SIX NATIONS IRELAND V ITALY:STEPHEN FERRIS is Ireland's biggest injury concern ahead of their opening defence of the Six Nations against Italy at Croke Park on Saturday, the team for which will be announced today. Ferris hasn't trained since suffering a new injury in Ulster's Heineken Cup win in Bath last Saturday week and is doubtful to face the Azzurri.
Brian O’Driscoll (quad strain) also sat out yesterday’s session and Donncha O’Callaghan (knee) took a limited part, but manager Paul McNaughton yesterday admitted: “There is some concern about those, not much. Maybe the guy we are more concerned about is Stephen Ferris. Brian has a small quad strain. We’re not worried about him and we expect him to train tomorrow.”
Ferris was not in camp with the rest of the Ireland squad last week. “The advice was to keep him off his feet, which we did, and he’s in this week. Calls will be made over the next couple of days. We think he’s still available for selection, but we’re more concerned about him than the other two.”
With Shane Jennings retained in the A squad to face Scotland on Friday, were Ferris ruled out his replacement would most likely be Kevin McLaughlin or Seán O’Brien. The latter is not included in the A squad, and he did replace Ferris at half-time last time out in the win over South Africa, although the uncapped McLaughlin has been the regular starting blindside flanker for Leinster this season.
The announcement of an A squad wouldn’t normally carry many implications, but in naming 20 of the 22-man squad to play the Scottish As on Friday at Ravenhill the management gave a few pointers toward the starting line-up and replacements to face Italy.
All will be revealed at lunchtime today, including the two vacancies in the A squad at hooker and the backrow, but the likes of Peter Stringer, Marcus Horan, Tony Buckley, Mick O’Driscoll, Mike Ross and Isaac Boss have been retained in the As, thereby ruling them out of the Italian game.
Assistant coach Alan Gaffney yesterday confirmed despite their highly-limited game time this season, Jerry Flannery and Rory Best are considered fully match fit and available for selection. “I do (believe they can play). You can look at me and ask if I’m dreaming but both are very good players, very experienced players who have been around the block a number of times. They could carry themselves in a Six Nations game right at this moment.”
Flannery has started only one competitive match for Munster this season, and only played his first hour of rugby since the November Tests for Shannon last Saturday week, while Best only returned to action for the first 40 minutes of the Irish As’ 17-13 defeat to their English counterparts on Sunday, albeit impressively. “We thought Rory went well (against the Saxons) considering he battled back from a pretty serious injury,” said Gaffney. “He got through 40 minutes in a fairly tough game. They were a young Saxon side but they were pretty experienced. Rory did well . . . We were delighted with his throwing and all aspects of his game.”
The major talking point, and seemingly amongst the coaching staff as well, is whether to retain Jonathan Sexton at outhalf or recall Ronan O’Gara. “Obviously it’s the story out there at the present, the (number) 10 battle,” admitted Gaffney. “Both guys are in good form and that is difficult, and to try and get a unanimous decision in any circumstance, between anybody, would be a hard situation. Both guys will do a very, very good job, whoever may be selected to start and whoever may come off the bench. At this point I don’t even know which way it’s going to go myself.”
At left wing in the absence of the hors de combat Luke Fitzgerald, again Gaffney was giving nothing away. “Trimby’s (Andrew Trimble) been playing well, Keith’s (Earls) been playing well and obviously Shaggy (Shane Horgan) has shown some good form for Leinster. So there’s three good options and there’s others that could also do a good job.”
Were Ferris ruled out and the management to go for O’Brien at blindside, it’s highly conceivable Ireland could start with the team that finished the win against South Africa, recalling how Gordon D’Arcy re-ignited his season that day when replacing the injured Paddy Wallace after 25 minutes. It could be close to it were it to read something like: Kearney; Bowe, O’Driscoll (capt), D’Arcy, Earls; Sexton, O’Leary; Healy, Flannery, Hayes, O’Callaghan, O’Connell, Ferris/McLaughlin, D Wallace, Heaslip. Replacements: Best, Court, Cullen, O’Brien, Reddan, O’Gara, P Wallace.
IRELAND A SQUAD(v Scotland): Isaac Boss, Nigel Brady, Tony Buckley, Ryan Caldwell, Darren Cave, Ian Dowling, Chris Henry, Marcus Horan, Ian Humphreys, Denis Hurley, Shane Jennings, Ian Keatley, Keith Matthews, Fergus McFadden, Johne Murphy, Mick O'Driscoll, Niall Ronan, Mike Ross, Peter Stringer, Devin Toner, AN Other, AN Other.
