Ireland training squad announced
The Ireland squad that will take part in the first preseason camp in preparation for the Rugby World Cup in September has been named today.
A total of 43 players will be joining the Ireland management in Kildare for the first of three scheduled camps during June and July.
From this group, 10 players have been capped for Ireland since November 2008, with a further four players - Felix Jones, Mike McCarthy, Conor Murray and Brett Wilkinson - yet to make their full international debuts for Ireland.
Some short term injury concerns were Shane Jennings, who broke an arm at the end of the season and Tony Buckley, who had a procedure on a shoulder injury, but it is expected that both will have healed sufficiently so as not to restrict the beginning of their conditioning programmes.
The only players unavailable for selection are Shane Horgan, Ian Humphries and Nevin Spence who all had to undergo surgery on long-standing injuries.
Following the completion of each camp, players will return to their provincial centres to continue their strength and conditioning work.
"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," said Ireland coach Declan Kidney.
"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, so none of that larger group are necessarily out of contention for the final squad.
"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 preseason and then five games in August."
Tickets for Ireland v England and Ireland v France in the Guinness Summer Series are on sale now, starting at €20.
Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster)
Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht)
Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster)
Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster)
Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Geordan Murphy (Leicester)
Conor Murray (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster)
Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)
Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
Tony Buckley (Sale Sharks)
Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
Sean Cronin (Leinster)
Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)
Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster)
Shane Jennings (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)
Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Michael Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
Damien Varley (Garryown/Munster)
David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
Brett Wilkinson (Galwegians/Connacht)
Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster) – Knee
Ian Humphries (Ballymena/Ulster) – Shoulder
Nevin Spence (Ballynahinch/Ulster) – shoulder
June 27 – July 1st: Ireland Squad camp, Carton House, Kildare
July 2–14: Players based in provincial/club centres
July 14-15: Ireland Squad camp, Carton House, Kildare
July 16-24: Players based in provincial/club centres
July 25-29: Ireland Squad camp, Carton House, Kildare
August 6: Scotland v Ireland, Murrayfield, Edinburgh
August 13: France v Ireland, Stade Chaban Delmas, Bordeaux
August 18: Ireland Select XV v Connacht, Donnybrook Stadium, Dublin
August 20: Ireland v France, Aviva Stadium, Dublin
August 27: Ireland v England, Aviva Stadium, Dublin
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