The Irish touring side was named yesterday to play the All Blacks and Maori in NZ and the Wallabies in Brisbane next month (26 June). A warm-up game against the Barbarians is scheduled in Ireland prior to departure.
It’s a very experienced 33 man side mixed with a few young guns who’ll feature against the Baa Baas and the Maori. The average age of the Wallabies 22 late last year was around 24 compared to the Irish which is conservatively about 28.
Five of the test forwards are 30 or older – John Hayes 36, Jerry Flannery 31, Marcus Horan 32, Donncha O’Callaghan 31, Paul O’Connell 30 and David Wallace 34.
Coach Declan Kidney has essentially picked two full teams with an extra scrum-half, hooker and prop.
The selections have been described in the media as conservative with all the available old guard chosen including Bull Hayes, who’s near pensionable age.
He’ll be going on 38 at the RWC next year so it seems there’s a dearth of quality tightheads going around. Maybe the age of these roosters is a hint as to what tactics the Wallabies should use on a hard and fast Lang Park track?
Former Queensland Red tighthead Tom Court is again chosen for the Emerald Isle although he’s not expected to get much game time as Tony Buckley will be the probable 2IC.
There were eyebrow’s raised when Leinster’s strong scrummaging Mike Ross (2 caps) never made the party but a lack of game time with his province contributed to his non-selection.
Ireland are without injured top liners Stephen Ferris (cheekbone), Denis Leamy (knee) and Luke Fitzgerald (knee) while there is a cloud over Keith Earls and Jerry Flannery given ongoing groin and calf problems.
But the major issue is with captain Paul O’Connell, who is actually unlikely to make the plane. He sustained a groin injury in the Six Nations and hasn’t played since. This will be a major blow if he’s ruled out but at this stage it isn’t looking promising.
Another Queensland product, former Australian U19 Ed O’Donoghue (actually born in London to Irish parents) is favourite to replace him in the squad but another 30-something in Mick O’Driscoll may be the test substitute.
You don’t want to call this crowd ‘Dad’s Army’ for fear of retribution – think England in 2003 – but backs Darcy, Horgan, Stringer and Murphy are also in their 30’s.
There’s a solid core of 2009 British Lions in the team (13 players) and the touring party contains the majority of the 2009 Six Nations winning squad.
Only three uncapped players will tour including Ulster back-rower Chris Henry and lock Dan Tuohy, and Leinster centre Fergus McFadden.
The squad contains a dozen Munster players, 11 from Leinster, 6 from Ulster, 2 Connacht men and two from outside Ireland, Tommy Bowe (Ospreys) and Geordan Murphy (Leicester).
There were thoughts that Hayes, Brian O’Driscoll and maybe David Wallace would be rested but coach Declan Kidney thinks otherwise.
“We’ve tried to balance the mix of youth and experience,” said Kidney. “When you’re playing the top teams in the world you need all the experience you have because there will be no hiding place and you will be exposed.”
“You can’t throw 15 young guys in against the best team in the world and expect them to learn things the way they should.”
Defence coach Les Kiss also explained, “this will be their first opportunity to properly experience the changed emphasis on the tackle law in the southern hemisphere.”
“I think that’s important for us, to see how we adapt to that,” he said, and also in the conditions that will pertain in the World Cup in New Zealand.
The coaches are keen to give everybody as much game time as possible, unlike the last time Ireland toured here in a pre-World Cup warm-up (2006) when a quarter of the players never got on the park.
The last time Ireland won in this part of the world was Ollie Campbell’s team in 1979.
Forwards: R Best (Ulster), 39 caps, T Buckley (Munster), 17, T Court (Ulster), 7, S Cronin (Connacht), 2, J Flannery (Munster), 36, J Hayes (Munster), 102, C Healy (Leinster), 7, J Heaslip (Leinster), 26, C Henry (Ulster), 0, M Horan (Munster), 66, S Jennings (Leinster), 7, K McLaughlin (Leinster), 1, J Muldoon (Connacht), 2, D O’Callaghan (Munster), 61, P O’Connell (Munster), 70, M O’Driscoll (Munster), 17, D Tuohy (Ulster), 0, D Wallace (Munster) 62.
Backs: T Bowe (Ospreys), 30, G D’Arcy (Leinster), 48,K Earls (Munster), 10, S Horgan (Leinster), 66, R Kearney (Leinster), 23, F McFadden (Leinster), 0, G Murphy Leicester), 66, B O’Driscoll (Leinster, capt), 101, R O’Gara (Munster), 98, T O’Leary (Munster)16, E Reddan (Leinster) 20, J Sexton (Leinster), 6, P Stringer (Munster), 91, A Trimble (Ulster), 27, P Wallace (Ulster) 62.
