St Mary's wing Denis Hickie and Blackrock centre Brian O'Driscoll have been restored to the Ireland squad for tomorrow week's Six Nations Championship clash with France at Lansdowne Road.
Both players missed the opening match against Italy because of injury. Hickie broke a bone in his hand while playing a European Cup tie for Leinster against Edinburgh Reivers. The damage has healed more quickly than anticipated and he yesterday had the cast removed. It is now a question of physiotherapy and restoring the flexibility of the damaged area.
O'Driscoll's shoulder injury has also responded to treatment and rest and the Irish management are confident he will make the starting line-up.
With no disrespect to the players whom they replace, Mike Mullins and Shane Horgan, the return of Ireland's two most potent backs is a significant fillip.
The rest of the squad is the same as that named for the Stadio Flaminio game. It is interesting to note that Kevin Maggs has been retained in the senior 22 even though he started the Italian game on the bench and Horgan and Mullins started the match. Maggs has been in excellent form for his club, Bath, and possibly given the likelihood of a tremendously physical game on Saturday week has been retained. He is arguably Ireland's best midfield defender.
French coach Bernard Laporte has named an unchanged squad. Laporte was unhappy with the way his side played in the opening 16-6 win against Scotland in Paris last Sunday, but has opted for stability.
Gloucester hooker Olivier Azam retains his place, having been called in to replace first choice Fabrice Landreau, who is still injured. The French squad will assemble on Monday and the starting line-up will be named on Wednesday.
The Ireland team come together on Sunday night in Dublin and will train at Dr Hickey Park on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The first and third are closed sessions. The team to play the French will be announced on Tuesday, along with the Ireland A team to face France A at Ravenhill next Friday night (7.30).
The composition of the Ireland A backline is likely to provoke greater discussion than its senior counterpart. With Horgan and Mullins dropping down, Jonathan Bell and Justin Bishop have been excluded. John Kelly's excellent display in the A international in Viterbo last weekend means that the midfield partnership is far from a formality.
The Cork Constitution player could partner Horgan, or the management may move to the right wing with a Horgan-Mullins midfield axis. In that situation, Geordan Murphy and Dominic Crotty would be left to vie for the full back berth. It seems fair to presume that only Anthony Horgan of the potential three-quarter line will sleep soundly before Tuesday.
There is one change to the set of forwards, with St Mary's number eight Victor Costello, an original choice for the Italian game before withdrawing due to a viral infection, happily restored. He replaces Blackrock second row Leo Cullen in the squad.
Meanwhile, the Ireland side for the Under-21 international against France next Friday will be announced on Monday. The match was due to be played at Donnybrook, but will now take place at Templeville Road (2.30).
FRANCE (Squad) - Forwards: S Marconnet (Stade Francais), P De Villiers (Stade Francais), C Califano (Toulouse), R Ibanez (Castres), O Azam (Gloucester), F Pelous (Toulouse, capt), D Auradou (Stade Francais), A Benazzi (Agen), C Moni (Stade Francais), S Betsen (Biarritz), C Juillet (Stade Francais), O Magne (Montferrand). Backs: F Galthie (Colomiers), P Carbonneau (Pau), C Lamaison (Agen), G Merceron (Montferrand), F Comba (Stade Francais), R Dourthe (Beziers), D Bory (Montferrand), P Bernat-Salles (Biarritz), C Dominici (Stade Francais), X Garbajosa (Toulouse).
SCOTLAND (Squad v Wales): Forwards: G Bulloch (Glasgow), S Grimes (Newcastle Falcons), M Leslie (Edinburgh), G McIlwham (Glasgow), R Metcalfe (Edinburgh), S Murray (Saracens), J Petrie (Glasgow), B Pountney (Northampton), R Russell (Saracens), T Smith (Brive), M Stewart (Northampton), J White (Glasgow). Backs: Alan Bulloch (Glasgow), James Craig (Glasgow), Duncan Hodge (Edinburgh), John Leslie (Northampton), Kenny Logan (London Wasps), James McLaren (Glasgow), Cameron Murray (Edinburgh), Andy Nicol (Glasgow, capt), Chris Paterson (Edinburgh), Bryan Redpath (Sale Sharks).
