News

Bradley names Ireland team for Baa-baas

Thursday 22nd May 2008

Debutant: Harlequins prop Mike Ross

Coach Michael Bradley has named the Ireland team to play the Barbarians in Kingsholm, Gloucester next Tuesday in their summer tour warm up game.

In the forwards, Bob Casey makes a return to an Ireland jersey as he is named in the second row alongside the experienced Malcolm O'Kelly. Harlequins prop Mike Ross will make his senior Ireland debut in the non capped match in the front row with Rory Best and Bryan Young.

The back row sees Jamie Heaslip, who was first choice number eight throughout the 2008 Six Nations Championship, joined by his Leinster colleague Shane Jennings and Ulster's Stephen Ferris in a new combination.

In the back-line, captain Brian O'Driscoll and Luke Fitzgerald will form a new centre partnership for the first time. Isaac Boss and Paddy Wallace are the half-backs and the back three contains Shane Horgan and Tommy Bowe on the wings with Rob Kearney at full back.

In the replacements, there are four uncapped players in Tom Court, Ryan Caldwell, Jonathon Sexton and Frank Murphy.

"These games are always exciting, high tempo matches. From that perspective it will be good preparation for us as we head into the tour where the teams have been playing a fast and loose game under the new ELV's," said Coach Michael Bradley.

"The Baabaa's game will be important for the players to get up to that pace of play before we arrive in New Zealand and also for the Churchill Cup players in the match squad ahead of their tour. Overall, the array of talent that the Baba's will have on show is of the highest calibre, so it will be good test for us , but I think we can get an awful lot out of the game ahead of the tour".

Bradley also commented on the new centre partnership between Fitzgerald and O'Driscoll.

"I suppose one of the main talking points of the selection will be the new centre partnership as there has been plenty of discussion about where Luke's (Fitzgerald) best position is," he said.

This was the ideal opportunity to try Luke in midfield in a pressure situation against quality opposition and both he and Brian (O'Driscoll) have enough talent to make it work".

Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster), 14 Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster), 13 Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster), 12 Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster), 11 Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), 10 Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster), 9 Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster),
8 Jamie Heaslip (Clontarf/Leinster), 7 Shane Jennings (St Mary's College/Leinster), 6 Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster), 5 Malcolm O'Kelly (St Mary's College/Leinster), 4 Bob Casey (London Irish), 3 Mike Ross (Harlequins), 2 Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), 1 Bryan Young (Ballymena/Ulster),
Replacements:16 Bernard Jackman (Clontarf/Leinster), 17 Tom Court (Ballymena/Ulster), 18 Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon/Ulster),
19 Neil Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), 20 Frank Murphy (Leicester Tigers), 21 Jonathon Sexton (St Mary's College/Leinster), 22 Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster)

Date: Tuesday, May 27
Venue: Kingsholm, Gloucester
Kick-off: 19:45 (18:45 GMT)