AN untimely foot injury did Shane Horgan no favours last week as he linked up with the 44-man Ireland squad for training, ahead of Saturday's RBS Six Nations Championship clash against Italy. But the Drogheda-born winger remains optimistic, in public at least, that his international exile is not a permanent one, after playing a full part in Leinster's path to this year's Heineken Cup quarter-finals.

Now 31, it must be one of Horgan's biggest regrets that he had no part to play in Ireland's sensational Grand Slam season in 2009 when Tommy Bowe really came to the fore in the number 14 jersey.

All the more galling, then, that while Bowe was in flying form when the squad assembled for training in Limerick last week, the former Boyne youth player was little more than a spectator.

'Apart from rehab, I only trained once and that's frustrating, but apart from that things are going okay,' he said, speaking after training on Thursday.

'Leinster have qualified for the quarter-finals in Europe with a home draw, and that's great. When that happens it lifts the profile of everyone who is regularly playing on that team.

'Hopefully I will be back [training with Ireland] on the pitch tomorrow and then I will be in the frame. That's where I stand at the moment, similar to a number of other players.'

It must be difficult to enjoy a warm relationship with coach Declan Kidney, I suggest, given that Horgan was a virtual shoein at 14 under Eddie O'Sullivan, but then quickly disappeared off the radar when he departed.

Diplomatic as ever, Horgan responded: 'As head coach it's important you have a good relationship, and in fairness he has always been a good communicator and there's never been an issue with that.

'Sometimes you have to take your own medicine and work hard and train hard to get back in the team.

'The guys in there at the moment are doing very well and that's been one of the reasons for our success in the last 18 months – there's been good competition for places.

'You have to accept that and get stuck in, and if you get an opportunity you have to take it.'

You only have to look at the quality of the wingers in the 44man squad to understand the size of the task facing Horgan – the oldest among them. Apart from Bowe, Andrew Trimble, Keith Earls and fellow Meath native Denis Hurley are all in contention, with Ian Dowling and Johne Murphy also battling for places on the replacements bench. At least three of them won't make the match-day 22.

It's hugely encouraging from Ireland's perspective that so many talented players are coming through to challenge the long-established stars, not least in the out half position where Ronan O'Gara hasn't been unduly pressured until now.

'Jonathan Sexton came back after injury and looked as strong as he had in the Autumn Internationals,' said Horgan.

'I can see him having a big impact on the championship, combined with Cian Healy, although maybe I'm a bit biased because I see them in training every day [with Leinster].

'They are two players who are not fully on the radar yet among the rugby public, but people will be more aware of what sort of players they are after the Six Nations.'

Ahead of this year's championship, the question rugby pundits and supporters alike are asking is whether Ireland can replicate the hunger that helped carry them to a first Grand Slam in 61 years.

Captain Brian O'Driscoll has said in interviews that they can, but sport is littered with examples of teams who have been unable to achieve the same level of performance when defending their crowns.

' We will see this year, I guess,' said Horgan.

'It's a position not many Irish teams have been in. They are going in as possible favourites, when we normally have to deal with being the underdog.

'But Munster and Leinster have had to play under the mantle of favourites for a number of years and it's not affected them.'

- Marcus CAVAROLI