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Ireland release 14 players for URC duty as 23-man fallow week squad named
By Kim Ekin
Andy Farrell has released 14 Ireland players back to their provinces for URC duty ahead of the Guinness Six Nations fallow weekend.
On Saturday France underlined their status as Six Nations favourites but had to hold on for a 30-24 win over Ireland at the Stade de France after having scored their opening try in just 70 seconds.
It was a second home win in a row for France, who beat Italy last Sunday, and they are now the only side who can complete this season's grand slam.
The Ireland squad returned from Paris on Sunday afternoon and a group of 23 players will re-assemble on Thursday for a two day mini-camp at the IRFU HPC on the Sport Ireland Campus.
Two of the players - Jack Carty and Cian Healy - were involved in the matchday 23 in Paris. Johnny Sexton will continue to rehab from his hamstring injury.
Farrell has also released Dave Heffernan (Connacht), Ryan Baird, Jordan Larmour (Leinster), Craig Casey, Gavin Coombes, Dave Kilcoyne (Munster) and Robert Baloucoune, James Hume, Michael Lowry, Tom O’Toole, Nick Timoney, Kieran Treadwell (Ulster) back to their provinces.
Elsewhere Ulster hooker Rob Herring will re-join the squad for the mini-camp having been ruled out of the opening two rounds with a calf issue.
"Ronan Kelleher’s shoulder issue will be further investigated this week by the medical team. Johnny Sexton will continue his hamstring rehab and return to rugby programme this week," concluded the statement.
Ireland 23-man Mini-Camp Training Squad
Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 35 caps
Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 20 caps
Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 27 caps
Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 29 caps
Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 24 caps
Andrew Conway (Munster/Garryowen) 29 caps
Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 14 caps
Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 54 caps
Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 14 caps
Mack Hansen (Connacht) 2 caps
Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy) 66 caps
Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers) 54 caps
Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 23 caps
Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 18 caps
Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne) 18 caps
Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 94 caps
Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 81 caps
Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 42 caps
Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 39 caps
James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 42 caps
Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 102 caps
Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 4 caps
Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 37 caps
Released to Provinces for URC Fixtures
Robert Baloucoune (Ulster/Enniskillen) 2 caps
Ryan Baird (Leinster/Dublin University) 7 caps
Jack Carty (Buccaneers/Connacht) 11 caps
Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon) 4 caps
Gavin Coombes (Munster/Young Munster) 2 caps
Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 114 caps
Dave Heffernan (Connacht/Buccaneers) 6 caps
James Hume (Ulster/Banbridge) 2 caps
Jordan Larmour (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 30 caps
Michael Lowry (Ulster/Banbridge) uncapped
Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians) 45 caps
Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 2 caps
Nick Timoney (Ulster/Banbridge) 2 caps
Kieran Treadwell (Ulster/Ballymena) 3 caps
- additional reporting AAP
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Latest Comments
Not sure I understand. Its not obvious how you prioritize URC, Champions/Challenge Cup, Internationals, and rest. And if you add player development plans (eg experience of positions, playing conditions, game plans, opponents playing styles etc) it becomes harder. Additionally, consistency of selection helps with making adjustments to systems and tactics, so that further constrains your options. Travel challenges don’t make it easier.
Jake White has effectively decided that he would rather have a chance of success in one competition, at the expense of the other competition, than a near certainty of heroic failure in both. And he has implied that over time he plans to build enough depth to give the Bulls a chance in both the URC and Champions Cup simultaneously.
Not sure what is being proposed here that is supposedly a better plan.
Go to commentsIndeed he has STARTED more test games at 8. I actually said he’s PLAYED more games at 7, though. Do you remember where he tended to play when he came on wearing #20?
He likely will select on the basis of win ratios. IRE and ENG won 4, SCOT won 2 and WAL won none. 6 Irish, 6 English, 3 Scottish seems about right for the starting 15.
Yeah, I think he’ll definitely bring Beirne to have as a utility lock/flanker. Doris’ discipline and leadership has maybe rocked a little this year but he’s still the best 8 in the game.
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