In Pics: Ireland Training At St Gerard’s (2)

Click here for photos from the Ireland squad’s training session at St Gerard’s School in Bray, County Wicklow, on Tuesday.

Pictured above: Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll during Tuesday’s session at St Gerard’s. O’Driscoll, who turned 27 last Saturday, will be hoping to lead the men in green to a higher finish in the 2006 RBS 6 Nations than last year’s third place.

Leinster scrum half Guy Easterby gets a backline move going. Easterby, who turns 35 in March, earned the last of his 28 Tests caps as a replacement against Scotland in last year’s 6 Nations Championship.

Ronan O’Gara at Tuesday’s training session. The Munster fly half is five Test matches short of making his 60th appearance for Ireland. O’Gara scored 60 points in last year’s 6 Nations Championship, missing just seven of his 20 goal attempts.

Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan surveys the action at St Gerard’s. O’Sullivan’s record since taking over from Warren Gatland reads: played 49, won 34, lost 15. During O’Sullivan’s reign, Ireland have won eight of their ten 6 Nations outings at Lansdowne Road, including three wins out of three in both 2002 and 2004.

Munster lock Donncha O’Callaghan claims a lineout throw at St Gerard’s.

Ronan O’Gara controls a dropping ball at St Gerard’s. The Corkman will be itching to face the Azzurri on February 4 – O’Gara has lined out five times against Italy in his international career, scoring 73 points, including a 30-point haul in the 60-13 Dublin win in 2000.

Denis Leamy, Ronan O’Gara, Gordon D’Arcy, Malcolm O’Kelly, Donncha O’Callaghan and Peter Stringer line up at St Gerard’s. All six have been named in the 22-man Ireland squad to play Italy in the RBS 6 Nations opener.

**All photos by Donall Farmer and Lorraine O’Sullivan of Inpho Photography**