If it ain’t broke…
Andy Farrell has named a 36-man Ireland squad for round three of the 2020 Guinness Six Nations and it contains all 13 players that were released back to their clubs for provincial duty.
Farrell took a 23-man grouping down to Cork, last week, for a two-day training camp ahead of the February 23 clash with England at Twickenham.
Max Deegan and Ronan Kelleher were the two players from the match-day 23 against Wales that were released back to Leinster and both started the Guinness PRO14 victory over Cheetahs on Saturday. Both men are back in the 36-man squad having put some minutes under their belts.
There are three uncapped players in the extended squad – Billy Burns, Will Connors and Tom O’Toole – with Johnny Sexton the captain and Cian Healy (97 appearances) the most experienced Test player.
On Wednesday afternoon, Farrell will name his starting XV for this Sunday’s Triple Crown decider against England. Only one change in the match-day 23 is expected.
Extended Ireland squad for round three
Backs: (16)
- Will Addison (Enniskillen/Ulster) 4 caps
- Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 25 caps
- Billy Burns (Ulster) 0 caps
- Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster) 5 caps
- Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster) 20 caps
- John Cooney (Terenure College/Ulster) 10 caps
- Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 83 caps
- Chris Farrell (Young Munster/Munster) 9 caps
- Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 42 caps
- Dave Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster) 19 caps
- Jordan Larmour (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 23 caps
- Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster) 3 caps
- Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster) 19 caps
- Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 80 caps
- Jonathan Sexton (St Marys College/Leinster) 90 caps CAPTAIN
- Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster) 27 caps
Forwards: (20)
- Will Connors (UCD/Leinster) 0 caps
- Max Deegan (Lansdowne/Leinster) 1 cap
- Ultan Dillane (Corinthians/Connacht) 14 caps
- Caelan Doris (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 1 cap
- Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 43 caps
- Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 97 caps
- Dave Heffernan (Buccaneers/Connacht) 1 cap
- Iain Henderson (Academy/Ulster) 55 caps
- Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 10 caps
- Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster) 2 caps
- Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 38 caps
- Jack McGrath (St Mary’s College/Ulster) 56 caps
- Jack O’Donoghue (UL Bohemians/Munster) 2 caps
- Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 66 caps
- Tom O’Toole (Banbridge/Ulster) 0 caps
- Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 25 caps
- James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 25 caps
- CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster) 40 caps
- Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 69 caps
- Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) 25 caps
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Barry Murphy and Andrew Trimble are joined in the House of Rugby studio by Jerry Flannery as they look back on a trio of Irish victories over Wales. They also discuss Keith Earls, ‘Bottle Gate’ at Murrayfield and Trimby has to call up Ulster Rugby for a job.
