Injury forces Foley out of late-season tour Down Under
Foley, odds on to captain the side against the Wallabies, withdrew from the squad yesterday on medical advice because of a neck and shoulder injury which flared-up following in the aftermath of Munster’s Heineken Cup semi-final defeat by Toulouse.
His back-row place will be taken by Aidan McCullen of Leinster.
Foley’s place in the Blues team to play the Whites in a pre-tour training match at Thomond Park, Limerick today (5.30pm) will be taken by Victor Costello.
The back-row vacancy in the Blues replacements will be filled by Munster’s young star Denis Leamy.
Foley is the sixth player to become unavailable for Ireland’s 41-man squad for the Tests against Australia on June 7, Tonga on June 14 and Samoa on June 20. The other absentees are Brian O’Driscoll (hamstring), Shane Horgan (thigh), John Hayes (groin), Jeremy Staunton (groin) and Neil Doak (shoulder).
Foley’s disappointment was tempered by the reality of the situation.
“Australia is probably the one major rugby country I have not visited and I was really looking forward to the trip. But I have to be pragmatic in the circumstances,” he said.
“I was advised not to play in the pre-tour match at Thomond Park this week and also that I needed a considerable amount of treatment to get it right.
“Every rugby player would love to play against the world champions on their own patch but I realise fully that it wasn’t the kind of decision to play around with. You need to be fully fit and completely ready to play against such a high quality team.
“At the end of the day, there was really no point in trying to struggle through the tour when there is the World Cup towards the end of this year.”
Foley’s withdrawal is another blow to coach Eddie O’Sullivan, whose priority for the trip was to secure either a result or a top class performance against Australia in Perth early next month.
O’Sullivan then intended allowing a number of his senior players to return home to rest after a long season.
Keith Wood will be with the 41-man Irish squad on the tour but has no intention of playing in any of the three games after a season wrecked by injury. His participation has been put down to an opportunity to work his way back into the squad in time for the big tournament later this year.
The only possible captain of recent vintage remaining is David Humphreys, but there will be considerable debate whether he will command his place against the Wallabies in that opening and most important match of the tour.
Meanwhile, the Ulster Branch has confirmed that coach Alan Solomons has been in talks with the Scottish Rugby Union, although a statement said no contract had been offered and no commitment given.
Solomons is known to be keen to complete his contract with Ulster. However, said the statement, when a coaching role for one of the international rugby union sides comes up, it was only natural that a highly respected international coach such as Solomons would come into consideration.
Scotland are looking outside the country for the first time for a suitable replacement for long-term home coaches Ian McGeechan and Jim Telfer.
The Barbarians have named a strong line-up from their star-studded squad for the opening match of their Lloyds TSB tour against England at Twickenham on Sunday.
South Africans Percy Montgomery and AJ Venter will start, Fijian Aisea Tuilevu is handed his first Barbarians’ cap along with Matt Sexton of Ulster.
David Humphreys is another new Baa-baa.
The Baa-baas will take on Clive Woodward’s World Cup hopefuls before tackling Scotland at Murrayfield on May 28. They end their tour in Cardiff where they will face Wales on May 31.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
