Kidney picks panel for November series

The 39-man panel for Ireland's upcoming Guinness Series of internationals against Australia, Fiji and South Africa has been announced.

The squad contains nine uncapped players, including Leinster Heineken Cup winners Jonathan Sexton and Cian Healy, who are expected to contend strongly for starting jerseys in at least one of the two main games.

Back-rowers Chris Henry (Ulster), Sean O'Brien (Leinster), prop Brett Wilkinson (Connacht), outside-back Fergus McFadden (Leinster), second row Devin Toner (Leinster) and hookers John Fogarty (Leinster) and Sean Cronin (Connacht) are the other uncapped players in the squad.

Notable omissions include out-half Ian Humphreys (Ulster), second-rows Malcolm O'Kelly (Leinster) and Mick O'Driscoll (Munster), back-rowers Shane Jennings (Leinster) and Alan Quinlan (Munster), full-back Girvan Dempsey (Leinster), hooker Bernard Jackman (Leinster) and full-back Geordan Murphy (Leicester Tigers).

London Irish lock and captain Bob Casey and Northampton centre James Downey, both of whom starred in wins over Irish provinces during the last round of Heineken Cup matches have also been left out though Downey's team-mate Neil Best's form is rewarded with a call-up. He and Ospreys' centre/wing Tommy Bowe are the only players based outside Ireland in the squad.

Jennings received a 12-week ban for making contact with the eye area of London Irish second row Nick Kennedy during Leinster's Heineken Cup pool defeat at the RDS while Murphy incurred a serious shoulder injury playing for Leicester in the Guinness Premiership and is not expected to return until after Christmas.

With extensive work having been done with squads over the summer, Kidney has also decided against including potential late emerging candidates such as Leinster back-rower Kevin McLaughlin, who has impressed for the province since claiming the starting jersey vacated by Rocky Elsom.

At scrum-half, Kidney has opted to stick with tried and tested trio Peter Stringer, Tomás O'Leary and Eoin Reddan with Ulster's Isaac Boss left out despite his side's improved form.

Commenting on the squad and the upcoming November games, Ireland Coach Declan Kidney said: 'We had an opportunity to work with most of the players selected in this squad over our three camps during the summer.

'Those sessions were about giving chances to as many players as possible following last year and after a third of the season gone so far, this November squad gives the majority of those players a chance to put their cases forward for selection.'

An 'A' squad for the Tonga game and a 30 man squad for the Australia test match will be announced at the end of the camp next week in Limerick.

Kidney added: 'November represents a challenge on several fronts with three full internationals and two 'A' games against quality opposition, so it will mean that the strength of our resources will be tested.'

As well as the match against Tonga, the 'A' side is due to face the Argentina Jaguars.

Kidney said: 'The games so far this season have given plenty of options in terms of competition for places. There were some hard calls made in selection, which is what you want, and players not included today will come into the reckoning for the two games against Tonga and Argentina Jaguares.'

'We now have to try and come up with the combinations to not only win against some of the best teams in the world, with two of those sides ranked above us, but also continue to develop the international experience levels for some of those players.'

Ireland Squad (39):

Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
Neil Best (Northampton Saints)
Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)*
Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht)
Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
John Fogarty (De La Salle Palmerston/Leinster)*
John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)*
Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)
Chris Henry (Ballymena/Ulster)*
Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster)
Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster)
Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Fergus McFadden (UCD/Leinster)*
Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster)
Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)*
Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary's College/Leinster)*
Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)*
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
Brett Wilkinson (Galwegians/Connacht)*

* Denotes uncapped player