Ireland squad for North America to be announced Sunday

The 28-man Ireland squad to tour North America in June will be announced on Sunday. Les Kiss, the interim head coach, is tasked with selection but Joe Schmidt will be consulted in the process.

It remains unclear whether senior Ireland players, like Rory Best and the currently injured Gordon D’Arcy (calf), will tour or be rested.

With Jamie Heaslip, Paul O’Connell and Brian O’Driscoll all going on the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, a new captain will be chosen. Best, of course, captained Ireland against Scotland last year.

The team will prepare under Kiss along with other coaches Anthony Foley and Gert Smal from Monday, May 27th in Carton House, a week after the Lions make use of the Kildare hotel and facilities.

Schmidt doesn’t take up the position of Ireland head coach until July 1st but will attend the US Eagles game in Houston, Texas on June 8th and the Canada match in Toronto on June 15th.

This is one of three Ireland tours next month. Former Ulster hooker Allen Clarke and Munster skills coach Ian Costello are taking a development squad to Georgia for the Tblisi Cup, while Mike Ruddock's under-20s will compete in the IRB Junior World Cup in France.

Kiss will also be picking the 26-man "Emerging" squad that plays three games in seven days against Georgia (June 7th), a South Africa President's XV (June 11th) and Uruguay (June 16th). The under-20s face Australia, Fiji and New Zealand between June 5th and 13th in Vannes, northwest France.

Meanwhile, Casey Laulala's proposed loan move to New Zealand Super Rugby franchise the Chiefs has been scuppered by the NZRU. New Zealand media reported that Munster coach Rob Penney gave the former All Black centre permission to return home after the injury prone World Cup winner Richard Kahui damaged his shoulder again.

However, players based overseas cannot register in Super Rugby after April 1st.

Ulster prop John Afoa is expected to recover from the hamstring injury that ruled him out of Ulster's semi-final victory over the Scarlets before the Rabo Pro12 final against Leinster on May 25th in Dublin.

A medical update on D’Arcy, O’Driscoll’s back spasm and Seán O’Brien is expected at Leinster’s press briefing this afternoon ahead of the Amlin Challenge Cup final against Stade Francais on Friday.