Kidney and O’Sullivan’s plans in disarray

A DAY of mixed emotions for Eddie O’Sullivan and bitter ones for Munster.

The Irish coach has named newcomers Neil Best, Andrew Trimble, Jamie Heaslip and Robert Kearney in a 32-man squad for the Test matches against New Zealand, Australia and Romania next month

Already without Brian O’Driscoll, O’Sullivan is now resigned to being without Alan Quinlan, Frankie Sheahan and Paul O’Connell, the latter two crying off last night.

Wing Denis Hickie, scrum-half Guy Easterby and Eric Miller are also out, while Simon Easterby, the Llanelli flanker, broke his nose at the weekend and remains a doubt.

The loss of the Munster trio, resulting out of Friday’s bruising encounter with Sale Sharks, was confirmed yesterday by spokesman Pat Geraghty.

Sheahan damaged ligaments in his neck and will be out for up to twelve weeks, while Quinlan will shortly have an operation on his knee and will be out of action for four or five months. Paul O’Connell needs surgery to have a pin inserted in his damaged hand, a process that will take three to five weeks

“Munster trained yesterday at Thomond Park where Anthony Horgan and Trevor Halstead took full part, while Peter Stringer was also involved.”

O’Sullivan tried to keep a brave face: “The injury rate at this point of the season has been high, and this impacts on the experience in the squad considerably. At the same time, this creates opportunities for other players.”

How Best, Trimble, Heaslip and Kearney hope to take advantage. The four, all in their first full season of senior rugby bar Best, have been in excellent form for their provinces.

Ulster’s blindside flanker Best, 26, has scored five tries in seven outings while, his teammate, the strong-running centre Trimble, has scored three tries in six Celtic league appearances.

Leinster winger Kearney, Ireland’s captain at last summer’s Under-19 World Cup and a former Irish Examiner Junior Sports Star, has also been in the tries, while 21-year-old number eight Heaslip has benefitted greatly from new Leinster coach Michael Cheika’s grizzled nous as a former back row.

Said Kearney: “In ways I wasn’t expecting the call up but I know that I would’ve been slightly disappointed had I not made the selection. I enjoyed the experience of training with the Ireland squad last month and it gave me a taste for it.”

Meanwhile, John Hearty and John Fogarty have been brought into the Connacht starting side for Friday’s European Challenge Cup clash with Montpellier at the Stade Sabathe.

Connacht (v Montpelier): M Mostyn, T Robinson, J Hearty, D Yapp, Conor McPhillips, P Warwick, C Keane; R Hogan, J Fogarty, S Knoop, C Short, A Farley (c), J Muldoon, M Lacey, C Rigney.

Replacements: J Merrigan, D McFarland, A Gallagher, D Gannon, M Swift, C O’Loughlin, D Riordan.