Tigers veteran Cullen ready to snap up chance against Saxons

LEO CULLEN wants to make a meaningful return to international rugby after being named as replacement captain in Ireland A’s game against England Saxons at Ravenhill tonight (7.45pm).

The Leicester lock has been drafted in for the injured Malcolm O’Kelly, who suffered a recurrence of a knee injury. Cullen’s elevation means

Connacht’s David Gannon is now added to the replacements.

Tonight’s game affords players like Frankie Sheahan, Keith Gleeson, Tommy Bowe and, to a lesser extent, Barry Murphy, Cullen and Trevor Hogan, the chance to push for places in the Irish squad before the end of the Six Nations Championship campaign.

Some more may be pressing for inclusion in the Ireland World Cup squad. The Irish will be coached by Michael Bradley, and the Connacht coach is looking forward to the challenge against what he believes will be a well-drilled English side.

“Like us, they have gone for a mix of experience and experimentation. Guys like Mark Cueto and Mike Catt are the elder lemons, but the team also comes with a huge amount of experience elsewhere.”

Bradley is in charge of a team in which he had no selection influence, but that doesn’t worry him. Having overseen a previous game this autumn, when Ireland lost narrowly to Australia, he now has to start fresh with a much-changed team.

“I think there are about eight changes, but that’s the situation and we get on with it. It’s a coaching challenge, of course, but it’s a good system we have here because the team is selected by the national coaches, who want to give an opportunity to people who are particularly in form at the present time. It’s a chance for a number of those players to step up to the mark and either move into the senior ranks for the first time or return to them.”

IRELAND A: D. Riordan (Connacht), T. Bowe (Ulster), B. Murphy (Munster), K. Lewis (Leinster), R. Kearney (Leinster), I Humphreys (Leicester), C O’Loughlin (Connacht), R. McCormack (Leinster), F. Sheahan (Munster), B. Young (Ulster), T. Hogan (Leinster), L. Cullen (Leicester), S. Ferris (Ulster), R. Wilson (Ulster), K. Gleeson (Leinster)

Replacements: B. Jackman (Leinster), P. Bracken (Wasps), D. Gannon (Connacht), S Jennings (Leicester), K. Campbell (Ulster), J. Sexton (Leinster), J. Hearty (Connacht).