A chance to grasp Ireland ticket

Soon to retire, Munster and Ireland stalwart Mick O’Driscoll captains the Barbarians against his countrymen tonight in Gloucester (7.45pm) but all eyes will be on those in the Ireland XV looking to take their last chance to earn a ticket to New Zealand.

Ireland head coach Declan Kidney is looking to fill four vacancies ahead of the three-Test series against the All Blacks, and will finalise his 29-man touring squad set to leave London for Auckland on Thursday with a prop, second row, back row and scrum-half to be named, most likely tomorrow morning.

The permutations at number nine as to who travels with Eoin Reddan and Conor Murray were cleared somewhat yesterday when Isaac Boss was ruled out of the tour to the country of his birth due to the quad injury which forced him out of Leinster’s Heineken Cup final squad.