The Ireland management today announced the Ireland A squad that will take on England Saxons in Bath this weekend.
The squad shows several players included who have recently made their returns from injury or who will be looking to increase their competitive game time ahead of the start of the RBS Six Nations Championship.
Marcus Horan, who played in Munster's final Heineken Cup pool match, is named among the front rows alongside Rory Best, who also recently returned to full time training with Ulster and lined out for Banbridge in the AIB League at the weekend having recovered from injury.
Denis Hurley has been included in the squad and is being monitored on his recovery from the leg injury which forced his late withdrawal from Munster's Heineken Cup clash against Northamptoon at the weekend and a final decision on his fitness will be made later in the week.
Meanwhile several players sat out training today with the Ireland senior squad in Limerick. Donncha O'Callaghan (knee), Sean Cronin (sprained ankle) and Stephen Ferris (Shin) did not train today, but none of the players at this point have been ruled out of contention for the first weekend the RBS Six Nations Championship.
Ronan O'Gara, Gordon D'Arcy, Jonathan Sexton and Shane Horgan all sat out training as well as a precaution following the weekend's games.
The team and replacements will be confirmed on this Thursday, 28 January.
IRELAND 'A' Squad to play England Saxons, Recreation Groud, Sunday 31 January, 2pm:
Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster)
Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon /Ulster)
Ian Dowling (Shannon/Munster)
John Fogarty (De La Salle Palmerston/Leinster)
Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster)
Ian Humphreys (Ballymena/Ulster)
Denis Hurley (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Shane Jennings (St.Mary's College/Leinster)
Keith Matthews (Buccaneers/Connacht)
John Muldoon (Galwegians/Connacht)
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Johne Murphy (Leicester)
Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
Niall Ronan (Shannon/Munster)
Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
