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Rugby

16th May 2017

Everybody is feeling sorry for two players after Ireland name summer squad

Hard done by

Patrick McCarry

It is nigh on impossible trying to second guess Joe Schmidt.

Sure, we may have called the selections of James Ryan, Jacob Stockdale and Kieran Treadwell – as well as Donnacha Ryan and Jamie Heaslip missing out – but we missed a few big selection calls.

Aside from Ryan and Heaslip missing out, Andrew Trimble and Rob Kearney have been given the summer off. There is also no place in the squad for one of Ireland’s most lethal finishers, Craig Gilroy.

Stuart McCloskey and Chris Farrell have not been included, nor has Leinster lock Ross Molony. Sean Reidy also misses out, as does veteran Munster lock Billy Holland.

Instead, Schmidt has gone for his least experienced senior squad yet. Only Simon Zebo [33], Devin Toner [47], Keith Earls [59] and Cian Healy [67] have over 30 caps.

Some of the exciting inclusions in the squad are James Ryan, Treadwell, Leinster prop Andrew Porter, Stockdale, Munster centre Rory Scannell and the versatile Leinster back Rory O’Loughlin. Ulster-bound scrum-half John Cooney is also included.

However, you can’t please everyone.

Almost as soon as the announcement was made, the names of two unfortunate players were mentioned time and again on Twitter.

Darren Sweetnam

Adam Byrne

There were also Twitter lamentations about Gilroy, Niyi Adeolokun, Ross Molony, McCloskey and much, much more.