwiching a home game against the rejuvenated Welsh in the next two rounds.

Compared to the World Cup there are, in effect, six additional places for backs in this 34-man Six Nations squad allowing for Denis Hickie's long-term absence and the omission of Paddy Wallace, while of the 17 forwards who went to Australia, all but the retired Keith Wood and the injured Alan Quinlan were named yesterday.

Connacht's Bernard Jackman, unsurprisingly, has usurped Paul Shields in the pecking order as one of the three hookers, while David Wallace, a late call-up in place of Quinlan at the World Cup, is also named.

Speaking on RTÉ radio, O'Sullivan said: "There's obviously some changes since the World Cup through injuries and in some cases through form. These are the guys who are performing at the top level at the moment and obviously with Keith Wood retiring a third hooker was required, and Bernard Jackman is the man putting his hand up the highest. That's just a reward for the guy's form."

Loyal and dependable stalwart though he is, Gary Longwell is a somewhat surprising inclusion, given the 32-year-old lock had been dropped for Ulster's Celtic Cup final win and was left out for two rounds of the Heineken European Cup until being recalled for Ulster's game away to Stade Francais last week.

The options here are not bountiful for O'Sullivan, but the likes of Ben Gissing, now qualified by residency, Matt McCullough and Damien Browne all appeared to be in better form, and certainly were playing more rugby.

A former Connacht man now with Harlequins, full back/utility back Gavin Duffy has supplanted Paddy Wallace and Jeremy Staunton (who had made the cut for the vexed two-day camp before the New Year), while the many admirers of the in-form Gordon D'Arcy and the usually overlooked Mike Mullins will be glad of their inclusion.

Both have put their hands up as options for the number 13 jersey should O'Driscoll not make Paris. There are further alternatives in using a second inside centre, say the recalled Rob Henderson, or John Kelly, both of whom have played at 13 in O'Driscoll's absence before, but D'Arcy looks the favourite pending his performance in another French hotbed, Biarritz, this Saturday.

Paul Burke has been included as a third outhalf, while the other addition is Tyrone Howe, a late call-up during the World Cup for Hickie. In addition to O'Driscoll, the availability of Simon Easterby, Marcus Horan and Eric Miller is also subject to medical clearance, with Miller looking doubtful.

It was always likely that O'Driscoll, Ireland's rugby player with the highest profile and one of the first names on the teamsheet if fit, would be named captain, all the more so after Wood's ringing endorsement of him.

A truly talismanic and inspiring figure, although he led Ireland to seven wins in his first seven starts as captain when Wood was sidelined last season, there had been some evidence that O'Driscoll's form had suffered a little and he scarcely concealed his delight when Wood reassumed the captaincy just before the World Cup.

Furthermore, captains are not normally located nowadays at outside centre, which can be a bit far removed from the normal points of discussion with referees.

However, O'Driscoll would probably take to it more readily now after his initial stint, and O'Sullivan reasoned: "Brian was the captain in Keith Wood's absence last season and everybody would be in agreement he did a fine job. Obviously when Keith came back he was going to take the reins again but now it's time for Brian to step into the role and I've no doubt he's up to it."

Explaining his decision to name five vice-captains, O'Sullivan said: "It's something I've been building towards and I've done before in naming vice-captains. These are people who are the lieutenants in the trenches who, on the field and on the day, are contributing to the captaincy. And also any of those guys could be called in to captain the side if Brian had to go off during a game."

The squad of 34 will be reduced to 22 on Thursday next and the team to play France will be named from that panel on Tuesday, February 10th.

The completion of the management ticket for the remainder of O'Sullivan's tenure has yet to be finalised, with the position of fitness coach Mike McGurn still to be decided by the IRFU and O'Sullivan revealing he is no longer using the services of scrummaging coach Tony D'Arcy.

Not considered due to injury: J Bell (Ulster), E Byrne (Leinster), L Cullen (Leinster), D Hickie (Leinster), G Murphy (Leicester), A Quinlan (Munster).