The Irish rugby team’s coach, Declan Kidney, has named the team for the forthcoming autumn internationals. The team, for now, does not include Jerry Flannery or Luke Fitzgerald who both picked up injuries playing in the Heineken Cup last week.
 
Luke Fitzgerald injured his hip while playing against Saracens. He is the more likely of the two to see some action later in the season. It is thought that he will be back to training by the end of the week.
 
Jerry Flannery is suffering from a recurring calf problem. He is due to see a specialist this week.
 
The matches against South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina and Samoa last week were an opportunity for Kidney to assess his players strengths for next world’s World Cup.
 
“We felt it was important to have at least 30 fit players to choose from in terms of setting the foundations for November and 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,” Kidney said, while speaking to the Irish Times.
 
“Jerry and Luke are in that position, as are fellas like Tomás (O’Leary) and Leo 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.
 
“We need everybody in a position to be able to contribute in training and while we may well leave a window for those coming back, all the players in the squad are deserving of their chance. There are a lot of players who are unlucky not to make this squad, but the door will remain open to them also during November to join up with the panel.”
 
Their autumn series will kick off on November 6 against South Africa in Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.
 
The Irish squad is as follows:
 
Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster)
Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht)
Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster)
Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster)
John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)
Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster)
Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
John Muldoon (Galwegians/Connacht)
Johne Murphy (Young Munster/Munster)
Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster)
Mick O’Driscoll (Constitution/Munster)
Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)
Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
Damien Varley (Garryowen/Munster)
David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)