Irish fans have reacted with dismay after national team coach Declan Kidney axed Ronan O’Gara for Saturday’s Six Nations clash with France.
Kidney has left the Munster hero out of his extended 32 man squad, effectively ending his international career after 128 appearances.
The news was delivered to O’Gara on Sunday, just fours days before his 36th birthday.
It’s the first time in a 13-year spell with Ireland that a fit O’Gara won’t feature in the starting team or on the bench for his country.
Pundits and fans have been shocked by the decision with Kidney opting to take a chance on Jonathon Sexton’s fitness as he looks to hang onto his job.
Ulster youngster Paddy Jackson and Leinster’s Ian Madigan are the other two out-halves in the extended Irish squad for the game against a French side currently bottom of the Six Nations table.
O’Gara, Ireland’s most capped player, has been short of form in the championship this season and was heavily criticised after the defeats to England and Scotland.
But fans believe Kidney has made a mistake with 75 per cent backing O’Gara and only 25 per cent supporting the coach in an online poll at www.TheScore.ie
Connacht forward Mike McCarthy is also back after injury while Cian Healy returns from suspension.
Ulster winger Andrew Trimble is also named in the squad after he was dropped for the opening three games,
The Ireland squad to play France is: Best (Ulster), Cronin (Leinster), Diack (Ulster), Earls (Munster), Fitzgerald (Leinster), Fitzpatrick (Ulster), Gilroy (Ulster), Healy (Leinster), Heaslip (Leinster), Henderson (Ulster), Jackson (Ulster), D Kearney (Leinster), R Kearney (Leinster), Kilcoyne (Munster), Madigan (Leinster), Marshall (Ulster), McCarthy (Connacht), McFadden (Leinster), Murray (Munster), O’Brien (Leinster), O’Callaghan (Munster), O’Donnell (Munster), O’Driscoll (Leinster), O’Mahony (Munster), O’Malley (Leinster), Reddan (Leinster), Ross (Leinster), Ryan (Munster), Sexton (Leinster), Trimble (Ulster), Toner (Leinster), Tuohy (Ulster).
2 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Paulmac | Mar 04, 2013, 09:14 AM EST
@JayFay. Most Sports writer are drama queens at best anyway but Counihan is the worst. I'm a die hard Munster fan and like a gambler you have to think with your head and not your heart. ROG has to go. He simply doesn't have the bottle for the international game anymore. Counihan likes to use these drmatical headlines to attract attention to his BS writing. Take the previous article on Rory McIlroy for example. I watched that interview and to say that jack "reprimanded" McIlroy or "gave him a slap on te knuckles" is nothing more than a bunch of BS. There's no reporting done by this site. They sit on their arses and see what every real reporter is writing about then copy 90% of it in their feed and add in some mindless stupid wording to avoid copying word for word. Sad.
JayFay | Mar 04, 2013, 08:52 AM EST
Fans in shock - really? All the fans I know are delighted that ROG is off the team - it should have been done long ago. And to be dropped off the team after two such poor performances would be a 'shock'? Where on earth does Irish Central get these ridiculous polls from