Ulster name extended Squad for Cardiff trip

Posted on Feb 14, 2012 in Irish Rugby, Ulster

Tom Court, Chris Henry, Paddy Wallace and Dan Tuohy will all be available for Ulster’s RaboDirect PRO12 trip to Cardiff this Friday.

The players will be released from the Ireland squad but fellow Internationals Stephen Ferris, Andrew Trimble and Rory Best remain unavailable for selection.

Ulster’s 31 man squad contains a mix of youth and experience, with Henry taking over the captaincy in the absence of Johann Muller through injury. The 27 year old led the side admirably when Muller and Rory Best were on World Cup duty earlier in the season.

Muller will miss a second consecutive match following the calf injury he picked up last week in training, while Ali Birch is the only fresh injury after he picked up a knee injury in Friday’s win over Dragons.

Ulster have won seven of the previous nine games in all competitions, with six of those wins producing four try bonus points. Cardiff are also showing good form, particularly at home, where they have lost just one of their last eight games.

Ulster produced one of their best recent performances in this fixture last season, with Craig Gilroy scoring two debut tries to help secure a 15-37 win. The Ulstermen then completed the double over their Welsh rivals with a 32-13 success at Ravenhill.

Provisional Ulster Squad to play Cardiff, Friday 17th February, Cardiff Arms Park (kick off 7.05pm):

Forwards:

Callum Black, Adam Macklin, John Afoa, Tom Court, Jerry Cronin, Paddy McAllister, Andi Kyriacou, Nigel Brady, Lewis Stevenson, Tim Barker, Dan Tuohy, Neil McComb, Willie Faloon, Chris Henry (captain), Mike McComish, Robbie Diack

Backs:

Paul Marshall, Ruan Pienaar, Ian Porter, Ian Humphreys, Luke Marshall, Paddy Wallace, Ian Whitten, Nevin Spence, Michael Allen, Stefan Terblanche, Craig Gilroy, Conor Gaston, Simon Danielli, Chris Cochrane, Adam D’Arcy

Unavailable due to injury:

Declan Fitzpatrick, Jared Payne, Pedrie Wannenburg, Darren Cave, Johann Muller, Ali Birch

Unavailable due to IRFU Player Management:

Stephen Ferris, Rory Best, Andrew Trimble

England Women’s Squad announced for Newquay 7s

Posted on Jun 29, 2011 in Women's Rugby

The England Women’s squad to compete in this Saturday’s (July 2^nd) Newquay 7s has been announced.

Worcester’s Katherine Merchant is the only newcomer to the squad that made the West Country 7s final earlier this month. There is, however, no place for Natasha Brennan, Natasha Hunt or Ruth Laybourn as Head Coach Barry Maddocks rotates his squad.

Maddocks said: “This is another exciting opportunity for the England 7s team. After two tournaments we are determined to keep progressing and developing and I am sure the Newquay 7s will provide us with that opportunity.

“Like any team in this tournament we are looking to win, and after two defeats in two finals it would be nice to take the next step. Development is again key for us though, and we will be looking to improve mentally, develop our confidence and improve on finishing the good opportunities we are creating.”

England head to Newquay on the back of making the finals of the West Country 7s and Rugby Rocks in June.

England are grouped with the Army and WA3, while international team Sweden are also involved as well as Premiership sides Worcester and Wasps. England will also be fielding a RFUW Development 7s team.

England 7s Squad

JennyBrightmore (Worcester)

Heather Fisher (Worcester)

SoniaGreen (Saracens)

Sarah Guest (Worcester)

Katherine Merchant (Worcester)

Sophie Nicholas (Lichfield)

Alice Richardson (Richmond)

Michaela Staniford (Wasps)

Lydia Thompson (Worcester)

Danielle Waterman (Worcester)

Ireland Wolfhounds 22 to play Saxons

Posted on Feb 1, 2011 in Rugby News

A twenty two man O2 Ireland Wolfhounds Squad to play the England Saxons in Ravenhill on Friday has been named.

The starting XV will be announced by the Wolfhounds Coaches at a press conference in Belfast on Wednesday.

