 Jerry Flannery may yet join up with the Ireland squad |
Jerry Flannery and Luke Fitzgerald have been omitted from the 34-man Ireland squad for the autumn internationals but may yet participate in the series. The duo were injured while on Heineken Cup duty last weekend and will be assessed by their provinces before it is decided whether they join the panel. Several players return after missing the summer tour through injury but Paul O'Connell is a long-term absentee. Johne Murphy and Devin Toner are the only uncapped players in the squad. Munster hooker Flannery suffered a recurrence of the calf problem that has limited him to just one appearance this season while Fitzgerald of Leinster damaged his hip. Ireland will play South Africa, Samoa, New Zealand and Argentina on consecutive weekends in November. Keith Earls, Rory Best, Stephen Ferris, Denis Leamy, Sean O'Brien and Donnacha Ryan come back after missing the tour to New Zealand and Australia in May and June. Toner was also injured for that tour while Murphy came into the tour party as a late replacement. O'Connell is one of several players who remain out of consideration because of ongoing rehabilitation.  | It is going to be a demanding month for the squad and the first time we have played four games in the Guinness series |
Kevin McLaughlin continues his recovery from a long-term injury, Leo Cullen is also recovering from injury and Tomas O'Leary is ruled out until mid November with a broken thumb. There is no place in the squad for Geordan Murphy. Ireland coach Declan Kidney said it will be "great to be back playing in the home of Irish rugby on Lansdowne Road in the Aviva Stadium". "The atmosphere, from what I have seen, rivals the old stadium," observed Kidney. "There will be a lot of talk about the new stadium, and also about the Rugby World Cup, but the responsibility for the squad and management will be firmly to concentrate on the first game and then take each week as it comes in November. "It is going to be a demanding month for the squad and the first time we have played four games in the Guinness series. "We felt it was important to have at least 30 fit players to choose from in terms of setting the foundations for November. "It was better for those who picked up knocks to be assessed back in the provinces and, when they have the all-clear, to come back into the squad. "Jerry (Flannery) and Luke (Fitzgerald) are in that position, as are fellas like Tomas (O'Leary) and Leo (Cullen) who may well come back into the mix depending on their recoveries and game time that they may need to build up over the next couple of weeks."
Ireland squad: R Best (Ulster), I Boss (Leinster), T Bowe (Ospreys), T Buckley (Munster), T Court (Ulster), S Cronin (Connacht), G D'Arcy (Leinster), G Duffy (Connacht), K Earls (Munster), S Ferris (Ulster), S Horgan (Leinster), J Hayes (Munster), C Healy (Leinster), J Heaslip (Leinster), M Horan (Munster), R Kearney (Leinster), D Leamy (Munster), J Muldoon (Connacht), J Murphy (Munster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), R O'Gara (Munster), S O'Brien (Leinster), B O'Driscoll (Leinster), M O'Driscoll (Munster), E Reddan (Leinster), M Ross (Leinster), D Ryan (Munster), J Sexton (Leinster), P Stringer (Munster), D Toner (Leinster), A Trimble (Ulster), D Varley (Munster), D Wallace (Munster), P Wallace (Ulster).
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