New Ireland coach selects O’driscoll
BRIAN O’Driscoll has been named to play in his final autumn international series despite only recently returning to light training after a calf injury. New Ireland coach Joe Schmidt has included the 34-year-old centre, who is due to retire at the end of the season, for next month’s matches against Samoa, Australia and New Zealand.
He joins three uncapped players in Ireland’s 34-man squad – David Kearney, Jack McGrath and James Coughlan. Donnacha Ryan (knee) and Iain Henderson (toe) have both been omitted after suffering injuries at the weekend.
O’Driscoll has been sidelined since suffering a calf injury in training with Leinster three weeks ago, which has ruled him out of their opening two Heineken Cup fixtures. The four-time British and Irish Lion has reportedly been using NASA-developed anti-gravity technology to hasten his bid to be fit for one last chance to beat the all-conquering All Blacks.
Leinster manager Guy Easterby has described O’Driscoll’s recovery as “dayto-day” with hopes he could make a return against Connacht this weekend appar- ently remote. New coach Schmidt will have a gap to fill in the lineout following the injuries to Ryan and Henderson. Stephen Ferris, Richardt Strauss, Tommy O’Donnell, Jordi Murphy and Simon Zebo are also sidelined by injury. That has created the chance for the newcomers with Kearney joining his brother Rob amongst the backs. IRELAND SQUAD: I Boss (Leinster), T Bowe (Ulster), G D’Arcy (Leinster), K Earls (Munster), R Henshaw (Connacht), P Jackson (Ulster), D Kearney (Leinster), R Kearney (Leinster), I Madigan (Leinster), L Marshall (Ulster), F McFadden (Leinster), C Murray (Munster), B O’Driscoll (Leinster), E Reddan (Leinster), J Sexton (Racing Metro 92), S Archer (Munster), R Best (Ulster), J Coughlan (Munster), T Court (Ulster), S Cronin (Leinster), D Fitzpatrick (Ulster), C Healy (Leinster), J Heaslip (Leinster), C Henry (Ulster), M McCarthy (Leinster), J McGrath (Leinster), K McLaughlin (Leinster), S O’Brien (Leinster), P O’Connell (Munster), P O’Mahony (Munster), M Ross (Leinster), M Sherry (Munster), D Toner (Leinster), D Tuohy (Ulster).