KEATLEY AXED
No room for Reds’ out-half in Irish panel
MUNSTER outhalf Ian Keatley is the major surprise absentee in Ireland’s training squad for the World Cup, which was unveiled by Joe Schmidt yesterday.
And the former two- time Heineken Cup winner with Leinster has also not been shy about filling the most important squad selection of his international career with a high number of his former players.
With Johnny Sexton soon to be clad in blue again, upon returning from Paris, Schmidt has named 23 Leinster men as opposed to nine from Munster.
While the squad will, of course, be captained by Paul O’Connell, this selection will be unhappily r eceived by Munster coach Anthony Foley and his management team, who saved their season from a nasty start and made it to the final of the Guinness PRO12 where they went down to Glasgow.
Keatley started Ireland’s victorious Six Nations campaign, kicking 14 points in a 26-3 win away against Italy. But he is running a distant s econd to I an Madigan in Schmidt’s planning, and while the latter was deprived of real opportunity to demonstrate his No 10 credentials by former Leinster coach Matt O’Connor, Schmidt clearly believes he brings more of a cutting edge to the Irish squad than the Munster man.
Leinster back-row Rhys Ruddock has also been omitted from the 45 after he fractured his arm during Emerging Ireland’s 33-7 win over Uruguay last week in the Tbilisi Cup in Georgia. There is no place either for Munster’s James Cronin or Ul st e r centre Stuart McCloskey.
‘The squad selection has been a long process with some very tight decisions,’ said Schmidt. ‘ Some injured players who are getting close to full fitness have been included while others have missed out due to prolonged absence or lack of opportunity to demonstrate their f ull Test match readiness.
‘Rhys Ruddock would have been selected but has been ruled him out after fracturing his arm against Uruguay last week.’
JJ Hanrahan does not make an appearance in the squad and will be j ust as disappointed as Keatley.
The wider training squad includes two uncapped players, Leinster No 8 Jack Conan — who impressed on Emerging Ireland’s series this month — and his team-mate tighthead Tadhg Furlong.
The squad will begin World Cup preparations next week with four warm-up matches scheduled for August and early September before Schmidt must whittle his squad down to 31.
Along with Conan, Noel Reid and Rob Herring have come through the Tbilisi Cup experience with Emerging Ireland into contention.
The 2015 Guinness Summer Series will see Ireland take on Wales i n Cardiff on Saturday, August 8 before hosting Scotland a week later at Aviva Stadium.
On Saturday, August 29, Wales come to the Aviva with the final game of the series taking place in Twickenham against England on Saturday, September 5.
Meanwhile, Chris Henry has completed his remarkable comeback after suffering a mini- stroke in November to win inclusion in the squad, the Ulster flanker proving himself ready with an impressive showing against the Barbarians last month.
Conor Murray and Sean O’Brien had faced minor injuries in the build- up to this i nitial squad announcement, but both British and Irish Lions are expected to be fully fit well in advance of the August warm-up schedule. FRANCOIS PIENAAR and his 1995 Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks returned to Ellis Park yesterday to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the day that united post-Apartheid South Africa.
The moment Nelson Mandela handed the Webb Ellis Trophy to Pieenar is one of sport’s most powerful images, remembered for unleashing a wave of goodwill across the Rainbow Nation that helped ease the pain caused by decades of racial oppression.
‘I will never forget the emotions,’ said Pienaar. ‘Never in our wildest dreams did we think this game would have such an impact on every single person i n South Africa.’