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Ireland release 14 players for URC duty as 23-man fallow week squad named

By Kim Ekin
Jack Carty /Getty

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