O’Leary and McLaughlin added to Ireland squad

Declan Kidney has no fresh injury concerns ahead of Ireland’s opening RBS 6 Nations Championship match with Italy next Saturday.

Following the Irish Wolfhounds’ 32-13 defeat to Scotland ‘A’ in Netherdale last Friday night, Kidney has added Munster scrum-half Tomás O’Leary and Leinster blindside Kevin McLaughlin while Gavin Duffy rejoins the senior squad having been released to play for the Wolfhounds in Scotland.

Having been named in the initial training squad, Munster veteran Peter Stringer and Connacht lock Mike McCarthy have been cut from the senior selection while John Hayes is out of action for 3-4 weeks.

O’Leary looks set to do battle with Eoin Reddan for the number nine shirt with Duffy, Keith Earls, Luke Fitzgerald and Fergus McFadden competing for the back three spots.

Tom Court, Mike Ross and Cian Healy have been named as the front row options that will engage the Azzurri in Rome with Ross looking increasingly likely to start at tight-head.

The Ireland team to play Italy and the Ireland Wolfhounds squad to face the England Saxons in Ravenhill on Friday night will both be announced on Tuesday.

Ireland Squad:

Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)

Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)

Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)

Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)

Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht)

Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)

Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster)

Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)

Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)

Shane Jennings (St.Mary's College/Leinster)

Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)

Kevin McLaughlin (St.Mary's College/Leinster)

Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)

Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)

Rhys Ruddock (St.Mary's College/Leinster)

Jonathan Sexton (St. Marys College/Leinster)

Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)

Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)

Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster)

Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin/Munster)

David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)

Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)