Three Uncapped Players In Ireland Squad For New Zealand
Ireland head coach Declan Kidney has named a 29-man squad that includes three uncapped players for the three-Test tour of New Zealand in June.
Declan Fitzpatrick and Mike Sherry are included up front, while Simon Zebo is part of the backs division as is Darren Cave, who won two caps on the USA and Canada tour in 2009.
There are a number of spaces left vacant with a further prop, second row, back row and scrum half to be added before the squad departs for New Zealand.
Brian O’Driscoll returns to the Ireland squad for the first time since last year’s Rugby World Cup and has been confirmed as captain for the tour.
Brett Wilkinson is in line to fill the front row slot in the absence of Tom Court. A second row slot is being held for Paul O’Connell, while Chris Henry is in line for the back row slot. Isaac Boss is in line to fill the final scrum half position.
Declan Kidney’s men will face the All Blacks in the first Test at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday, June 9.
Rugby League Park in Christchurch and Hamilton’s Waikato Stadium are the venues for the two other Tests on Saturday, June 16 and Saturday, June 23 respectively.
All three Tests will kick off at 7.35pm local time/8.35am Irish time. Sky Sports will have live TV coverage of the games, while they will also be broadcast live on RTÉ Radio 1.
IRELAND SUMMER TOUR SQUAD (New Zealand 2012):
Backs (13):
Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster) *
AN Other
Forwards (16):
Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
Declan Fitzpatrick (Dungannon/Ulster) *
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)
Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
Mike Sherry (Garryowen/Munster) *
Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster)
AN Other
AN Other
AN Other
* Denotes uncapped player
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