Munster tyros in Irish squad

THOSE who like to champion young players will be pleased at the elevation of both Felix Jones and Conor Murray into the Irish squad to begin preparations later this month for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

The Munster duo, Jones on the injured list and Murray still to make his mark, were not in the equation a few short months ago. Now both of them have a realistic chance of wild card selections on Declan Kidney’s squad for New Zealand.

Yes, it’s a 43-man squad but the Munster youngsters did enough in the last couple of months to leave Kidney and his coaching team with virtually no choice but to give them further exposure in the build up to the September tournament.

The squad includes the majority of players who have been involved over the last 12 months, but Jones, Murray, Mike McCarthy and Brett Wilkinson (both from Connacht) have all been added.

Sadly, missing will be Shane Horgan, Ian Humphreys and Nevin Spence, none of whom are available for the Guinness summer series of matches.

An Irish Rugby Football Union statement read: “The only players unavailable for selection are Shane Horgan, Ian Humphreys and Nevin Spence, who all had to undergo surgery on long-standing injuries.

“The rehabilitation period is such that all three players will not be able to take part in the World Cup conditioning schedule to enable them to build up the required fitness levels.

But Shane Jennings (broken arm) and Tony Buckley (shoulder) should be back in time to take part in the required conditioning programme prior to the series of matches and the World Cup.

The emergence of Jones, following two serious injuries (shoulder and knee) over the last couple of seasons, will come as immense relief to Ireland coach Kidney, especially given the uncertainty surrounding Rob Kearney, who is included in the squad but who hasn’t played for months.

Still, with Geordan Murphy also back in the squad, Kidney will be happy to note there are now five options for the full back position (Murphy, Luke Fitzgerald, Kearney, Jones and Keith Earls).

At scrum-half, Murray joins a list of contenders that include Eoin Reddan, Isaac Boss, Tomás O’Leary and Peter Stringer.

Kidney admitted some positions were up for grabs and still held out hope for those excluded from the squad, saying: “This is the first step in preparation for the Rugby World Cup and the group called into our first camp shows that there is competition for places right across the board.

“There are players who we have identified as part of the larger Rugby World Cup squad who will not be in the first camp and will be based with their provincial and club fitness staff, but that may change as we go through June and July

“The aim three years ago was to deepen the strength of the squad and there are a number of players that have come through in that time either playing with their provinces or with the Wolfhounds and the Ireland team. There are big challenges ahead for the group with the coming pre-season.”

IRELAND World Cup training squad: Backs: I Boss (Leinster), T Bowe (Ospreys), G D’Arcy (Leinster), G Duffy (Connacht), K Earls (Munster), L Fitzgerald (Leinster), F Jones (Munster), R Kearney (Leinster), F McFadden (Leinster), G Murphy (Leicester), C Murray (Munster), B O’Driscoll (Leinster), R O’Gara (Munster), T O’Leary (Munster), E Reddan (Leinster), J Sexton (Leinster), P Stringer (Munster), A Trimble (Ulster), P Wallace (Ulster). Forwards: R Best (Ulster), T Buckley (Sale Sharks), T Court (Ulster), S Cronin (Leinster), L Cullen (Leinster), S Ferris (Ulster), J Flannery (Munster), J Hayes (Munster), C Healy (Leinster), J Heaslip (Leinster), M Horan (Munster), S Jennings (Leinster), D Leamy (Munster), M McCarthy (Connacht), K McLaughlin (Leinster), S O’Brien (Leinster), D O’Callaghan (Munster), P O’Connell (Munster), M O’Driscoll (Munster), M Ross (Leinster), D Ryan (Munster), D Varley (Munster), D Wallace (Munster), B Wilkinson (Connacht).

- NEW ZEALAND star Luke McAlister has completed his move to Toulouse, signing a three-year contract.

The 27-year-old will link up with the club after the conclusion of the World Cup and is excited about the prospect.

He said: “The opportunity to play French rugby and live in France with my partner and children will be something totally different to what we’re all used to, but it will be an exciting new chapter in our lives.”

It will not be McAlister’s first experience in Europe, with the centre-cum-fly-half having played for Sale between 2007 and 2009 before returning home to join the Blues in Super Rugby.