Horan to Start Against Fiji

Marcus Horan will win his first full senior Ireland cap when he takes the field against Fiji on Sunday.

Marcus Horan will win his first full senior Ireland cap when he takes the field against Fiji on Sunday.

25 year old Horan was capped for the first time at this level when he came on as a replacement against The US Eagles on Ireland’s summer 2000 tour of the Americas but since then has been restricted to a place on the bench although a regular on the Ireland A side. Horan will form an all Munster front row along with Frank sheahan and John Hayes while the inclusion of Alan Quinlan and Anthony Foley brings Munster’s representation in the pack to five.

With Ronan O’Gara and Peter Stringer both being rested the only other Munster player in the squad of 22 is Cork Con’s Mick O’Driscoll who is named on the bench and will surely win his second international cap at some stage of the game. There will be some surprise at the preference for Leo Cullen ahead of O’Driscoll and even more surprise that there is no place at all for Mike Mullins. It is believed that the selectors were anxious to have a look at John Kelly at outside centre while giving Brian O’Driscoll a rest. However Kelly’s injury scuppered those plans and seems the ideal opportunity to give Mullins a run, given that he has been performing so well this year with Munster.

Another surprise will be the omission of Denis Leamy from the 22 strong Development squad for the game against Argentina. leamy is another player who has caught the eye in the jersey this year particularly in the games against Ulster in Ravenhill and against Swansea in Musgrave Park. There are just two Munster players Mossy Lawler and Donncha O’Callaghan named in the Development Squad.

Irish Squad to Face Fiji:

15 – Geordan Murphy (Leicester) 14 Shane Horgan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 13 Brian O Driscoll (Leinster/Blackrock College) Captain 12 Kevin Maggs (Bath) 11 Justin Bishop (London Irish) 10 David Humphreys (Ulster/Dungannon) 9 Guy Easterby (Llanelli)

1 Marcus Horan (Munster/Shannon) 2 Frank Sheahan (Munster/Cork Constitution) 3 John Hayes (Munster/Shannon) 4 Leo Cullen (Leinster/Blackrock College) 5 Malcolm O Kelly (Leinster/St. Mary s College) 6 Alan Quinlan (Munster/Shannon) 7 Kieron Dawson (London Irish) 8 Anthony Foley (Munster/Shannon)

Replacements: 16 Shane Byrne (Leinster/Blackrock College), 17 Reggie Corrigan (Leinster/Greystones), 18 Mick O Driscoll (Munster/Cork Consitution), 19 Eric Miller (Leinster/Terenure), 20 Peter Stringer (Munster/Shannon), 21 Ronan O Gara (Munster/Cork Constitution), 22 Gordon D Arcy (Leinster/Lansdowne).

Not considered due to injury: Keith Wood (Harlequins), Simon Easterby (Llanelli), David Wallace (Munster/Garryowen), Paul O Connell (Munster/Young Munster), Bob Casey (London Irish), Jeremy Davidson (Ulster/Dungannon), Rob Henderson (Munster/Young Munster), Emmet Byrne (Leinster/St. Mary s College), Jonathan Bell (Ulster/Dungannon) and John Kelly (Munster/Cork Constitution).

The Irish Development XV to play Argentina:

The Irish Development XV to play Argentina at Donnybrook, on Wednesday next, November 20th (k.o. 6:30 pm) is as follows:

15 Bryn Cunningham (Ulster/Dungannon) 14 Ted Robinson (Connacht/Bucanneers) 13 Gavin Duffy (Connacht/Galwegians) 12 David Quinlan (Leinster/Blackrock College) 11 Mossy Lawler (Munster/Shannon) 10 Mark McHugh (Connacht/St. Mary s College) 9 Brian O Riordan (Leinster/UCD)

1 Simon Best (Ulster/Belfast Harlequins) 2 Paul Shields (Ulster/Ballymena) Captain 3 Peter Bracken (Connacht/Galwegians) 4 Donnacha O Callaghan (Munster/ Cork Constitution) 5 Aidan Kearney (Leinster/Dungannon) 6 Aidan McCullen (Leinster/Lansdowne) 7 Johnny O Connor (Connacht/Galwegians) 8 Des Dillon (Leinster/UCD)

Replacements: 16 Jerry Flannery (Connacht/Galwegians), 17 Ronan McCormack (Connacht/Bucanneers), 18 Damien Browne (Connacht/Galwegians), 19 Neil McMillan (Ulster/Ballymena), 20 Kieran Campbell (Ulster/Dungannon), 21 Shane Moore (Connacht/UCD), 22 Scott Young (Ulster/Ballymena).