Ireland announce Autumn squad

Ireland will play South Africa, Samoa, New Zealand and Argentina on consecutive weekends in November and have been boosted by the return of a number of seasoned campaigners who missed the summer tour due to injuries.

Keith Earls, Rory Best, Stephen Ferris, Denis Leamy, Sean O'Brien and Donnacha Ryan, all return and are joined by two uncapped players in the squad, Devin Toner and Johne Murphy.

Ireland head coach Declan Kidney has spoken of his excitement ahead of the series and the return to the home of Irish rugby.

"It will be great to be back playing in the home of Irish rugby on Lansdowne Road at the Aviva Stadium and the atmosphere from what I have seen so far rivals the old stadium," said Kidney.

"There will be a lot of talk about the new stadium and also about the Rugby World Cup, but the responsibility for the squad and management will be firmly to concentrate on the first game and then take each week as it comes in November.

"We will soak up all the excitement that goes with all that, but the focus for everybody on November 6 will be performing against South Africa."

"It is going to be a demanding month for the squad and the first time we have played four games in the GUINNESS Series.

"There are a lot of players who are unlucky not to make this squad, but the door will remain open to them also during November to join up with the panel."

IRELAND Squad (2010):
Forwards - Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster), Tom Court (Malone/Ulster), Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht), Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster), John Hayes (Bruff/Munster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster), Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster), Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster), John Muldoon (Galwegians/Connacht), Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster), Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) *, Damien Varley (Garryowen/Munster), David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)

Backs - Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster), Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht), Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster), Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster), Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) Johne Murphy (Young Munster/Munster) *, Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster), Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster), Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster), Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster), Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster), Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster).