Staunton loses fitness race
Wasps fly-half Jeremy Staunton has dropped out of the Ireland squad for the tour of Argentina and has been replaced by Leinster’s Luke Fitzgerald.
Staunton is short on match practice after suffering a thumb injury and it was decided he would be better served replacing Fitzgerald in the Ireland A squad for the Barclays Churchill Cup.
Ireland head coach Eddie O’Sullivan said: “Jeremy has not played in some time and with no game time I thought it would be better for him to get some match practice with the A team.”
Staunton has not been included in Wasps’ Heineken Cup final squad so will be available for Ireland A’s opening game against Canada in Exeter on Saturday night.
Fitzgerald, 19, made his Ireland debut against the Pacific Islands last November.
Revised Ireland squad for tour to Argentina:
Forwards: Neil Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Simon Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Peter Bracken (Wasps), Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster), Leo Cullen (Leicester), Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster), Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster), Keith Gleeson (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Clontarf/Leinster), Trevor Hogan (Shannon/Leinster), Bernard Jackman (Clontarf/Leinster), Shane Jennings (Leicester), Mick O’Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster), Malcolm O’Kelly (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Alan Quinlan (Shannon/Munster), Frankie Sheahan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Bryan Young (Ballymena/Ulster).
Backs: Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster), Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Munster), Brian Carney (Clonakilty/Munster), Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht), Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster), Kieran Lewis (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Barry Murphy (U.L. Bohemians/Munster), Geordan Murphy (Leicester), Tomas O’Leary (Dolphin/Munster), Eoin Reddan (Wasps), Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster), Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster), Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster).
