O'Sullivan keeps his options open

Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan has taken a cautious approach and named a 24-man squad for the Six Nations opener against Wales in Cardiff on Sunday week.

With doubts remaining over the fitness of secondrow Malcolm O'Kelly and hookers Frankie Sheahan and Rory Best, the coach has named plenty of cover in both areas.

O'Sullivan is, as he has said himself, spoilt for choice for secondrows and has therefore selected the Munster trio of Paul O'Connell, Donncha O'Callaghan and Mick O'Driscoll alongside O'Kelly.

Similarly the coach has room to include Jerry Flannery as one of three hookers as doubts remain over the calf strains suffered by Sheahan and Best.

"Malcolm's knee injury is still a concern for us and we have allowed some more time for it to respond further to treatment. Both Rory (Best) and Frankie (Sheehan) are carrying slight calf strains, so we have named three hookers to give us some back-up in that area,"  said O'Sullivan today.

In the backs there are few surprises.  Isaac Boss and Paddy Wallace offer halfback cover for Ronan O'Gara and Peter Stringer.

Shane Horgan is the obvious omission after he damaged cartilage in his knee playing for Leinster last Friday.  O'Sullivan will choose from Andrew Trimble and Geordan Murphy to replace the big winger.

Players not selected have been released back to their provinces for Celtic League duty.

Ulster captain Simon Best says the European defeats for the four provinces could help to keep the heat off the squad.  However, he insists the players know how to deal with the somewhat self-inflicted pressure.

"Certainly it will keep public expectation in check, to an extent, but within the squad players are confident in their ability and we relish getting in to another camp and looking forward to another good series with Ireland," says Best.

"The more successful you are the more expectations rise and as a professional you have to be able to cope with that."

The coach and captain Brian O'Driscoll both attended the official launch of the Six Nations in the Hurlingham Club in London this afternoon.

Ireland Squad

Forwards (14)

Neil Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)

Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)

Simon Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)

Simon Easterby (Llanelli)

Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)

John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)

Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster)

Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)

Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Malcolm O'Kelly (St.Mary's College/Leinster)

Frankie Sheahan (Cork Constitution/Munster)

David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)

Backs (10):

Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster)

Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster)

Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)

Denis Hickie (St.Mary's College/Leinster)

Geordan Murphy (Leicester)

Brian O'Driscoll (Blackrock College/Leinster)

Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)

Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)

Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)