Farce as trio add to Ireland injury woes

Ireland's match against France tonight is in danger of degenerating into farce, with eight original members of the side withdrawn following weekend injuries.

The game in Albi is the Rugby League's first attempt to squeeze a midweek international into the calendar. It all started to go wrong on Friday night, with five casualties – Wigan's Terry O'Connor, Mick Cassidy and Brian Carney, plus Anthony Stewart and Chris Joynt from St Helens – pulling out of the squad.

Sunday saw the Bradford pair, James Lowes and Michael Withers, added to the list, along with Hull's Steve Prescott. That has meant a late call-up for a variety of Irish-qualified players from the Northern Ford Premiership, such as Damien Munro and Mark Forster from Widnes, Scott Dyson from Gateshead and Featherstone's Paul Darley. Also included is Gavin Gordon, who has been playing for the London Skolars in the amateur Rugby League Conference.

Leeds' Barry McDermott will captain the side, replacing O'Connor, whose badly broken nose will keep him out for several weeks.

France, back from a demanding Pacific tour, have suffered a blow of their own, with their most experienced international, Freddy Banquet, switching to rugby union. Banquet, who has played successfully in England with Sheffield, Featherstone and Wakefield, has joined Castres.

England have included three players uncapped by them or Great Britain for their match against Wales at the end of next month.

The Wigan centre, Paul Johnson, Hull's versatile forward, Paul King, and the Leeds utility back, Karl Pratt, are included at this level for the first time. The other feature of the squad is that five of Bradford's six English-qualified forwards are named.

Leeds' Chev Walker has also been called up, despite being due to captain the Academy tour to Australia and New Zealand. Walker will be withdrawn from that tour if Leeds are still struggling with injuries and will then play against Wales instead.

Hull have defended their decision not to allow their loose forward, Jason Smith, join Allan Langer in flying back to Australia to play for Queensland in the deciding State of Origin match this Sunday.

"I had a message from them on Friday night," said the Hull chief executive, Shane Richardson. "But we have two of the most important games of the season coming up."