O’Driscoll ruled off colour for trial match

IRELAND captain Brian O’Driscoll has been ruled out of a Whites v Colours National trial match at Lansdowne Road on Friday (ko 6.30 pm) and also a pre-Summer Tour squad training camp in Dublin on May 11 to 14, because of a hamstring injury.

O’Driscoll has not fully recovered from the problem which forced him to withdraw from Leinster’s Heineken Cup semi-final defeat to Perpignan nine days ago.

However, former Irish team captain Keith Wood has been selected in the 47-strong training squad but is also ruled out of the Trial game because of injury.

Ireland training camp squad:

Forwards: Simon Best (Ulster/Belfast Harlequins), Emmet Byrne (St Mary’s /Leinster), Shane Byrne (Leinster/Blackrock), Reggie Corrigan (Leinster/Greystones), Leo Cullen (Leinster/Blackrock), Victor Costello (Leinster/St Mary’s), Kieron Dawson (London Irish), Simon Easterby (Llanelli), Justin Fitzpatrick (Dungannon/Ulster), Anthony Foley (Munster/Shannon), Keith Gleeson (Leinster/St Mary’s), John Hayes (Munster/Shannon), Marcus Horan (Munster/Shannon), Bernard Jackman (Clontarf), Gary Longwell (Ulster/Ballymena), Aidan McCullen (Leinster/Lansdowne), Niall McMillan (Ballymena/Ulster), Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster/Cork Con), Paul O’Connell (Munster/Young Munster), Malcolm O’Kelly (Leinster/St Mary’s College), Alan Quinlan (Munster/Shannon), Frank Sheahan (Munster/Cork Con), Paul Shields (Ulster/Ballymena), David Wallace (Munster/Garryowen), Keith Wood (Harlequins).

Backs: Jonathan Bell (Ulster/ Dungannon), Paul Burke (Harlequins), Gordon Darcy (Leinster/Lansdowne), Girvan Dempsey (Leinster/Terenure), Guy Easterby (Llanelli), Barry Everitt (London Irish), Rob Henderson (Munster/Young Munster), Denis Hickie (Leinster/St Mary’s), Anthony Horgan (Munster/Cork Con), Shane Horgan (Leinster/Lansdowne), David Humphreys (Ulster/Dungannon), John Kelly (Munster/Cork Con), Kevin Maggs (Bath), Geordan Murphy (Leicester), Ronan O’Gara (Munster/Cork Con), Brian O’Meara (Leinster/Cork Con), Brian O’Riordan (Leinster/UCD), David Quinlan (Leinster/Blackrock), Jeremy Staunton (Munster/Garryowen), Peter Stringer (Munster/Shannon), James Topping (Ulster/Ballymena), Paddy Wallace (Ulster/Ballymena).

Not considered due to injury: Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster/Blackrock), hamstring; Eric Miller (Leinster/Terenure), groin; Tyrone Howe (Ulster/Dungannon), groin; Justin Bishop (London Irish), ankle; Paul Wallace (Leinster/Blackrock), shoulder.

In the Whites v Colours game, David Humphreys will captain the Whites, which will be coached by Matt Williams (Leinster) while the Colours will be led by Anthony Foley and coached by Alan Gaffney (Munster).

National trial teams:

WHITES: Girvan Dempsey; Gordon Darcy, John Kelly, Jonathan Bell, Anthony Horgan; David Humphreys, captain, Peter Stringer; Reggie Corrigan, Frank Sheahan, Emmet Byrne; Donncha O’Callaghan, Malcolm O’Kelly; Aidan McCullen, David Wallace, Victor Costello.

Replacements: James Blaney (Munster/Shannon), Justin Fitzpatrick, Mick O’Driscoll (Munster/Cork Con), John O’Connor (Connacht/Galwegians), Brian O’Riordan, Jason Holland (Munster/Midleton), Ted Robinson (Connacht/Galwegians).

COLOURS: Jeremy Staunton; Shane Horgan, David Quinlan, Rob Henderson, Dennis Hickie; Ronan O’Gara, Brian O’Meara; Marcus Horan, Shane Byrne, John Hayes; Leo Cullen, Paul O’Connell; Alan Quinlan, Keith Gleeson, Anthony Foley captain.

Replacements: Gerry Flannery (Connacht/Galwegians), Simon Best, Damien Browne (Connacht/Galwegians), Des Dillon (Leinster/UCD), Eoin Reddan (Connacht/Old Crescent), Bryn Cunningham (Ulster/Dungannon), Mossy Lawlor (Munster/Shannon).

Not considered owing to injury: Tyrone Howe, Eric Miller, Brian O’Driscoll, Mick Prendergast (Munster-Young Munster).

Not available for selection: Bernard Jackman, Gary Longwell, Niall McMillan, Paul Shields, James Topping, Paddy Wallace (AIB League final next day); Kieron Dawson, Paul Burke, Guy Easterby, Simon Easterby, Barry Everitt, Kevin Maggs, Geordan Murphy (club commitments).