Andy Farrell resists calls for fresh faces as Ireland name 36-man squad to play Italy

Andy Farrell has named an unchanged Ireland squad for Saturday's game against Italy, ignoring calls to introduce some fresh faces in light of back-t0-back Six Nations defeats. The Ireland head coach has gone with the same group selected for the defeat to France, with Johnny Sexton, James Ryan and Conor Murray all named after missing that game through injury.

Ed Byrne, Ryan Baird and Jack Conan are all retained, with Quinn Roux and Caelan Doris having dropped out of the original squad named for rounds one and two due to injury. Peter O’Mahony also misses out through suspension.

Having lost their opening two fixtures there were growing calls for Farrell to experiment with his team for Saturday's trip to play Italy, but the head coach has resisted the temptation to change things up.

That means there is no place for Leinster out-half Harry Byrne or Connacht 10 Jack Carty, despite Ireland's struggles with the position, as Farrell has instead kept faith with Billy Burns and Ross Byrne alongside captain Sexton.

There is also no room for Munster's in-form backrow Gavin Coombes, who had been part of the initial squad before being replaced by Jack Conan ahead of the France game.

Murray is also named after missing the France game with a hamstring problem. Jamison Gibson-Park and the uncapped Craig Casey also return, ahead of Leinster's Luke McGrath, Connacht Kieran Marmion and Ulster scrum-half John Cooney.

In now looks likely that Farrell will go with a familiar looking team for Saturday's game, as Ireland look to get back to winning ways.

IRELAND (squad to play Italy)

Backs

Bundee Aki (Connacht) 30 caps

Billy Burns (Ulster) 5 caps

Ross Byrne (Leinster) 12 caps

Craig Casey (Munster) uncapped

Andrew Conway (Munster) 24 caps

Shane Daly (Munster) 1 cap

Keith Earls (Munster) 90 caps

Chris Farrell (Munster) 14 caps

Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 7 caps

Robbie Henshaw (Leinster) 49 caps

Hugo Keenan (Leinster) 8 caps

Jordan Larmour (Leinster) 26 caps

James Lowe (Leinster) 4 caps

Stuart McCloskey (Ulster) 4 caps

Conor Murray (Munster) 88 caps

Garry Ringrose (Leinster) 32 caps

Jonathan Sexton (Leinster) 96 caps

Forwards

Ryan Baird (Leinster) uncapped

Tadhg Beirne (Munster) 19 caps

Ed Byrne (Leinster) 4 caps

Jack Conan (Leinster) 17 caps

Will Connors (Leinster) 7 caps

Ultan Dillane (Connacht) 18 caps

Tadhg Furlong (Leinster) 46 caps

Cian Healy (Leinster) 106 caps

Dave Heffernan (Connacht) 5 caps

Iain Henderson (Ulster) 60 caps

Rob Herring (Ulster) 18 caps

Ronan Kelleher (Leinster) 8 caps

Dave Kilcoyne (Munster) 40 caps

Tom O'Toole (Ulster) uncapped

Andrew Porter (Leinster) 34 caps

Rhys Ruddock (Leinster) 27 caps

James Ryan (Leinster) 33 caps

CJ Stander (Munster) 48 caps

Josh van der Flier (Leinster) 30 caps