Kidney calls trio up for Italy

Rugby:Declan Kidney has called three players into the senior Ireland squad as preparations intensify, ahead of the opening Six Nations game against Italy in Rome on Saturday.

Gavin Duffy, Tomás O'Leary and Kevin McLaughlin have all been called up from the Wolfhounds squad which lost to Scotland A on Friday night.

There have been no fresh injury concerns since Ulster flanker Stephen Ferris joined the long list of absentees yesterday, having failed to recover from a knee injury.

McLaughlin’s inclusion would appear to be a direct response to his absence, while O’Leary will offer competition to Leinster scrumhalf Eoin Reddan and Duffy is an option in the problem area of fullback.

In the absence of Robert Kearney, Geordan Murphy, and Tommy Bowe, Kidney must decide whether to hand the number 15 jersey to the Connacht man, Luke Fitzgerald or Keith Earls.

The coach will announce his decision along with the rest of the lineup on Tuesday afternoon, when he will also reveal the Wolfhounds squad to face England Saxons in Ravenhill on Friday night.

Ireland Squad (v Italy)

Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)

Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)

Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)

Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)

Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht)

Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)

Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster)

Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)

Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)

Shane Jennings (St.Mary's College/Leinster)

Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)

Kevin McLaughlin (St.Mary's College/Leinster)

Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)

Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)

Rhys Ruddock (St.Mary's College/Leinster)

Jonathan Sexton (St. Marys College/Leinster)

Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)

Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)

Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster)

Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin/Munster)

David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)

Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)