DECLAN KIDNEY HAS named his 30-man panel ahead of next month’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
And the announcement has not been without its surprises.
Leinster full back Luke Fitzgerald has missed out – with Fergus McFadden getting the nod - as has Munster scrum half, Tomás O’Leary.
Eoin Reddan, Conor Murray and Isaac Boss the three scrum halves on the plane.
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Kidney, going for a 16-14 split, has also left the likes of Peter Stringer, Shane Jennings, Mick O’Driscoll and John Hayes outside the camp.
Half the squad will be travelling to the Rugby World Cup for the first time including the recently-capped McFadden and Conor Murray.
“With the quality of people that are there at the moment it’s been extraordinarily difficult in picking the squad. But I’m delighted with the people who we did pick because there’s some extraordinary – not alone players – but people there,” Kidney said after he ran through the list of names.
Kidney lauded the experience Geordan Murphy will bring to the party. “Isn’t that a real case of the highs and lows of sport?
“I was involved eight years ago when Geordan broke his leg at Murrayfield and now he gets his opportunity here too. He’s an experienced man who brings a lot of attributes to the pitch. It’s always great to be able to name somebody – as difficult as it is to exclude somebody.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the men that have been training with us. I can’t speak highly enough of the way they took [being excluded], you know the men that they are.”
Skipper Brian O’Driscoll urged those who are in the squad to now make the trip a happy one.
“It shows the strength of our squad and the quality there – the people who missed out those who got in. People that have made it in will be delighted, but the next thing is to put the victory in place.
“The mentality of this World Cup is to make it a success,” he added.
These Paralympics are absolutely brilliant. Channel 4 giving super coverage, thanks be to jaysus I have sky. I bet RTE regrets not covering it now seeing its so popular and the Irish athletes are doing us so proud. I wonder will they now cover the Rio Paralympic.
I watch on UPC, on Channel 4. Setanta 1 is an extra pay channel. Setanta Ireland have highlights three times a day. It’s just brilliant and the Irish have excelled themselves.
I’m amazed at the amount of coverage these events get. As sports followers we are fascinated by who is the fastest man or woman over 100m on the planet, this is an age old tradition. Is anyone actually bothered who the fastest slightly blind man, man with one leg or woman in a wheelchair is. Pistorius is famous because he ran in the actual Olympics, the vast majority of people couldn’t name another paralympic competitor.
It’s the adversity these athletes overcome to compete and succeed in the paralympics that has captured the imagination of the nation. They are inspirational and demonstrate the strength of human willpower. I’m actually disappointed there hasn’t been more coverage of the paralympics, particularly on RTE.
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brilliant so far ,brilliant athletes,brilliant atmosphere,enjoying every minute of it :)
These Paralympics are absolutely brilliant. Channel 4 giving super coverage, thanks be to jaysus I have sky. I bet RTE regrets not covering it now seeing its so popular and the Irish athletes are doing us so proud. I wonder will they now cover the Rio Paralympic.
The Alex Zinardi story must have a movie in it
I watch on UPC, on Channel 4. Setanta 1 is an extra pay channel. Setanta Ireland have highlights three times a day. It’s just brilliant and the Irish have excelled themselves.
I’m amazed at the amount of coverage these events get. As sports followers we are fascinated by who is the fastest man or woman over 100m on the planet, this is an age old tradition. Is anyone actually bothered who the fastest slightly blind man, man with one leg or woman in a wheelchair is. Pistorius is famous because he ran in the actual Olympics, the vast majority of people couldn’t name another paralympic competitor.
It’s the adversity these athletes overcome to compete and succeed in the paralympics that has captured the imagination of the nation. They are inspirational and demonstrate the strength of human willpower. I’m actually disappointed there hasn’t been more coverage of the paralympics, particularly on RTE.