Ireland name 34-man squad for first New Zealand game and it is very damn exciting

Ireland have named six uncapped players in their squad to face New Zealand.

Joe Schmidt takes his side to Chicago for the first of their clashes with the All Blacks in a game that will take place on November 5 in Soldier Field, a 61,500-seater stadium. The team departs Dublin for Chicago on Monday 31 October and with them for the first time will be Joey Carbery, Billy Holland, Luke McGrath, Garry Ringrose, John Ryan and James Tracy. The head coach confirmed that there are a number of other options that are in their plans:

"With more than half the squad likely to be involved in Pro12 action this weekend, plus the need to factor in the travel and fatigue from the Chicago fixture, there are also a number of players on standby who are likely to be involved during the first two weeks of the Guinness Series," Schmidt said.

Keith Earls has been given a two-week ban following his tip tackle against Munster but he is included in the first international squad anyway. Ireland Squad for New Zealand (Chicago) Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht) Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) captain Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Leinster)* Sean Cronin (St Marys/Leinster) Ultan Dillane (Corinthians/Connacht) Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) Tadgh Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) Craig Gilroy (Ulster) Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster) vice captain Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster) Robbie Henshaw (Leinster) Billy Holland (Cork Constitution/Munster)* Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster) Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) Kieran Marmion (Buccaneers/Connacht) Luke Marshall (Ulster) Jack McGrath (St Marys/Leinster) Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster)* Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster) Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) Sean O'Brien (UCD/Leinster) Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) Jared Payne (Ulster) Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster)* Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster) John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster)* Jonathan Sexton (St Marys/Leinster) CJ Stander (Munster) Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) James Tracy (UCD/Leinster)* Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster) Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster)