IN PRUNING Ireland’s Six Nations squad from a weighty 39 to 27, Declan Kidney and co have deferred most of the tighter decisions until early next week, but even so they have made a couple of significant calls. The most notable omission is Eoin Reddan, first choice scrumhalf since usurping Peter Stringer halfway through the World Cup and on the bench for the autumn games against New Zealand and Argentina.

It’s a tough call on Reddan, who had bided his time before forcing his way into the team and then establishing himself as the number nine in last season’s Six Nations and on the summer tour, undoubtedly providing Ireland with a running threat as well as his high-tempo game.

He has also been an ever-present in a difficult season for Wasps, but has suffered for their general difficulties after being supplanted by Tomás O’Leary for the All Blacks and Pumas games.

There was little doubt that O’Leary, who now looks a certainty to start against France, would make the cut but Peter Stringer may have feared the worst after being confined to seven starts for Munster this season. This in turn has prompted him to wonder aloud about moving on.

If Reddan is the big loser in yesterday’s announcement, Tom Court is the big winner. As expected, the Ulster player is one of only three props to have made the cut and, as the only uncapped member of the 27, is thus set to be on the bench against France on Saturday week.

Once Tony Buckley was ruled out due to glandular fever and Court was the only one of the prospective three back-up props who could pack down on both sides, it was clear he had become the favourite to understudy Marcus Horan and John Hayes.

The late-developing, 6ft 3in, 19- stone, 28-year-old is a former shot putter, born in Brisbane of Irish extraction. Taking up rugby while studying at the University of Queensland, Court played in the Queensland Reds rugby academy, with Queensland A and the New Zealand provincial side Manawatu before returning to Australia to feature in the Queensland Reds Super 14 squad.

Plucked from the periphery of the Queensland Reds’ Super 14 squad by Ulster in May 2006, he was immediately parachuted into the Ireland Churchill Cup squad that summer but vanished off the radar for about a year and half, playing only three times for Ulster in the 2006-07 season and was loaned to Pertemps Bees for a few months in England before being rejuvenated by Matt Williams.

Though by no means a destructive scrummager, he is mobile and much fitter under the Williams’ regime and, as his tackle with Doug Howlett in Thomond Park three weeks ago showed, a highly effective tackler around the pitch. Considered a tighthead on his arrival, he has made seven of eight starts this season at loosehead.

There was always likely to be a significant omission or two in the backrow, where Shane Jennings, like Reddan, is one of the dozen players rerouted to an imposing A squad to face the English Saxons on Friday week. The others are Bernard Jackman, Mike Ross, Cian Healy, Ryan Caldwell, Bob Casey, Donnacha Ryan, Jonathan Sexton, Andrew Trimble, Darren Cave and Ian Dowling.

Another five will have to be culled come next Tuesday, when the starting line-ups for both games will be finalised. Jerry Flannery or Rory Best at hooker, secondrow back-up, Denis Leamy or Jamie Heaslip in the backrow alongside David Wallace and Stephen Ferris, and most of all, the composition of the back three (presuming Luke Fitzgerald again partners Brian O’Driscoll) look the burning issues facing Kidney and his management as he faces into only his fourth game in 36 weeks.

His predecessor, Eddie O’Sullivan, looks like a strong front-runner to take over as the USA Eagles head coach following confirmation that Scott Johnson will take over at the Ospreys.

IRELAND SQUAD

(v France, Croke Park, Feb 7th)

BACKS

Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)

Girvan Dempsey (Leinster)

Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster)

Keith Earls (Munster)

Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster)

Shane Horgan (Leinster)

Rob Kearney (Leinster)

Geordan Murphy (Leicester)

Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster)

Ronan O’Gara (Munster)

Tomas O’Leary (Munster)

Peter Stringer (Munster)

Paddy Wallace (Ulster)

FORWARDS

Rory Best (Ulster)

Tom Court (Ulster)

Stephen Ferris (Ulster)

Jerry Flannery (Munster)

John Hayes (Munster)

Jamie Heaslip (Leinster)

Marcus Horan (Munster)

Denis Leamy (Munster)

Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster)

Paul O’Connell (Munster)

Mick O’Driscoll (Munster)

Malcolm O’Kelly (Leinster)

Alan Quinlan (Munster)

David Wallace (Munster)