Five players not chosen to tour the Americas this summer have been added to the Irish squad for the IRFU's 125th Anniversary match against the Barbarians on May 28th. In addition to the Leinster pair of Shane Byrne and Trevor Brennan, three of the Munster panel not expected to be in their European Cup starting line-up the day before, Jeremy Staunton, Brian O'Meara and Marcus Horan, have also been called up.
In the case of Horan and Frankie Sheahan, and possibly Staunton too, this will probably mean doubling up on the bench on successive days at Twickenham and Lansdowne Road. Sheahan apart, the other nine Munster players chosen for the three-test tour of Argentina, USA and Canada will be unavailable to the Irish management for the Barbarians' game.
One of those, Keith Wood, has declared that he should be fit for the European decider despite sustaining a torn calf muscle in the semi-final win over Toulouse last Saturday. "It's a slight tear and it's very sore but it will hopefully be fine," said the Munster hooker yesterday.
Another member of both squads, recalled Irish fullback Dominic Crotty, has been excused duty in the Argentinian leg of the tour as he is getting married on June 5th, a day after the first test.
Meanwhile, both Willie Anderson and John Hall have confirmed that they had declined overtures from Connacht to take over the province's director-of-coaching job which was vacated by Glenn Ross. Anderson had looked at the feasibility of combining that role with his position as coach of Dungannon, but admitted that "it wasn't possible" while likewise Hall wasn't in a position to take on the full-time nature of the job.
It is believed that a third AIL first-division club coach, Gerry Murphy, was also approached. With Kevin Putt in line to take over at Terenure next season, Murphy yesterday unveiled what he hopes will be his penultimate selection at the club for Sunday's semifinal against Lansdowne. Unsurprisingly, as they have won their last three games, Terenure remain unchanged for the fourth time running, while they've left a couple of vacancies on the bench.
UCD, in an otherwise unchanged line-up, have yet to finalise their back-row for Sunday's promotion-relegation play-off first leg at home to Clontarf, pending on the availability of Des Dillon (dead leg) and Anthony Carroll (exams).
IRELAND (squad v Barbarians) - Backs: G Dempsey (Terenure), J Bishop (London Irish), D Hickie (St Mary's), G Murphy (Leicester), R Henderson (Wasps), K Maggs (Bath), B O'Driscoll (Blackrock), S Horgan (Lansdowne), D Humphreys (Dungannon), J Staunton (Garryowen), G Easterby (Ebbw Vale), B O'Meara (Cork Constitution). Forwards: J Fitzpatrick (Dungannon), P Wallace (Saracens), M Horan (Shannon), S Byrne (Blackrock), F Sheahan (Cork Constitution), R Casey (Blackrock), M O'Kelly (St Mary's), J Davidson (Castres), S Easterby (Llanelli), E Miller (Terenure), A Ward (Ballynahinch), T Brennan (St Mary's).
TERENURE: G Dempsey; D Lynagh, M O'Kelly, M Smyth, S Cullen; R Governey, D Hegarty; S Barretto, J Blaney, J Campbell, R Sheriff (capt), C Potts, P O'Malley, E Miller, B Kavanagh. Replacements: D Mahony, D Murphy, AN Other, AN Other, M Whelan, D Guiry.
UCD: B McMahon; J Norton, S Moore, M Colling, C Mclean; P Wallace, B Quigley; M Moynagh, D Blaney, R McCormack, C Keane, D Broughall, (back-row from): J Campbell, D Dillon, A Kearney, P Shanley, A Carroll, T Carter.
CLONTARF: O Winchester; A Reddan, D O'Brien, D McElligott, C Bewley; R Murphy/P Noble, R O'Reilly; W O'Kelly, B Jackman, A Clarke, D Moore, C Power, P Ward, C Brownlie, D Walsh.
