Wallace Ruled Out Of Japan Tour

Ulster back Paddy Wallace has been forced to withdraw from the Ireland squad to tour Japan next month, due to a broken bone in his right hand.

The 25-year-old’s place in the travelling party goes to former Munster utility back Jeremy Staunton, who scored 186 points in 20 appearances for NEC Harlequins this past season, before being released from his contract.

Wallace, who is likely to be out for four weeks, sustained the injury in Friday’s trial match at Wanderers FC, Dublin.

The Ballymena clubman kicked two conversions before being replaced on the 40-minute mark.

2003 World Cup squad member Wallace made a telling contribution to the Ireland ‘A’ side in their only fixture this season. He kicked four penalties to help the Irish to a 15-9 victory over France ‘A’, before coming off with a calf strain at Donnybrook in March.

Staunton, meanwhile, has a chance to earn his second Ireland cap on the Far East trip – the Limerick man scored a try from full-back on his international debut, in the 35-8 Lansdowne Road defeat of Samoa in November 2001.

The revised Ireland squad, which is coached by Niall O’Donovan, will train tomorrow morning at the University of Limerick.

IRELAND SQUAD (Japan Tour 2005):

Forwards (14):

Simon Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 11/02/78, 6 caps
Reggie Corrigan (Greystones/Leinster) 19/11/70, 44 caps
Leo Cullen (Leicester Tigers) 09/01/78, 15 caps
Simon Easterby (Llanelli) 21/07/75, 42 caps
Trevor Hogan (Shannon/Munster) 23/09/79, –
Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster) 07/09/77, 28 caps
Bernard Jackman (Clontarf/Leinster) 05/05/76, –
Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster) 27/11/81, 2 caps
Eric Miller (Terenure College/Leinster) 23/9/75, 46 caps
Matt McCullough (Ballymena/Ulster) 09/09/81, –
Johnny O’Connor (Wasps) 09/06/82, 6 caps
Frankie Sheahan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 27/08/76, 22
caps
David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster) 08/07/76, 21 caps
Roger Wilson (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 21/09/81, –

Backs (12):

Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 22/02/84, 1 cap
Kieran Campbell (Dungannon/Ulster) 06/07/79, –
Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster) 02/10/75, 58 caps
Gavin Duffy (NEC Harlequins) 18/09/81, 2 caps
Anthony Horgan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 15/11/76, 4 caps
David Humphreys (Capt) (Dungannon/Ulster) 10/09/71, 67 caps
Kieran Lewis (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 19/08/80, –
Conor McPhillips (St Mary’s College/Connacht) 09/02/81, –
Kevin Maggs (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 03/06/74, 69 caps
David Quinlan (Northampton Saints) 04/01/78, –
Jeremy Staunton (Wasps) 07/05/80, 1 cap
Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster) 13/12/77, 56

Standby (8):

Gary Brown (Blackrock College/Leinster) 01/11/80, –
James Downey (Clontarf/Connacht) 23/03/81, –
Ben Gissing (Clontarf/Leinster) 15/07/75, –
Shane Jennings (Leicester Tigers) 08/07/81, –
Chris Keane (Buccaneers/Connacht) 25/10/78, –
Ronnie McCormack (Buccaneers/Leinster) 27/04/77, –
Paul Shields (Ballymena/Ulster) 25/09/78, 2 caps
Alan Quinlan (Shannon/Munster) 13/07/74, 21 caps

Not considered due to injury:
John Kelly (Cork Constitution/Munster) 18/04/74, 16 caps