Simon Zebo could be offered the chance to shine against the BaaBaas © Getty Images

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News: Thorn tips Ireland to trouble All Blacks

Players/Officials: Declan Kidney

Tournaments/Tours: Ireland tour

Teams: Ireland

Ireland have named their squad for the clash with the Barbarians on May 29 at Kingsholm.

The squad does not include any Leinster players as they will be contesting the RaboDirect PRO12 final on May 27 against the Ospreys. With that in mind, Ireland boss Declan Kidney has named a squad featuring both youthful exuberance and experience.

There are seven uncapped players in the party with front-rows Mike Sherry, Ronan Loughney and Declan Fitzpatrick all included and in the backs Simon Zebo, Craig Gilroy, Nevin Spence and Paul Marshall all get the nod. They feature alongside the experience of players such as Donncha O'Callaghan and Ronan O'Gara.

Paul O'Connell is missing from the party as he bids to continue his rehabilitation from a knee injury. The Ireland management, however, are still confident that he may play some part in their three-Test series against the All Blacks in June.

Ireland boss Kidney, who will add an extra forward and back to the squad next week, was quick to emphasise the importance of the match with the Barbarians, with the international select naming a strong squad for their summer tour on Tuesday.

"The game against the Baa-Ba's is vital for us in our preparations for the tour as it gives some players the chance to gain match fitness if they have not played for a couple of weeks, allows us to further expose some players to the national set up and also gives us the opportunity to get some foundations in place for the test series," Kidney said. "We have a good majority of our selections decided on for the tour party at this point, but the Heineken final gives us possibly one last opportunity to watch players in what will be a massive occasion for Irish Rugby."

Forwards: Rory Best (Ulster), Tom Court (Ulster), Stephen Ferris (Ulster), Declan Fitzpatrick (Ulster), Chris Henry (Ulster), Ronan Loughney (Connacht), John Muldoon (Connacht), Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster), Peter O'Mahony (Munster), Donnacha Ryan (Munster), Mike Sherry (Munster), Dan Tuohy (Ulster), A.N.Other

Backs : Darren Cave (Ulster), Keith Earls (Munster), Craig Gilroy (Ulster), Paul Marshall (Ulster), Conor Murray (Munster), Ronan O'Gara (Munster), Nevin Spence (Ulster), Andrew Trimble (Ulster), Paddy Wallace (Ulster), Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution), A.N. Other