Tomas O’Leary, Kevin McLaughlin and Gavin Duffy have been called up to the Irish rugby squad for this weekend’s Six Nations opener against Italy.
All three played in the Irish Wolfhounds defeat to Scotland on Friday night and have been called into boost a squad that has been ravaged by injuries to Rob Kearney, Geordan Murphy, Tommy Bowe, Andrew Trimble, Shane Horgan, Jamie Heaslip, Stephen Ferris, John Hayes and Jerry Flannery.
Thankfully for Declan Kidney, there are no fresh injury concerns in the Irish squad after a week in camp in Limerick last week.
The Ireland team to play Italy will be announced on Tuesday, while the Irish Wolfhounds team to face England Saxons at Ravenhill on Friday night will be named on the same day.
Ireland’s clash with Italy kicks off in the Stadio Flaminio in Rome on Saturday at 2.30pm.
Ireland squad: Rory Best, Sean Cronin, Tom Court, Leo Cullen, Gavin Duffy, Gordon D’Arcy, Keith Earls, Luke Fitzgerald, Cian Healy, Shane Jennings, Denis Leamy, Fergus McFadden, Kevin McLaughlin, Eoin Reddan, Mike Ross, Rhys Ruddock, Jonathan Sexton, Sean O’Brien, Donncha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell, Brian O’Driscoll, Mick O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, Tomas O’Leary, David Wallace, Paddy Wallace.
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