'...I told you no biting nipples...'London Irish skipper Bob Casey has been rewarded for a sensational season leading the Exiles with a call-up to the Ireland squad for the game against the Barbarians on May 27. It doesn't mean that he's off to the southern hemisphere but it could certainly put him in the shop window if any of his seniors get injury.
Andrew Trimble, Gordon D'Arcy and Leo Cullen are all absentees from the squad that will travel to Australia and New Zealand but there are places for Connacht's Gavin Duffy, Munster's Ian Dowling and Leinster's Shane Jennings.
Forwards: Neil Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster), Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)*, Bob Casey (London Irish)*, Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon/Ulster)*, Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)*, Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster), John Hayes (Bruff/Munster), Jamie Heaslip (Clontarf/Leinster), Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster), Bernard Jackman (Clontarf/Leinster), Shane Jennings (St.Mary's College/Leinster), 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), Alan Quinlan (Shannon/Munster), Mike Ross (Harlequins)*, David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster), Bryan Young (Ballymena/Ulster).
Backs: Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster), Ian Dowling (Shannon/Munster), Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster), Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht), Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster), Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster), Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster), Geordan Murphy (Leicester), Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (c), Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster), Eoin Reddan (Wasps), Jonathon Sexton (St.Mary's College/Leinster)* , Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster), Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster).