Summer rugby international squads:With many frontline players having little to prove after arguably the most successful ever year in Irish rugby, the Irish management has expressed relief at the number of established internationals unavailable for the summer tour test matches against Canada and the USA.
With 13 players due to travel with the Lions to South Africa and the Leinster squad involved in the Heineken Cup final against Leicester on the day Ireland face Canada (May 23rd), Declan Kidney has looked to a carefully blended mix of youth and experience for his first senior tour in charge.
“When we confirmed the tour back in January, we were always hopeful some of the provinces and players would be involved in the Heineken or Challenge Cup finals and we would also be without any players selected for the British & Irish Lions tour,” said Kidney today.
“We felt that it would be a chance for the national management to work closely with a larger pool of players than we would normally do during the season and for players to come through at this level.
“We are continuing to try and build a squad and this tour is a real chance for players to stake a claim for the November games and next years championship.”
There is plenty of young talent included, and the likes of Darren Cave, Denis Hurley, Niall Ronan, and particularly the outhalf pairing of Niall O’Connor and Ian Keatley, will be closely scrutinised by Kidney during the tour.
In total there are 12 uncapped players in the squad, though some of those - prop Mike Ross and secondrow Ryan Caldwell – have been involved in senior squads before.
Ulster hooker Rory Best will captain the squad, while Denis Leamy, Peter Stringer and Eoin Reddan add some top flight experience to the 25 selected for the senior tour.
“The number of experienced players we are bringing is important as we will have two strong oppositions on consecutive weekends to deal with and while there will be new caps during the tour, it is important that they come through while making it a positive experience,” added Kidney.
“We obviously want to win both games, but it is a balancing act trying to do that while exposing players and new combinations to test match level.”
“This is our first tour together and with many players not available, it does add another unknown element to it against the backdrop of starting the tour off by playing a Canada side certainly looking to get one over us after last year’s game.”
One addition will be made to the squad after the final games in the Magners League.
The 27-man Churchill Cup squad will have the advantage of having a number of established Leinster players among its ranks, with Cian Healy, Jonathan Sexton, Devin Toner, Trevor Hogan, Fergus McFadden, Simon Keogh and Sean O’Brien included.
Connacht’s John Muldoon will captain the side, beginning with the game against Canada on June 10th. There is experience there also, in the shape of Neil Best and Isaac Boss, and a number of players that will have taken part in the senior tour.
“The three games in the Churchill Cup tournament will increase the opportunity for pitch time for players, so we felt that it would be important to bring some on the senior tour and the Churchill Cup.
“I know that players such as Keith Earls and Darren Cave benefited hugely from their Churchill Cup experience, so this will be a good opportunity for many of the players who have not been involved before.
“We will be playing Canada for the third time in 12 months with our third different team as well as playing Georgia, who we faced in the last world cup, so it will be good exposure for the players to test level rugby.”
Ireland Tour Squad (25)
Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) Captain
Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon/Ulster)*
Bob Casey (London Irish)
Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)*
Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)*
Ian Dowling (Shannon/Munster)*
Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht)
Chris Henry (Ballymena/Ulster)*
Denis Hurley (Cork Constitution/Munster)*
Ian Keatley (Galwegians/Connacht)*
Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Keith Matthews (Buccaneers/Connacht)*
John Muldoon (Buccanneers/Connacht)*
Barry Murphy (U.L. Bohemians/Munster)
Niall O'Connor (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)*
Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Eoin Reddan (London Wasps)
Niall Ronan (Shannon/Munster)*
Mike Ross (Harlequins)*
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
Bryan Young (Ballymena/Ulster)
A.N. Other**
Ireland A Churchill Cup Squad (27)
John Andress (Exeter Chiefs) *
Neil Best (Northampton Saints)
Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster)
Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
Fionn Carr (Galwegians/Connacht)*
Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)*
James Downey (Northampton Saints) *
Dennis Fogarty (Cork Constitution/Munster)*
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)*
Chris Henry (Ballymena/Ulster)*
Trevor Hogan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Denis Hurley (Cork Constitution/Munster)*
Felix Jones (Old Belvedere/Leinster)*
Simon Keogh (Old Belvedere/Leinster)*
Keith Matthews (Buccaneers/Connacht)*
Fergus McFadden (UCD/Leinster)*
John Muldoon (Buccaneers/Connacht)* Captain
Frank Murphy (Buccaneers/Connacht)*
Johne Murphy (Leicester Tigers)*
Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)*
Niall O'Connor (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)*
Ed O'Donoghue (Instonians/Ulster)*
Niall Ronan (Shannon/Munster)*
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary's College/Leinster)*
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)*
Bryan Young (Ballymena/Ulster)
*Denotes uncapped at full international level
**To be confirmed following medical report after final Magners League games
Ireland Tour Schedule
Depart Sunday 17th May for Canada
Canada v Ireland, Saturday 23rd May, 14.00hrs (local time), Thunderbird Stadium, Vancouver
USA v Ireland, Sunday 31st May, 14.00hrs (local rime), Buckshaw Stadium, Santa Clara, California
Ireland Churchill Cup Schedule
Ireland A v Canada, Wednesday 10th June, 16.30hrs (local time), Infinity Park, Glendale, Colorado
Georgia v Ireland A, Sunday 14th June, 15.30hrs (local time) Infinity Park, Glendale, Colorado
Finals Day, Sunday 21st June, Dicks Sporting Goods park, Denver, Colorado
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