SIX NATIONS NEWS:PETER STRINGER has again been overlooked by Ireland coach Declan Kidney, who has added eight other players for training this week to the 22-man match-day squad which was on duty against France. The team and replacements for Sunday's game away to Scotland will be announced tomorrow.
Stringer’s treatment limits the management’s options at scrumhalf, where the form and service of Tomás O’Leary has attracted even more debate in the fall-out from the French defeat. Thus the only option is to promote Eoin Reddan from the replacements’ bench, though one suspects Kidney and Co have cast O’Leary’s name in stone, despite another smooth and impressive performance by Stringer in Munster’s win over Edinburgh last Friday.
As with Ronan O’Gara, the 95-time capped Stringer would add experience as well as variety from the bench, but even though he is playing as well as ever, it seems he has fallen out of favour again.
After making his first Test starts since the Americas summer tour of 2009 in the November wins over Samoa and Argentina (which remains the only time he has partnered Jonathan Sexton), Stringer was one of two scrumhalves in the original Six Nations squad, but was then omitted from the 22 for the Italian game and only called in as cover in the week of the French game when O’Leary was laid low by a back spasm.
Of the eight call-ups, the fit-again Tommy Bowe and Andrew Trimble look the most credible candidates for selection. Each made 80-minute returns for the Ospreys and Ulster over the weekend after knee and hand injuries respectively, and Bowe, especially, will surely be accommodated. The question is whether that would be as a direct replacement for Fergus McFadden, who has done little wrong, or whether McFadden will be switched to the left wing or inside centre at the expense of either Keith Earls or Gordon D’Arcy.
The other six players called up are Mick O’Driscoll, Donnacha Ryan, Gavin Duffy, Denis Hurley, Tony Buckley and Rhys Ruddock. The squad assembled last night and will train this morning but, in any event, it would appear as if changes will be kept to a premium.
In contrast, Scotland have been dealt a triple whammy, with Joe Ansbro, Hugo Southwell and Rory Lamont all ruled out of Sunday’s game at Murrayfield.
Southwell, the Stade Francais fullback, has not recovered from the face injury he suffered early on in the defeat to Wales last Saturday week, when caught by Lee Byrne’s studs (to rub salt into the wound, as it were, Southwell was even penalised).
The Toulon fullback Lamont, who hadn’t featured in the defeats to France and Wales but was the likeliest replacement for Southwell, sustained a leg injury in his side’s surprise Top 14 defeat against Agen at the weekend, while Northampton centre Ansbro, who received a torrent of passes with red crosses on them in that error-strewn Scottish performance, suffered concussion during his team’s Premiership defeat to Bath at the weekend.
The options at fullback would appear to rest with two players at opposite ends of their Test careers, Scotland’s record points-scorer Chris Paterson, with 101 caps, or Bath’s uncapped Jack Cuthbert.
Elsewhere, there are all manner of options, with Sean Lamont likely to come in to midfield or on the wing, with Max Evans reverting to centre, while Ruaidhri Jackson and Mike Blair are pressing Dan Parks and Rory Lawson.
Up front, Moray Low will replace the struggling Euan Murray, while giant lock Richie Gray is expected to return from injury, with Nathan Hines reverting to blindside unless John Beattie is considered fit enough to reform the so-called Killer Bs, with Kelly Brown and John Barclay.
“We have made the decision now that all three of our injured backs will miss this weekend’s international, so that brings clarity to our preparations,” said head coach Andy Robinson, who will also unveil his hand tomorrow.
“We wish all of them a speedy recovery. Our medical staff will continue to treat and monitor our injured forwards. Everybody was hurting after the display against Wales, but we must now focus on the challenge that Ireland bring and there’s absolute determination to bounce back.”
Six forwards sat out training yesterday, with Scotland team doctor James Robson reporting that they will require further medical assessment. Glasgow Warriors pair Jon Welsh (ribs) and Robert Harley (hip), Edinburgh flanker Ross Rennie (toe) and Leinster lock Hines (knee) all suffered knocks in Magners League action at the weekend.
Richie Vernon is still feeling the effects of the calf knock he suffered against Wales, while hooker Dougie Hall continues to be troubled by the shoulder injury that ruled him out of the Murrayfield defeat.
