Andrew Trimble misses out as Joe Schmidt’s World Cup squad is revealed

Joe Schmidt’s hopes of a grand unveiling of his World Cup squad today were scuppered after his 31-man panel apparently leaked across the media last night.

The head coach today officially names the players he will take to the tournament in England and Cardiff later this month but the announcement was preempted by the emergence of a squad list last night, in which wing Andrew Trimble and a third specialist scrum-half appear to be the notable absentees while tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong and centre Darren Cave look to be the surprise inclusions.

Schmidt is understood to have told the players their fate on Sunday night. The 31 survivors then reported for duty at Carton House yesterday to begin preparations for Saturday’s final warm-up against England at Twickenham.