Munster starlets in Kidney’s squad

New Ireland coach Declan Kidney has named a 45-man squad for next week’s four-day camp in Cork.

The most notable inclusion is Leinster centre Gordon D’Arcy, who suffered a broken arm during Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations opener against Italy last season.

Centre Andrew Trimble and lock Leo Cullen, who both missed Ireland’s summer tour to New Zealand and Australia because of injury, also return.

There are call-ups too for Munster pair Keith Earls and Donncha Ryan as Kidney takes an initial look at his players ahead of the new campaign.

The camp will be worked in as part of the players’ pre-season fitness and conditioning programmes they are currently undergoing with their provinces and clubs.

Kidney said: “The camp is an opportunity for the coaching staff to work with the players and set some foundations ahead of what is going to be an important November for us.”

Ireland face New Zealand, Argentina and Canada in the autumn, and Kidney added: “We have a new blend of experience in the coaching staff, and we felt this camp would be key to getting the ideas of both the staff and players across ahead of the new season.

“Once we get into September, it really is a short space of time before we will arrive at our first camp ahead of the November games, so it will be important to our preparation.”

Squad: N Best (Northampton), R Best (Ulster), I Boss (Ulster), T Bowe (Ospreys), T Buckley (Munster), R Caldwell (Ulster), B Casey (London Irish), T Court (Ulster), L Cullen (Leinster), G D’Arcy (Leinster), G Dempsey (Leicester), I Dowling (Munster), G Duffy (Connacht), K Earls (Munster), S Ferris (Ulster), L Fitzgerald (Leinster), J Flannery (Munster), J Hayes (Munster), C Healy (Leinster), J Heaslip (Leinster), M Horan (Munster), S Horgan (Leinster), B Jackman (Leinster), S Jennings (Leinster), R Kearney (Leinster), D Leamy (Munster), G Murphy (Leicester), D O’Callaghan (Munster), P O’Connell (Munster), R O’Gara (Munster), M O’Kelly (Leinster), B O’Driscoll (Leinster), M O’Driscoll (Munster), T O’Leary (Munster), A Quinlan (Munster), E Reddan (Wasps), M Ross (Harlequins), D Ryan (Munster), J Sexton (Leinster), P Stringer (Munster), A Trimble (Ulster), D Wallace (Munster), P Wallace (Ulster), R Wilson (Northampton), B Young (Ulster).