Prop Tony Buckley is ruled out after picking up an injury in the game against Scotland ‘A’ last week.

Declan Fitzpatrick is named in the squad in place of Buckley. Mike McCarthy is also named in the squad while Paul Marshall, Ian Keatley and David Kearney have also been called up.

Tickets for the game against the Saxons are on sale from www.ulsterrugby.com

O2 Ireland Wolfhounds Squad (v England Saxons, Friday, Februray 4^th, Ravenhill, 19:30)

Backs (10) -

Isaac Boss (Terenure College – Leinster)
Fionn Carr (Galwegians- Connacht)
Ian Humphreys (Ballymena – Ulster)
David Kearney (Lansdowne – Leinster)
Ian Keatley (Galwegians- Connacht)
Denis Hurley (Cork Constitution – Munster)
Paul Marshall (Belfast Harlequins – Ulster)
Johne Murphy (Young Munster – Munster)
Eoin O’Malley (Old Belvedere – Leinster)
Nevin Spence (Ballynahinch – Ulster)

Forwards (12) -

Nigel Brady (Dungannon – Ulster)
Willie Faloon (Ballynahinch – Ulster)
Declan Fitzpatrick (Dungannon – Ulster)
Jamie Hagan (Corinthians – Connacht)
Chris Henry (Ballymena – Ulster)
Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers – Connacht)
Ian Nagle (Cork Constitution – Munster)
Mick O’Driscoll (Cork Constitution – Munster)
Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne – Leinster)
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon – Munster)
Damien Varley (Garryowen – Munster)
Brett Wilkinson (Galwegians – Connacht)

Irish squad update

Posted on Jan 31, 2011 in Rugby News

An Ireland 26 man squad will join up in camp this evening in Dublin to begin final preparations ahead of the opening game of the RBS 6 Nations Championship against Italy next Saturday (February 5th) in Rome.

There are no fresh injury concerns for the Ireland team after last weeks camp in Limerick and the Ireland Wolfhounds game against Scotland, with Gavin Duffy, Tomas O’Leary and Kevin McLaughlin coming into the senior squad from the Wolfhounds side.

The Ireland team to play Italy will be announced this Tuesday and the Ireland Wolfhounds squad to face the England Saxons in Ravenhill on Friday night will also be announced on Tuesday.

Ireland Squad:
Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht)
Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster)
Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
Shane Jennings (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)
Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Kevin McLaughlin (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)
Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
Rhys Ruddock (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)
Jonathan Sexton (St. Marys College/Leinster)
Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster)
Mick O’Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Tomas O’Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)

Ulster squad vs Leinster

Posted on Dec 22, 2010 in Rugby News

The Ulster squad, from which the starting XV and replacements to play Leinster at Ravenhill on Monday 27th December (ko 4pm) will be selected, has been named.

With the Irish international players unavailable for selection under the Player Management Programme, Brian McLaughlin’s side for the Magners’ League interprovincial derby will have a different look to those which recorded back-to-back Heineken Cup wins over Bath in recent weeks.

The Ulster starting XV and replacements will be named on Friday at noon.

Meanwhile, with an almost sell-out crowd, grounds-staff at Ravenhill are working hard to ensure a playable surface and safe ground for spectators on 27th December. The pitch is in good condition and well insulated under the lying snow and we are bringing in machinery to help scrape the snow and frost from the terraces and walkways.

ULSTER SQUAD FORWARDS
Declan Fitzpatrick, Paddy McAllister, Bryan Young, BJ Botha, Jerry Cronin, Nigel Brady, Andi Kyriacou, Tim Barker, Neil McComb, Johann Muller, Dan Tuohy, Ryan Caldwell, TJ Anderson, Robbie Diack, Chris Henry, Willie Faloon, Pedrie Wannenburg

ULSTER SQUAD BACKS
David McIlwaine, Adam D’Arcy, Jamie Smith, Simon Danielli, Tommy Seymour, Craig Gilroy, Luke Marshall, Nevin Spence, Ian Whitten, Ian Humphreys, Niall O’Connor, Paul Marshall, Ruan Pienaar