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Rugby Union

Horgan named despite injury

13/08/2007

Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan has selected Shane Horgan among his 14 backs for the Rugby World Cup, despite the player suffering a leg injury in the warm-up match against Scotland.

Horgan left the field during the 31-21 defeat at Murrayfield and was diagnosed with a knee ligament strain which is likely to keep him on the sidelines for most of the pool stage.

Nevertheless Horgan joins Gordon D'Arcy, Gavin Duffy, Denis Hickie, Andrew Trimble, Brian Carney, Girvan Dempsey, Geordan Murphy and captain Brian O'Driscoll in the squad.

Stand-offs Ronan O'Gara and Paddy Wallace are named along with three scrum-halfs – Peter Stringer, Isaac Boss and Eoin Reddan.

Jerry Flannery and Frankie Sheahan are named along with Rory Best at hooker, while Ireland's experienced pack will also include most-capped Irish international Malcolm O'Kelly.

"This was one of the toughest moments of my coaching career to select this 30-man squad," O'Sullivan said of his selection dilemma.

"Unfortunately we were always going to be limited to 30 players and some very hard decisions had to be made.

"The Scotland game solved some of the selection issues in the back row and also the back three and after four years of preparation, we are now on the run-in to the tournament.

"One part of the challenge for the players is behind them by getting selected. The challenge for us all now is to compete and be as successful as we can be in the tournament."

The squad has now departed for a warm weather camp in France and will return to Belfast for the final warm-up game against Italy at Ravenhill on Friday August 24th.

Full 30-man Ireland World Cup squad:Forwards–

Neil Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Simon Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Simon Easterby (Llanelli)
Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)
Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster)
Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
Malcolm O'Kelly (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
Alan Quinlan (Shannon/Munster)
Frankie Sheahan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
Bryan Young (Ballymena/Ulster)

Backs–
Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster)
Brian Carney (Clonakilty/Munster)
Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster)
Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht)
Denis Hickie (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
Shane Horgan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Geordan Murphy (Leinster)
Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (CAPTAIN)
Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Eoin Reddan (Wasps)
Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)

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