Keith Earls ruled out of Summer Tour

[MunsterMan]

Keith Earls has been ruled out of the Ireland rugby squad for the summer tour to New Zealand and Australia.

Earls has been suffering from a persistent groin injury and following his participation in the training camp in Limerick this week he has been ruled out of the tour.

Connacht's Gavin Duffy, who was been named in the Ireland XV for the game against the Barbarians in Thomond Park on Friday night, will now travel with the squad to New Zealand in place of Earls.

Earls joins Paul O'Connell, Rory Best and Kevin McLaughlin on the list of players who have been forced to withdraw from the tour.

Further Test regulars Stephen Ferris, Denis Leamy and Luke Fitzgerald did not make it into the original 33-man squad named last month because of injury problems.

Ireland squad for the 2010 Summer Tour in New Zealand and Australia from 4-26 June:

Backs:
Tommy Bowe,
Gordon D'Arcy,
Gavin Duffy,
Shane Horgan,
Rob Kearney,
Fergus McFadden,
Geordan Murphy,
Brian O'Driscoll,
Ronan O'Gara,
Tomas O'Leary,
Eoin Reddan,
Jonathan Sexton,
Peter Stringer,
Andrew Trimble,
Paddy Wallace

Forwards:
Tony Buckley,
Tom Court,
Sean Cronin,
Jerry Flannery,
John Fogarty,
John Hayes,
Cian Healy,
Jamie Heaslip,
Chris Henry,
Marcus Horan,
Shane Jennings,
John Muldoon,
Donncha O'Callaghan,
Mick O'Driscoll,
Ed O'Donoghue,
Niall Ronan,
Dan Tuohy,
David Wallace

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2010/0603/earlsk.html


Balls, just balls.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

Complete nightmare

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

This is really bad news for Ireland, but it follows hot on the heels of IRB meetings and directives that national teams must have available and that clubs must release their best players for these tours. We've seen several first choice players not released for these southern tours for years and years and the IRB has recently been trying to act on it. All of a sudden a landslide of injuries? Possible, but any more and it'll start getting improbable.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

1. Healy
2. Flannery
3. Buckley
4. Tuohy
5. DOC
6. O'Brien
7. Wallace
8. Heaslip
9. O'Leary
10. Sexton
11. Trimble
12. D'Arcy
13. BOD
14. Bowe
15. Kearney

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

It's just a shame that some of the guys that most of the Irish on TRF think are the goods are not likely to be available.

 

[Conal]

trimble will have to step up to the mark
trimble can be pacy enough but he is no keith earls
this tour is going to be hell on earth
were not winning a game (part from barbarians mabey)

 

[King_D'Arcy]

At least we've got our excuses at the ready

 

[Feicarsinn]

This is really bad news for Ireland, but it follows hot on the heels of IRB meetings and directives that national teams must have available and that clubs must release their best players for these tours. We've seen several first choice players not released for these southern tours for years and years and the IRB has recently been trying to act on it. All of a sudden a landslide of injuries? Possible, but any more and it'll start getting improbable.

Ireland have always sent full touring squads down under regardless. We're just being hit with the worst injury luck ever.

King d'arcy, were'd you pluck O'Brien's name out of? He's not touring is he? Our backrow will probably be Wallace, Jennings and Heaslip. Lightweight I know, but may be quick enough to play a very expansive game.

The only plus is that Heaslip is mammoth in the lineout so perhaps we won't feel the losses there too badly.

 

[MunsterMan]

Sean O'Brien is still not back from injury so the once capped John Muldoon and the never capped Chris Henry are the only recognised blindside flankers.

Backline is still nice but we are really struggling up front, All Black scrum will could win the match on it's own, but that has nothing to do with injurys...

CA, Ireland has never sent a second string team down to face New Zealand that I can remember anyway, we do always try and test our players against the best, which is why it's such a shame Stephen Ferris, Keith Earls, Luke Fitzgerald etc. are missing out.

