EOIN REDDAN, a lightning-quick player who can turn a game all by himself, became Ireland's first choice scrum half during the 2007 Rugby World Cup and has brought his caps tally into double figures since then.

His consistent displays for club and country marked him out as one of Europe's best number 9s but, after autumn run-outs against Canada and New Zealand, he failed to feature during Ireland's Grand Slam campaign.

The Limerick man scored a try in London Wasps' Heineken Cup final win at Twickenham in 2007, a long way from picking up the game as a 13-year-old at Old Crescent.

Having been initially with Munster, he played for Connacht for two seasons before re-signing for Munster in 2003. Warren Gatland then snapped him up for Wasps, where he became a vital cog in their team for four years. He recently signed a three-year contract with Leinster.