Kidney names his 33-man Irish squad

Big hitters and new faces are present and correct after Declan Kidney yesterday named a 33-man Ireland training squad for a two-day training camp.

The experienced quartet of Paul O’Connell, Stephen Ferris, Tom Court and Tommy Bowe all return from injury while three uncapped players — Munster forward Dave O’Callaghan, Ulster centre Luke Marshall and former Ireland U20 star Iain Henderson — are also included.

Rob Kearney sits this one out as he completes his return to full fitness, as do long-term absentees Luke Fitzgerald and Sean O’Brien. There’s no sign yet of a call-up for Leinster hooker Richardt Strauss, now qualified to play for Ireland having completed his residency requirements.

Kidney has otherwise endeavoured to name two players in each position, with a smaller panel for the Guinness Series autumn internationals set to be named in late October following he second round of the Heineken Cup.

IRELAND TRAINING SQUAD (33): R Best (Banbridge, Ulster), T Bowe (Belfast Harlequins, Ulster), D Cave (Belfast Harlequins, Ulster), T Court (Malone, Ulster), S Cronin (Lansdowne, Leinster), G D’Arcy (Lansdowne, Leinster), K Earls (Young Munster, Munster), S Ferris (Dungannon, Ulster), D Fitzpatrick (Dungannon, Ulster), C Healy (Clontarf, Leinster), J Heaslip (Naas, Leinster), I Henderson (Queens University, Ulster), C Henry (Ballymena, Ulster), D Hurley (Dolphin, Munster), L Marshall (Ballymena, Ulster), C Murray (Garryowen, Munster), M McCarthy (Buccaneers, Connacht), F McFadden (Old Belvedere, Leinster), K McLaughlin (St. Mary’s College, Leinster), D O’Callaghan (Dolphin, Munster), D O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution, Munster), P O’Connell (Young Munster, Munster), B O’Driscoll (UCD, Leinster), R O’Gara (Cork Constitution, Munster), P O’Mahony (Cork Constitution, Munster), E Reddan (Lansdowne, Leinster), M Ross (Clontarf, Leinster), D Ryan (Shannon, Munster), J Sexton (St.Mary’s College, Leinster), A Trimble (Ballymena, Ulster), D Tuohy (Ballymena, Ulster), D Varley (Garryowen, Munster), S Zebo (Cork Constitution, Munster) .