Ireland squad for Barbarians and summer tour announced
5/9/2008 - 2:11:41 PMThe interim Ireland coaching staff has today announced the Ireland squad for the upcoming warm up game against the Barbarians and the tour to New Zealand and Australia.
There are 37 players named in the initial squad, due to the Munster players being unavailable for the warm up game against the Barbarians on May 27.
Due to this, there are additional players added to the touring squad who will only be involved in the Barbarians selection.
Following the Barbarians game and the return of the Munster players, the squad will then be reduced to the final 30 players to travel on tour.
The additional players who were involved in the Barbarians game will then move out of the senior squad and will be included in the Ireland A squad for the Churchill Cup.
Commenting on the tour, interim coach Michael Bradley said: “New Zealand is a undoubtedly one of the most challenging places to tour and to win test matches and that is quickly followed up with a game against an Australian side that will have the fresh input of a new coach and are always among the top sides in the world”.
“We are travelling on the tour with a strong squad conscious of the fact that IRB world ranking points are available and that is what we are playing for.”
Ireland squad ( * indicates players for Barbarians match squad but will not be travelling to New Zealand & Australia):
Forwards (22):
Neil Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)*
Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)*
Bob Casey (London Irish)*
Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon/Ulster)*
Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)*
Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)
Jamie Heaslip (Clontarf/Leinster)
Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster)
Bernard Jackman (Clontarf/Leinster)
Shane Jennings (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)
Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
Mick O’Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Malcolm O’Kelly (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)
Alan Quinlan (Shannon/Munster)
Mike Ross (Harlequins)*
David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
Bryan Young (Ballymena/Ulster)
Backs (15):
Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster)
Ian Dowling (Shannon/Munster)
Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster)
Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht)
Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster)
Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
Geordan Murphy (Leicester)
Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) Captain
Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Eoin Reddan (Wasps)
Jonathon Sexton (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)*
Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)