Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has announced a 37-man squad ahead of Sunday’s Six Nations Championship match against Scotland at Murrayfield.
Ulster openside flanker Nick Timoney and versatile Leinster back Ciarán Frawley return to the squad. Timoney played the full 80 minutes at number eight in his province’s 42-20 United Rugby Championship victory over Cardiff at the Arms Park last weekend.
The 27-year-old last lined out for the national side against Fiji in the November Test series at the Aviva Stadium, a game in which he scored a brace of tries to bring his tally to an impressive three in as many internationals.
Frawley damaged a knee in Ireland A’s 47-19 defeat to an All Blacks XV at the RDS just prior to the November Tests. The 25-year-old would probably have won his first Irish cap against Fiji but for the injury having made a positive impression during the summer tour to New Zealand where he played against the Maori All Blacks.
Leinster’s 47-27 victory over Edinburgh at the Dam stadium on Saturday evening marked his return to competitive rugby. Scott Penny, who scored two tries in that game, and centre Jamie Osborne both sustained minor injuries and are therefore not included in the Irish squad, having trained with the group ahead of the Italy match.
Jordan Larmour returns to the national squad after an impressive and sharp display in that win over Edinburgh. Munster’s number eight Gavin Coombes, outhalf Jack Crowley and tighthead prop Roman Salanoa, one of only two uncapped players in the Irish squad – Frawley is the other – helped Graham Rowntree’s side to a 49-42 win over the Scarlets, and have been repatriated to the Ireland squad to prepare for the Scotland match.
Ulster’s Rob Herring, Kieran Treadwell and Jacob Stockdale – the latter scored his first Ulster try in almost two years in the win over Cardiff – and Connacht flanker Cian Prendergast will also be in the HPC at Abbotstown this week.
Farrell faces several interesting selection decisions ahead of the trip to Murrayfield. Tadhg Furlong, Robbie Henshaw, captain Johnny Sexton – the only one of the quartet to have played in the Six Nations to date – and Jamison Gibson-Park have all trained fully since recovering from injuries.
Garry Ringrose, a late withdrawal from the Italy game with a calf injury, sat out last week’s training match against Richie Murphy’s Ireland under-20s side at the Aviva Stadium. James Lowe also watched from the sideline, while centre Stuart McCloskey and prop Cian Healy did some individual work while the game went on.
Ireland assistant coach Paul O’Connell said at the time that “I don’t see any problem with those four guys who didn’t train but we’re just trying to look after them.”
Farrell with have a better idea following a couple of days training regarding the readiness of each individual for what promises to be a titanic tussle against the in-form Scots.
Henshaw hasn’t played since November, Furlong and Gibson-Park since January while Sexton and Ringrose, who is in line to win his 50th cap next Sunday, both played in the first two matches, missing the Italy game. The Ireland team to face Scotland will be announced on Friday.
Scotland coach Gregor Townsend must plan without secondrow Grant Gilchrist who received a three-game suspension following his second off in the defeat to France in Paris. The likelihood is that Gilchrist’s place in the starting team will go to Jonny Gray, who will partner brother Richie in the engine room. Finn Russell came through a French Top 14 game on Sunday, playing all 80 minutes.
Glasgow quartet Simon Berghan, Scott Cummings, Rory Darge and Stafford McDowall have been added to the squad.
IRELAND SQUAD
Backs
Hugo Keenan (Leinster)
Jordan Larmour (Leinster)
Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster)
Mack Hansen (Connacht)
James Lowe (Leinster)
Jacob Stockdale (Ulster)
Garry Ringrose (Leinster)
Robbie Henshaw (Leinster)
Bundee Aki (Connacht)
Stuart McCloskey (Ulster)
Johnny Sexton (Leinster, capt)
Ross Byrne (Leinster)
Jack Crowley (Munster)
Ciarán Frawley (Leinster)
Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)
Conor Murray (Munster)
Craig Casey (Munster)
Forwards
Andrew Porter (Leinster)
Cian Healy (Leinster)
Dave Kilcoyne (Munster)
Tadhg Furlong (Leinster)
Tom O’Toole (Ulster)
Roman Salanoa (Munster)
Dan Sheehan (Leinster)
Rónan Kelleher (Leinster)
Rob Herring (Ulster)
James Ryan (Leinster)
Iain Henderson (Ulster)
Ryan Baird (Leinster)
Kieran Treadwell (Ulster)
Caelan Doris (Leinster)
Peter O’Mahony (Munster)
Josh van der Flier (Leinster)
Cian Prendergast (Connacht)
Nick Timoney (Ulster)
Jack Conan (Leinster)
Gavin Coombes (Munster)
