Sheahan chest injury casts doubt on Brive switch

FORMER Ireland hooker Frankie Sheahan is to undergo a scan to discover the severity of a chest injury which threatens his move from Munster to Brive.

Sheahan, sidelined for the past four months, aggravated the problem in his final game for the province against the Ospreys on Friday at Thomond Park and was forced off.

Sheahan said he was disappointed and confirmed that his next move was to undergo a further scan to assess the extent of the problem.

The international hooker has agreed terms with Brive to play for one year, with an option on a second season.

Rua Tipoki and Federico Pucciariello have also ended their Munster careers. Tipoki has been injured for several months but remained in Ireland to see out his contract. He departed for New Zealand with his family early today after Munster’s end-of-season party to celebrate winning the Magners League. They were presented with the trophy following Friday’s comprehensive 36-10 win.

Meanwhile, Ulster centre Ian Whitten has been added to the Ireland squad for the summer tour to Canada and the USA.

The 21-year-old occupies the final place in the panel which was left vacant when the squad was announced. The inclusion of Whitten brings the total number of uncapped players in the 25-man squad to 13 and the Ulster representation to eight.

The squad is missing the 13 Irish players who are on Lions duty and Leinster’s Heineken Cup finalists. Leinster face Leicester in the European final on May 23, the same day Ireland play Canada in Vancouver in the first of two Tests.

Ireland’s second match is against the USA on Sunday 31 May.

Meanwhile, John Muldoon will captain the 27-man Ireland A Churchill Cup squad which includes some players who are also part of the senior tour panel and Leinster players who are available after the European final.

Ireland A will face Canada on Wednesday 10 June and Georgia on Sunday 14 June, with the finals on Sunday 21 June.

IRELAND TOUR SQUAD (25): R Best (capt, Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), T Buckley (Shannon/Munster), R Caldwell (Dungannon/Ulster),* B Casey (London Irish), D Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster),* T Court (Malone/Ulster), S Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht),* I Dowling (Shannon/Munster),* G Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht), C Henry (Ballymena/Ulster),* D Hurley (Cork Con/Munster),* I Keatley (Galwegians/Connacht),* D Leamy (Cork Con/Munster), K Matthews (Buccaneers/Connacht),* J Muldoon (Galwegians/Connacht),* B Murphy (UL Bohemians/Munster), N O’Connor (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster),* M O’Driscoll (Cork Con/Munster), E Reddan (Wasps), N Ronan (Shannon/Munster),* M Ross (Harlequins),* D Ryan (Shannon/Munster), P Stringer (Shannon/Munster), I Whitten (Ballymena/Ulster),* B Young (Ballymena/Ulster).

*Denotes uncapped player **To be confirmed following medical report after final Magners League games.