ISAAC BOSS has been ruled out consideration for the Ireland summer tour to New Zealand due to an ongoing thigh injury.
Boss had hoped to prove his fitness to take his place in the touring party when it leaves on Thursday for New Zealand, but has not recovered sufficiently.
The New Zealand-born scrum-half travelled to his native country for the Rugby World Cup late last year and had a solid year for Leinster, starting in a number of big Heineken Cup matches.
However the injured thigh ruled Boss out of the Heineken Cup Final win and the weekend defeat to Ospreys at the RDS.
The IRFU confirmed Boss’ absence from the touring party on Monday evening. The statement added:
Paul O’Connell will be continuing his rehabilitation for a knee injury in London for the remainder of this week and a final decision will be made on Friday on whether he will fly out to join up with the squad.
“The other remaining positions to be confirmed in the touring squad will be named on Wednesday after (the) game against the Barbarians.”
Speaking to TheScore.ie last Friday, Irish team manager Michael Kearney confirmed that Ulster’s Paul Marshall was the main player in contention to take up the final scrum-half spot.
He did not, however, completely dismiss the claims of Tomas O’Leary or Peter Stringer.
