Enlarged Squad Named For AIB Club Internationals

A 49-man squad for Ireland’s forthcoming AIB Club International matches, against an England Counties XV and Scotland, has been named.

The Irish side will have its first outing of the season at home to an England Counties XV on Friday, February 23 – the game is part of the IRFU Community Rugby Programme that was launched last season and it gives non-contracted club players the opportunity to win representative honours for Ireland and to showcase the club game at the highest possible level.

Ireland’s second game is away to Scotland, who lost 30-13 at Donnybrook last March in the first ever AIB Club International. The same Irish coaching set-up is in charge as last season and will consist of coach Geoff Moylan (Buccaneers), manager Mick Galwey (Shannon), assistant coach Gerald McCarter (City of Derry) and assistant manager Donal Brennan.

As with last season’s team, this year’s selections will be chosen by the management team from this enlarged squad that is based on the recommendations of AIB League club coaches. This is in addition to the input of a four-man panel of selection advisors that include Hugh McCaughey (Dungannon), Finbarr Dennehy (UCC), Stephen Rooney (Lansdowne) and Ciaran Smyth (Corinthians).

The enlarged squad will then be narrowed down to a squad of 22 for the England Counties XV and Scotland games from which the team and replacements will be selected.

IRELAND SQUAD FOR 2007 AIB CLUB INTERNATIONALS: 

FORWARDS (26):

Ron Boucher (Lansdowne), Frank Cogan (Cork Constitution), Kevin Corrigan (Lansdowne), Simon Crawford (Clontarf), Matthew Crockett (Dublin University), Owen Cullen (Blackrock), Conor Hartigan (Buccaneers), Oisin Hennessy (Dungannon), Les Hogan (Shannon), Ciaran Kavanagh (Suttonians), Brian Madigan (UL Bohemians), Alan Maher (Lansdowne), Peter Malone (Garryowen), Chris McCarey (Belfast Harlequins), Rory McGrath (Dolphin), Glen Moore (Ballymena), Des Murray (Cork Constitution), Mark Neilly (Dungannon), Stephen Nolan (Terenure College), Dan O’Connell (Galwegians), Merle O’Connell (Cork Constitution), Jim O’Donovan (Lansdowne), David Quinlan (Shannon), Simon Shawe (Ballymena), Damien Varley (Garryowen), Marc Warburton (Lansdowne).

BACKS (23):

Kevin Barden (Old Belvedere), Anthony Barrett (Galwegians), Philip Brophy (St. Mary’s College), Mark Bruce (Buccaneers), Eoin Burke (Barnhall), Joey Burns (Dublin University), Francis Cooney (DLSP), Conor Donohue (Dublin University), Eamon Fitzgerald (Old Belvedere), Kevin Hartigan (Garryowen), Cronan Healy (Cork Constitution), Kieran Hickman (Galwegians), Barry Keeshan (Dolphin), Paul Magee (Dungannon), Richard McCarter (Dungannon), David McKechnie (Greystones), Niall McNamara (Clontarf), Niall O’Brien (Clontarf), Fiach O’Loughlin (Clontarf), Greg Stafford (Lansdowne), Dirkie Strydom (Ballymena), Glen Telford (Dungannon), Andrew Thompson (Shannon).