Kidney names November test squad

Ireland head coach Declan Kidney has named a massive 39-man squad for the upcoming November internationals against Australia, Fiji and South Africa, which includes nine uncapped players. With doubts over the fitness or availability of several of our regular front-row players, Kidney has had to introduce eight new faces to his forwards. John Hayes returns from suspension the night before the Australia game, but with doubts over the fitness of his Munster team-mates, Marcus Horan and Tony Buckey, he’s also included uncapped props Cian Healy and Brett Wilkinson in the panel. Jerry Flannery is selected alongside two uncapped hookers, John Fogarty and Sean Cronin, with Fogarty winning the nod ahead of his brother Denis and his Leinster team-mate Bernard Jackman. In the absence of the suspended Shane Jennings, newcomers Chris Henry and Sean O’Brien and the returning Neil Best will provide back-row competition for the likes of David Wallace and Stephen Ferris. Leinster centre Fergus McFadden is the only uncapped player among the backs, so there’s no place for the likes of Ian Humphreys, Felix Jones or Ian Dowling. The experience of Paul O’Connell, Leo Cullen and Donncha O’Callaghan will be augmented by the promising Donnacha Ryan and Devin Toner as possible selections in the second row. Commenting on the squad and the upcoming November games, Ireland Coach Declan Kidney said, “We had an opportunity to work with most of the players selected in this squad over our three camps during the summer. Those sessions were about giving chances to as many players as possible following last year and after a third of the season gone so far, this November squad gives the majority of those players a chance to put their cases forward for selection. November represents a challenge on several fronts with three full internationals and two A games against quality opposition, so it will mean that the strength of our resources will be tested.” An A squad for the Tonga game and a 30 man squad for the Australia test match will be announced at the end of the camp next week in Limerick. Kidney continued, “The games so far this season have given plenty of options in terms of competition for places. There were some hard calls made in selection, which is what you want, and players not included today will come into the reckoning for the two games against Tonga and Argentina Jaguares. We now have to try and come up with the combinations to not only win against some of the best teams in the world, with two of those sides ranked above us, but also continue to develop the international experience levels for some of those players.” Ireland Squad (39): Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Neil Best (Northampton Saints), Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster), Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Tom Court (Malone/Ulster), Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)*, Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster), Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht), Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster), Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster), Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster), Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster), John Fogarty (De La Salle Palmerston/Leinster)*, John Hayes (Bruff/Munster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)*, Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster), Chris Henry (Ballymena/Ulster)*, Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster), Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster), Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster), Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster), Fergus McFadden (UCD/Leinster)*, Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster), Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster), Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster), Tomas O’Leary (Dolphin/Munster), Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)*, Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)*, Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)*, Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster), David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster), Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster), Brett Wilkinson (Galwegians/Connacht)*. (*Denotes uncapped player)