O’Sullivan Adds Eleven Players

Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan has added eleven players to the squad which entertained England last Sunday in Dublin, as the focus of the RBS Six Nations switches to the fourth weekend.

Champions France are the next visitors to Lansdowne Road on Saturday, March 12 – and among the players joining an extended 33-man squad, is 2004 Player of the tournament Gordon D’Arcy.

D’Arcy has been making good progress since injurying his hamstring in Ireland’s opening 28-17 defeat of Italy last month. The 25-year-old has also been recalled to the Leinster squad for Sunday’s Celtic League clash with leaders the Ospreys in Donnybrook (kick-off 4.45pm).

With the Ireland team to play France announced next Tuesday, March 8, the following are the eleven players rejoining the squad:

Forwards (5):

Simon Best (Ulster – Belfast Harlequins), Bernard Jackman (Connacht – Clontarf), Alan Quinlan (Munster – Shannon), David Wallace (Munster – Garryowen), Matt McCullough (Ulster – Ballymena).

Backs (6):

Tommy Bowe (Ulster – Belfast Harlequins), Kieran Campbell (Ulster – Dungannon), Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster – Lansdowne), Gavin Duffy (NEC Harlequins), Anthony Horgan (Munster – Cork Constitution), Shaun Payne (Munster – Dolphin).

22-man Ireland Squad (19-13 v England):

Geordan Murphy (Leicester); Girvan Dempsey
(Leinster – Terenure College), Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster – Blackrock College) (Captain), Shane Horgan (Leinster – Lansdowne), Denis Hickie (Leinster – St. Mary’s College); Ronan O’Gara (Munster – Cork Constitution), Peter Stringer (Munster – Shannon); Reggie Corrigan (Leinster – Greystones), Shane Byrne (Leinster – Blackrock College), John Hayes (Munster – Bruff), Malcolm O’Kelly (Leinster – St. Mary’s College), Paul O’Connell (Munster – Young Munster), Simon Easterby (Llanelli), Johnny O’Connor (Wasps), Anthony Foley (Munster – Shannon).

Replacements:

Frankie Sheahan (Munster – Cork Constitution), Marcus Horan
(Munster – Shannon), Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster – Cork Constitution), Eric Miller (Leinster – Terenure College), Guy Easterby (Leinster – Blackrock College), David Humphreys (Ulster – Dungannon), Kevin Maggs (Ulster – Belfast Harlequins).