Ireland
Ireland without Healy, Bowe and O'Brien for tour
ESPN Staff
May 19, 2014
Sean O'Brien has been told to rest by Joe Schmidt © Getty Images
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Ireland have confirmed their 30-man squad for the two-Test tour of Argentina.

Sean O'Brien, Cian Healy, Gordon D'Arcy and Tommy Bowe are all rested by Joe Schmidt while Ian Madigan misses out. Madigan will go to Romania with Emerging Ireland while Dave Kearney is absent through injury with Simon Zebo included at his expense.

"We believe to only take two scrum-halves would be very, very difficult, so we have gone for three scrum-halves," said Schmidt, explaining Madigan's omission. "To go with six halves would have been a real tightening of numbers. The thing for Ian is he hasn't had a lot of game time recently.

Ireland's tour of Argentina

  • June 7 - Argentina v Ireland, Estadio Centenario, Resistancia (15.40 local, 19.40 Irish time)
  • June 14 - Argentina v Ireland, Estadio José Fierro, Tucumán (15.40 local, 19.40 Irish time)

"I have had a really good discussion with him. He is going to come in and train with us, but he will go on the emerging tour and that will give him and the likes of Ian Keatley time to get game time over there. We will still be keeping a close eye on that group."

There are four uncapped players named in the squad with Munster prop James Cronin, Ulster back-row Robbie Diack and hooker Rob Herring and Connacht scrum-half Kieran Marmion included.

The squad, which will be captained by Paul O'Connell, will leave for Buenos Aires on June 1, the day after the PRO12 final between Leinster and Glasgow Warriors.

Ireland squad:

Forwards: Rory Best (Ulster), James Cronin (Munster), Robbie Diack (Ulster), Iain Henderson (Ulster), Chris Henry (Ulster), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster), Rob Herring (Ulster), Dave Kilcoyne (Munster), Jack McGrath (Leinster), Marty Moore (Leinster), Jordi Murphy (Leinster), Paul O'Connell (Munster), Mike Ross (Leinster), Rhys Ruddock (Leinster), Devin Toner (Leinster), Damian Varley (Munster)

Backs: Darren Cave (Ulster), Keith Earls (Munster), Robbie Henshaw (Connacht), Paddy Jackson (Ulster), Felix Jones (Munster), Rob Kearney (Leinster), Kieran Marmion (Connacht), Luke Marshall (Ulster), Fergus McFadden (Leinster), Conor Murray (Munster), Eoin Reddan (Leinster), Johnny Sexton (Racing Metro), Andrew Trimble (Ulster), Simon Zebo (Munster)

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