Kidney includes five new faces
January 30, 2012 14:30:55 UK
Ireland will be without Brian O'Driscoll for the whole of the Six Nations.Injuries to several key players have forced Declan Kidney to name five uncapped players in his 32-man squad for Sunday's Six Nations clash with Wales.
Wings David Kearney and Simon Zebo are included after scoring tries in the Irish Wolfhounds' 23-17 defeat to England Saxons on Friday while centre Eoin O'Malley, back row Peter O'Mahony and prop Brett Wilkinson also feature.
All five have been promoted from the Wolfhounds squad, while capped internationals full-back Denis Hurley, lock Dan Tuohy and back rows Chris Henry and Rhys Ruddock are all included.
Scrum-halves Tomas O'Leary and Isaac Boss miss out while second row Leo Cullen has also been omitted from the squad.
Ireland are 151.00 to win the Six Nations title this season and 1001.00 to complete a Grand Slam. They are 151.00 to pick up the Wooden Spoon.
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Brian O'Driscoll has been ruled out of the tournament after having a shoulder operation so Kidney will have to decide who of Keith Earls, Tommy Bowe, Fergus McFadden and Andrew Trimble will be handed the number 13 jersey.
Jonathan Sexton is battling it out with Ronan O'Gara for the fly-half spot while Eoin Reddan is in competition with Conor Murray for the scrum-half place.
Ireland squad:
Forwards: R Best (Ulster), T Bowe (Ospreys), T Court (Ulster), S Cronin (Leinster), S Ferris (Ulster), C Healy (Leinster), J Heaslip (Leinster), C Henry (Ulster), S Jennings (Leinster), S O'Brien (Leinster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), P O'Connell (Munster), P O'Mahony (Munster), M Ross (Leinster), D Ryan (Munster), R Ruddock (Leinster), D Tuohy (Ulster), B Wilkinson (Connacht).
Backs: G D'Arcy (Leinster), K Earls (Munster), D Hurley (Munster), R Kearney (Leinster), D Kearney (Leinster), F McFadden (Leinster), C Murray (Munster), R O'Gara (Munster), E O'Malley (Leinster), E Reddan (Leinster), J Sexton (Leinster), A Trimble (Ulster), P Wallace (Ulster), S Zebo (Munster).
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