No room for Madigan in Ireland squad

Ian Madigan will not get a chance to prove he can be the answer to Ireland’s out-half problems after he was left out of the 29-man training squad to face Scotland next weekend.

Jonathan Sexton’s injury means Ronan O’Gara is likely to start in the number 10 jersey with Paddy Jackson as back up for Ireland’s third Six Nations game, but coach Declan Kidney has resisted the temptation to bring in Leinster man Madigan to compete for one of those slots.

Back row Chris Henry is included but will first have to prove his fitness after suffering a knee injury in Ulster’s 26-3 RaboDirect Pro12 win over Zebre on Friday night. He will undergo a scan this afternoon.

Henry’s Ulster colleague Luke Marshall suffered bruising to his thighs in that game but that has not ruled him out of contention.

Although this is his first time being named in a Six Nations squad, Marshall is fancied by many to fill the void left at number 12 by Gordon D’Arcy’s absence with a foot injury.

Fergus McFadden, Darren Cave and Keith Earls will be the other considerations for the vacant midfield berth but Connacht’s Dave McSharry, a recent groin injury victim, will not be risked.

Back row James Coughlan, the Irish Wolfhounds captain, and second rows Lewis Stevenson and Devin Toner come into the squad as extra cover, after being involved in the early preparations of the championship. The panel could have extra players added to it after further medical reports. The squad will assemble in Carton House, Co Kildare this evening.

IRELAND training squad for Six Nations game vs Scotland: R Best, D Cave, T Court, S Cronin, J Coughlan, K Earls, L Fitzgerald, D Fitzpatrick, C Gilroy, R Henshaw, J Heaslip, I Henderson, C Henry, P Jackson, R Kearney, D Kilcoyne, L Marshall, F McFadden, C Murray, S O’Brien, D O’Callaghan, B O’Driscoll, R O’Gara, P O’Mahony, E Reddan, M Ross, D Ryan, L Stevenson, D Toner.