Kidney names 45-man Ireland squad

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The first Ireland rugby squad of the new season has been named to take part in a pre-season get together under the stewardship of new Ireland coach Declan Kidney.

The 45 man squad includes the players who toured with the Ireland team to New Zealand and Australia as well as 11 players from the Churchill Cup squad. These include Donncha Ryan and Keith Earls, both of whom will be involved in their first Ireland camp.

Gordon D’Arcy, who missed the majority of the RBS Six Nations Championship and the remainder of the season after breaking his arm against Italy, makes a welcome return to the squad, as does Andrew Trimble and Leo Cullen, who both missed the June tour due to injury.

The four day camp will take place in Cork from Tuesday, 5 August and will be worked in as part of the player’s pre-season fitness and conditioning programmes that they are currently undergoing with their provinces and clubs.

Ireland Coach Declan Kidney said: 'The camp is an opportunity for the coaching staff to work with the players and set some foundations ahead of what is going to be an important November for us.

‘We have a new blend of experience in the coaching staff and we felt that this camp would be key to getting the ideas of both the staff and players across ahead of the new season.’

‘Once we get into September, it really is a short space of time before we will arrive at our first camp ahead of the November games, so it will be important to our preparation. It is an exciting time and both the coaching staff and myself are looking forward to getting down to business and working with what is a talented squad of players.’

45-man Ireland squad for four-day pre-season training camp from Tuesday 5 August:

Neil Best, Rory Best, Isaac Boss, Tommy Bowe, Tony Buckley, Ryan Caldwell, Robert Casey, Tom Court, Leo Cullen, Gordon D’Arcy, Girvan Dempsey, Ian Dowling, Gavin Duffy, Keith Earls, Stephen Ferris, Luke Fitzgerald, Jerry Flannery, John Hayes, Cian Healy, Jamie Heaslip, Marcus Horan, Shane Horgan, Bernard Jackman, Shane Jennings, Robert Kearney, Denis Leamy, Geordan Murphy, Donncha O’ Callaghan, Paul O’ Connell, Ronan O’ Gara, Malcolm O’ Kelly, Brian O’Driscoll, Mick O’Driscoll, Tomas O’Leary, Alan Quinlan, Eoin Reddan, Michael Ross, Donncha Ryan, Jonathan Sexton, Peter Stringer, Andrew Trimble, David Wallace, Paddy Wallace,
Roger Wilson, Bryan Young.

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the likes of o kelly, boss, jackman and roger wilson shouldn’t be in that squad IMHO…either past it or not up to it…

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I’d agree, but it looks like he’s called in every rugby player in Ireland who can walk upright. I hear Dan just missed out…

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Fecking hate when squads are listed in alphabetical order - makes it impossible to figure out if there are any notable absentees but I guess the fact it’s 45 men would suggest it’s just everyone of any sort of talent or potential.

5

Rock, if Tom Court and Mike Ross are there you can rest assured everyone is in there.

Another year for the Bull? What a man…

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would like to see a team of

kearney
horgan
BOD
fitzgerald
dowling
ROG
o leary
heaslip
jennings
quinlan
paulie
o callaghan
horan
flannery
hayes

subs
buckley
best
cullen
wallace
reddan
sexton
darcy

good solid starting team with plenty of good attackers while we would have a bench with a bit of impact with the likes of cullen, buckley,wallace and darcy

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Training camp in Cork. Fair play to Deccie, putting his stamp on things from the word go.

No noteable absences, and really nothing noteable about it at all. Anybody who could possibly play for ireland in the next 12 months is being brought to Cork.

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Paddy Fuckin Wallace - when will we learn.

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wonder will he keep BOD as captain…i think its time for brian to pass it onto someone else as he is there long enough…would still expect him to lead from the front though…himself paulie and rodge are the three real leaders in the camp so i would presume it will be one of them…

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Trying to pick my own team without reading that one first Puke. My first choice team would be:

15 Kearney
14 Fitzgerald
13 BOD
12 D’Arcy
11 Dowling
10 ROG
9 Stringer

8 Heaslip
7 Wallace
6 Leamy
5 O Callaghan
4 O Connell
3 Hayes
2 Flannery
1 Horan

SUBS
Buckley
Best
Casey
Quinlan
O Leary
Sexton
Murphy

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As a 12, fine, as a 10, no.

By the way, I’ll say it again, John Hayes, fucking legend.

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What do you mean by that? He had an excellent summer when he played for us under very difficult circumstances. Can’t help but think that if he played for Leinster or Munster he would be far more highly thought of.

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id doubt it…in fairness to paddy he has a nice set of hands and a sharp enough rugby brain but he isn’t strong enough in the tackle and doesn’t have any real pace…also he seems to be a lad when he makes one mistake he will make 10 more in the same game while a mentally stronger player would put it behind them and move on…

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There are far far worse players in that squad than Paddy Wallace. Not a great player by any means and he has lots to work on but is more talented than many in that squad. Would be frankly ridiculous to leave him out after his last couple of Irish performances.

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In fairness to him he did but he’ll be back to bench warming duty in the autumn. He blows very hot and cold and it tells its own story that Ulster held onto humphries for so long instead of trying to give Wallace game time. I just think that he’s taking a place in the squad that could be given to someone else who could come in and learn more than he will.

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So you honestly believe that in naming his first 45 man squad Kidney should exclude Wallace despite his last couple of performances for Ireland and despite naming a squad full of average players. There are names in there who are far less talented than Wallace. At least judge Wallace on his recent performances.

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Thats a fair point larry and at the risk of a farmer-esque climb down I wont agree with you. However, I dont think Wallace will realistically start or be actively involved in any of Irelands games this winter. With that in mind I’d much prefer to see someone like Niall O’Connor involved who could learn from the experience.

Wallace did well in the summer albeit his selection was mainly due to injuries etc and fair play to him for that but I dont think he’s good enough for international standard. If he was, he wouldnt have been warming the bench for the last 5 years.