Ireland Squad Named For Summer Tour
Ireland coach Declan Kidney has announced a squad of 33 players for the upcoming summer tour to New Zealand and Australia. The squad includes three uncapped players for the tour which kicks off with a game against the Barbarians on Friday, June 4.
The selected Ireland squad includes three uncapped players, with Ulster forwards Chris Henry and Dan Tuohy making the tour party as competition in the back row and second row respectively.
The other uncapped player is Leinster centre Fergus McFadden who, along with Tuohy, will be taking part in his first senior tour with Ireland. McFadden won the Most Valuable Player award when Ireland ‘A’ won the Churchill Cup last summer.
Declan Kidney’s men will begin the tour with a game against the Barbarians at Thomond Park on Friday, June 4, before flying out for a mouth-watering Test meeting with New Zealand in New Plymouth on Saturday, June 12.
The New Zealand Maori team is the next opposition for Ireland in Rotorua on Friday, June 18 as part of the Maoris’ centenary celebrations.
The final game of the tour will see Ireland take on their 2011 Rugby World Cup Pool C opponents Australia in Brisbane on Saturday, June 26.
IRELAND Squad (2010 Summer Tour, June 4-June 26):
Backs (15) –
Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster)
Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)*
Geordan Murphy (Leicester Tigers)
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)
Forwards (18) –
Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)
Chris Henry (Ballymena/Ulster)*
Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster)
Shane Jennings (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
John Muldoon (Galwegians/Connacht)
Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
Mick O’Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster)*
David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
* Denotes uncapped player
Summer Tour Match Schedule:
Friday, June 4: Barbarians v Ireland XV, Thomond Park, 7.45pm
Saturday, June 12: New Zealand v Ireland, Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth, 7.35pm (8.35am Irish time)
Friday, June 18: New Zealand Maori v Ireland XV, International Stadium, Rotorua, 7.35pm (8.35am Irish time)
Saturday, June 26: Australia v Ireland, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, 8pm (11am Irish time)
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