O’Sullivan faces loaves and fishes dilemma
O’Sullivan has pledged to keep his normal starting line-up at home when a 30-man squad travels to Argentina for a two-match tour in just under a month’s time. But he must also cater for the ‘A’ team’s involvement in the Churchill Cup.
O’Sullivan will announce his squads at lunchtime today, and was last night awaiting any late defections after another round of Magners League games.
Munster winger Brian Carney is a likely call up, even though he limped out of their Magners League win on Saturday with a slight hamstring problem. However, coach declan Kidney insisted: “Brian’s hamstring was getting tight to the extent that the next stage was that it would tear, it wasn’t prudent then for him to go on.”
To rest his front-line players was a no-brainer for O’Sullivan whose trip to Argentina has already been fraught with problems and likely to increase as the tour progresses.
He hardly wants to show his hand to one, and indeed the key, opponent of Ireland’s World Cup group whom they play at the Parc des Prince on September 30th.
O’Sullivan brings his squad together on Sunday May 13th immediately after the final round of games in the Celtic League.
He will be without his Wasps and Leicester contingent for that gathering. But the likes of Geordan Murphy, Eoin Reddan, Shane Jennings and Leo Cullen will travel to meet up with the squad in Buenos Aires immediately after the Heineken Cup final on May 20.
Saturday, May 26: Argentina v Ireland, Sante Fe City (8.10pm Irish time)
Saturday, June 2: Argentina v Ireland, Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires (8.10pm Irish time)
Saturday, May 19: Churchill Cup, Ireland A v Canada, Exeter, 8pm
Tuesday, May 29: Ireland A v New Zealand Maori, Exeter, 8pm
Saturday, June 2: Churchill Cup Finals Day, Twickenham
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