IRISH RUGBY BOSS Declan Kidney named an as-expected squad this morning ahead of Saturday afternoon’s Six Nations tie against Italy in the Stadio Flaminio.

Stephen Ferris is the only notable omission from the 26-man panel, the Ulster flanker failing to recover from a knee injury sustained against Aironi in his province’s Heineken Cup clash last week.

Leinster back-row Kevin McLaughlin has been called up to the squad to replace Ferris while Connaught full-back Gavin Duffy and Munster scrum half Tomas O’Leary have also been given the nod having come through Friday night’s Wolfhounds’ match against Scotland unscathed.

While Kidney, who is expected to name his starting fifteen tomorrrow afternoon, will be pleased that his remaining charges survived last week’s training camp in Limerick, there are no fewer than eight big-hitters missing from the Irish panel.

Andrew Trimble,  Shane Horgan, John Hayes and Jamie Heaslip will all be forced to watch from the stands on Saturday afternoon with Tommy Bowe, Rob Kearney and Geordan Murphy all unavailable for selection as well.

With Heaslip out, Leinster back-row Sean O’Brien is almost certain to be handed his second Irish cap following a string of impressive performances for the province in their recent Heineken Cup and Magners’ League fixtures.

Ireland’s opponents have a few injury concerns of their own. Inspirational captain Sergio Parisse faces a late fitness test after dislocating his finger in Stade Francais’s Top 14 clash against Castres last Thursday, with the Italian medics hopeful that he will be fit to lead the side out on Saturday afternoon.

The 26-man Irish squad in full is:

Backs (11) -

Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht)
Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster)
Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Tomas O’Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)

Forwards (15) -

Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
Shane Jennings (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
Mick O’Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
Rhys Ruddock (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)