Two uncapped players and some shock omissions as Ireland name Six Nations squad

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36 men have been named. Andy Farrell and his coaching team have selected their squad for the upcoming 2021 Guinness Six Nations Championships.

Jonathan Sexton captains the squad for a second Six Nations campaign and there are two uncapped players named in the squad, Munster’s Craig Casey and Ulster’s Tom O’Toole. Ireland Head Coach Andy Farrell, commented, “Since the Autumn international window the club season has had a good few disruptions and the cancellation of the European fixtures means there have been less opportunities for players to show form or to return from injury and get some minutes under their belts. Tadhg (Furlong) hasn’t played in quite a while but he is ready to join the group. Unfortunately Jacob (Stockdale) will not be available to us.”

Among the notable absentees from the squad John Cooney, Jack Carty, Gavin Coombes and Ryan Baird, all of whom can count themselves unfortunate not to have made the cut.

Ireland Squad 2021 Guinness 6 Nations Championships

Backs (17)

Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 30 caps
Billy Burns (Ulster) 3 caps
Ross Byrne (Leinster/UCD) 11 caps
Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon) uncapped
Andrew Conway (Munster/Garryowen) 24 caps
Shane Daly (Munster/Cork Con) 1 cap
Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster) 88 caps
Chris Farrell (Munster/Young Munster) 14 caps
Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 5 caps
Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers) 47 caps
Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 6 caps
Jordan Larmour (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 24 caps
James Lowe (Leinster) 2 caps
Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor) 4 caps
Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 87 caps
Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 30 caps
Jonathan Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 95 caps CAPTAIN

Forwards (19

Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 17 caps
Will Connors (Leinster/UCD) 5 caps
Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 7 caps
Ultan Dillane (Connacht/Corinthians) 17 caps
Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 25 caps
Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 104 caps
Dave Heffernan (Connacht/Buccaneers) 5 caps
Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy) 58 caps
Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 16 caps
Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne) 6 caps
Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians) 39 caps
Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 73 caps
Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Banbridge) uncapped
Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 32 caps
Quinn Roux (Connacht/Galwegians) 16 caps
Rhys Ruddock (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 26 caps
James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 32 caps
CJ Stander (Munster/Shannon) 46 caps
Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 28 caps