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

I didn't say that Ireland had, France actually has the worst record for that, followed by England. Wales, Ireland and Scotland haven't ever been a problem (that I know of). I was just wondering out loud if maybe some Irish players clubs, not their rugby union, had had a word in their ear about staying injury free for them. Professionalism is increasing the demands on players to be more "for the club" rather "for the nation". I'm not 100% serious about it, as I wouldn't know. It's just speculation.

I'm just the kind of guy who tries to look at all angles, not just the most obvious ones all the time.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

Crap, I forgot about O'Brien's injury

 

[Feicarsinn]

I didn't say that Ireland had, France actually has the worst record for that, followed by England. Wales, Ireland and Scotland haven't ever been a problem (that I know of). I was just wondering out loud if maybe some Irish players clubs, not their rugby union, had had a word in their ear about staying injury free for them. Professionalism is increasing the demands on players to be more "for the club" rather "for the nation". I'm not 100% serious about it, as I wouldn't know. It's just speculation.

I'm just the kind of guy who tries to look at all angles, not just the most obvious ones all the time.

Not a chance. O'Connell has been out for months, as have O'Brien, Leamy and Fitzgerald. Cullen missed the ML final the other day in which McLaughlin picked up his injury. Toner and Ryan wouldn't be overly knackered, their schedule isn't the most exhausting so I couldn't see the provinces telling them that they need a break. Best has had alot of injury problems this year so this one comes as no surprise and Ferris is out half the time these days anyway. I don't know exactly what happened to Earls but the chap would appear to be dying to get in the green jersey.

We don't have the problems over here with our provinces as they do with the clubs in England and France, primarily due to the fact that the best 30 players in the country are centrally contracted to the IRFU as opposed to the branches. While the provinces are getting more popular, international rugby is still by far and away top dog in this part of the world.

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

Well that actually clears that up a bit. As you can tell, I wasn't aware of the situation with players being centrally contracted to the IRFU. Very good to hear. Very sad situation though. I'd love to see the best Irish side here to push the AB's.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Damn, Ireland players are dropping like flies atm

If they're not careful their tour is going to turn into SAs autumn internationals

 

[coonor]

It's a shame that players like Earls who are finding theirboots in international rugby won't get the oppourtunity to go down under. I still have confidence as I beleive all the top tier teams can beat each other and theres no point going down there not beleiving we cant win.

 

[dangandan]

we are scahhhreeeeewed

 

[MunsterMan]

Expecially with an attitude like that

O'Leary and Reddan. O'Gara and Sexton. D'arcy, Wallace and BOD. Trimble and Bowe. Murphy And Kearney.

Class back, sure it would look better with Fitz and Earls in there but so what.

Yeah we are ****** up front but if we play to our stregths we will be fine [/optimism]

 

[munstermuffin]

Lads sad news about Keith and well it disappointing as I've been told tonight it something similar to Paul O'Connells but is treatable where he plays a game but is monitored for week after.

I think the the likes of Paulie, Earls, Best and well Sean O'Brien is only back and isn't ready for summer tour yet so they all might benefit from the long summer rest and clear injuries up.
I think the reality is we can forget about a win down under in his tour so maybe we should just go for it and pick the best players in training and have a cut because we've nothing to loose.

Then come Autumn Internationals we'll have Luke Fitz, Earls, O'Brien, and all these young guys will be fresh and well I have put €100 on already we'll beat All Blacks in Aviva.

For the tour I was talking with a Munster player and Kearney will be on wing with Murphy at 15 for tour.

 

[coonor]

Obviously I want us to win down under (I still think it's posible) but i'm more interested in performing well and giving the wallabies and AB a run for their money. If we can hold out and play el with this amount of injuries i'll be happy.

 

[dangandan]

haha its alright for me to have a negative attitude cos im not playing! also with that attitude u will never be disappointed and if ireland wins it will feel like winning the lottery. bit of an exageration with the lottery but im trying to get my point across