Ulster youngsters, Luke Marshall and Iain Henderson, were among four uncapped players named on Declan Kidney’s Ireland side on Wedensday for this November’s Guinness International series.
Centre, Marshall and forward Henderson have impressed with Ulster this season and will certainly be in the mix for the Ireland XV game against Fiji at Thomond Park, Limerick on November 17.
The young pair are among 10 Ulster players selected by the Irsih management, but there was one glaring omission from the list - Ulster scrumhalf, Paul Marshall.
The livewire number nine had been called in to the Ireland squad which called New Zealand over the summer and given his performances this season for Ulster before the return of South African, Ruan Pienaar, which included a man of the match display in the Heineken Cup Pool Four win over Castres almost a fortnight ago, Marshall would have been expected to be included.
Kidney has named Eoin Reddan and Conor Murray as his two scrumhalves, but he is still to include one back after this weekend and Marshall could still get the nod.
Up front, Rory Best, Tom Court, Stephen Ferris, Chris Henry, Dan Tuohy and young Henderson are included in Kidney’s panel, and are joined by backs Andrew Trimble, Darren Cave, Andrew Trimble and L Marshall.
There is still the possiblity Ulster tighthead prop, Declan Fitzpatrick, could be included in the squad as Kidney has also level a vacancy at prop.
Fitzpatrick returned to the Ulster provisional squad this week having been out injured ahead of Friday’s trip to Newport Gwent Dragons and is almost certain to start now.
With Rob Kearney ruled out with injury for up to eight weeks, it looks as though Kidney will consider Bowe as a fullback option.
Ireland are due to play South Africa at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, November 10 and Argentina on Saturday, November 24, with the Fiji game giving some of those on the periphery an opportunity on November 17.
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