Flannery could still figure against Australia

HOOKER Jerry Flannery’s chances of being fit for Ireland’s glamour end of season Test match with Australia in Brisbane on Saturday are rated as 50/50.
The Irish management team may delay making a final call on the availability of Flannery for the Suncorp Stadium clash when the team is announced in the early hours of tomorrow morning Irish time.
Munster hooker Flannery arrived late to the tour after suffering a calf muscle injury in Ireland’s defeat to the Barbarians at Thomond Park at the start of the month.
Ireland forwards coach Gert Smal said: “It’s all going well (with Jerry Flannery’s recovery). Over the next two days we will see how he progresses and there’s an option to use him.
“We’ll decide Tuesday or Wednesday”.
Munster’s Mick O’Driscoll is also expected to be available for selection after suffering a back spasm in the heavy defeat to New Zealand last Saturday week.
Saturday’s Test match - when Ireland bid to claim a first victory Down Under for 31 years - has an 11am kick-off Irish time.
Wallabies winger Digby Ioane is set to miss Saturday morning’s clash after suffering a shoulder injury during the course of his side’s defeat to England. Ioane will be sidelined for up to four months.
And in another blow to the Aussies ahead of the weekend clash with Ireland scrum-half Will Genia is facing up to four weeks on the sideline after suffering a broken hand against Martin Johnson’s men.
Meanwhile the Irish under-20s can secure a ninth place finish at the IRB Junior World Championships with victory over Scotland in Argentina later today (4pm irish time).
Shannon’s Patrick Butler has again been chosen at number eight for the Irish side while Brian O’Hara, of UL-Bohemian, starts at openside flanker.
The exciting Mike Kelliher, of Richmond, is named among the replacements having received a late call up to Allen Clarke’s Irish squad.
Fresh from their first win of the tournament against Samoa the Ireland under-20 side will look to beat their Scottish counterparts for the second time in three months and finish the championship on a high.
Allen Clarke’s youngsters overcame Scotland 44-15 to lift the RBS Under-20 6 Nations trophy in Athlone last March and a victory on Monday afternoon would see them finish ninth overall at the Argentinian event.

Ireland Under-20 v Scotland: Andrew Conway (Blackrock College); Andrew Boyle (UCD), Eoin Griffin (Corinthians), Nevin Spence (Ballynahinch), Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution); Noel Reid (UCD), John Cooney (UCD); Bryan Cagney (UCC), Niall Annett (Belfast Harlequins) (capt), Martin Moore (Lansdowne); David O’Callaghan (UCC), Brian Hayes (Cork Constitution); Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne), Brian O’Hara (UL Bohemian), Paddy Butler (Shannon).
Replacements: David Doyle (UCD), Denis Buckley (Corinthians), Jordi Murphy (Blackrock College), Robin O’Sullivan (Bective Rangers), Michael Heaney (Belfast Harlequins), James McKinney (Queen’s University), Mike Kelliher (Richmond).

COLM KINSELLA