In Pics: Ireland Training At The RDS

The Ireland players trained at the RDS earlier today ahead of Declan Kidney’s team announcement for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations showdown with England.

Commenting on the team selection process, Ireland coach Declan Kidney said: “As we did after the French game we just went through the whole team really.

“We’ve just come off the training pitch in the last hour and the way the other lads are training you would need to do that because they are training so well.

“The lads who have come on as subs over the last number of weeks have put a big hand up.

“But bviously some of the performances in the Magners League last weekend, I thought guys did pretty well and the ‘A’ game as well too which was played on the Friday night before the Italian game.

“I thought guys put in a good performance as well there too. Too many really to list them all individually.”

The only change in the 22-man squad for the England game sees Mick O’Driscoll come in for Malcolm O’Kelly on the replacements bench.

Kidney added: “The second row is probably one of the most sought after positions in the set-up at the moment. You have Mick who played in the Magners League at the weekend and Bob (Casey) and Ryan (Caldwell) played very well in the ‘A’ game.

“Other lads…Leo (Cullen) has been out injured. Mal has been going very well, he’s the most capped player in Irish rugby history.

“With some much competition for places it is very important to keep an eye on how things go in training, and how they go in the Magners League and how they go in the ‘A’ games as regards guys coming through.

“Mick had been going very well until he picked up the shoulder injury. He went well again last weekend and I just thought he deserved the nod there.”

Click here to view our photo gallery from Tuesday’s Ireland training session at the RDS.