Kidney goes without Sexton for Ireland’s clash with Canucks

LEINSTER’S Heineken Cup hero, Jonathan Sexton, is a notable absentee from the Ireland A side that faces Canada in the 2009 Churchill Cup at Denver, Colorado tomorrow (4.30pm local time, 11.30pm Irish time).

Sexton’s superb performances against Munster and Leicester Tigers in the latter stages of the Heineken Cup made him a leading contender to back-up Ireland’s number one fly-half, Ronan O’Gara, next season.

The Leinster No 10 is in desperate need of exposure in the international arena to make him a viable alternative to O’Gara, but head coach Declan Kidney has slowed that progression by making the odd decision to install Niall O’Connor instead at out-half. Sexton is included on the bench, but is likely to start against Georgia on Sunday.

Tomorrow’s game marks Kidney’s third time in seven months preparing a side for the challenge of Canada following on from the senior side’s 55-0 win at Thomond Park last November and last month’s scrappy 25-6 victory in Vancouver.

Eleven of the personnel involved on the senior tour to Vancouver and Santa Clara remain on in the United States for the Churchill Cup, and Kidney has opted to select nine of those for the first match against the Canucks as Ireland A begin their campaign towards a first-ever Churchill Cup title.

Canada got off to a dream start in their Churchill Cup campaign at the weekend when posting a surprise 42-10 win over Georgia, a side that almost embarrassed Ireland at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Kidney includes a number of players with significant senior test experience. Isaac Boss captains the side from scrum half while Neil Best is chosen ahead of Ireland A tour captain, John Muldoon. Fresh from his impressive performance against the USA Eagles last month, Tony Buckley starts at tight head and is joined in the front row by Sean Cronin and Bryan Young.

Another Heineken Cup winner, Cian Healy, is named amongst the replacements, though Leinster flanker Sean O’Brien gets his opportunity to put down a marker after being named in the open-side berth. Donnacha Ryan and Devon Toner make up the second-row partnership. Chris Henry, another member of the senior tour party, is selected at No. 8.

IRELAND A: D Hurley (Munster); F Carr (Connacht), F McFadden (Leinster), K Matthews (Connacht), J Murphy (Leicester Tigers), N O’Connor (Ulster), I Boss (Ulster) (capt); B Young (Ulster), S Cronin (Connacht), T Buckley (Munster); D Ryan (Munster) D Toner (Leinster); N Best (Northampton Saints), S O’Brien (Leinster), C Henry (Ulster). Replacements: D Fogarty (Munster), C Healy (Leinster), T Hogan (Leinster), J Muldoon (Connacht), F Murphy (Connacht), J Sexton (Leinster), J Downey (Northampton Saints).