Simon Zebo earns Ireland recall as Andy Farrell names squad for November internationals

Simon Zebo

Simon Zebo is back in an Ireland squad for the first time in four years.

The Munster man has not played for his country since a 40-minute stint at full-back against Japan in the summer of 2017 but he is now in a position to add to the 35 caps and nine tries he earned prior to a move to Racing 92 in Paris.

The IRFU’s policy of not selecting players who play their club rugby abroad left him on the outside looking in during that French stint but he is part of a 38-man group called together for the upcoming November internationals against the Japanese, New Zealand and Argentina.

The Leinster pair of Ciaran Frawley and Dan Sheehan are the only uncapped members of the party. Frawley offers a versatility given his recent use at centre and a background as a ten while Sheehan is a 23-year old hooker who has made a deep impression in the limited game time afforded him at club level to date.

For Robert Baloucoune, Harry Byrne, Gavin Coombes, James Hume, Tom O’Toole and Nick Timoney, this is a chance to cement their places.

Ireland got on just fine against Japan and the USA without their British and Irish Lions last June but they will be glad to see the return of most of those tourists for the assignments to come, not least the date with the All Blacks.

Bundee Aki, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Tadgh Furlong, Iain Henderson, Conor Murray and Ronan Kelleher are all back on board although Robbie Henshaw has not been named as a result of his current injury issues.

The Leinster centre will continue his recovery under the watch of the Ireland medical staff and Leinster senior coach Stuart Lancaster suggested this week that the player should be fit for the All Blacks visit to Dublin.

Johnny Sexton, 36 years young, will again serve as skipper despite suggestions that head coach Andy Farrell would turn his attention towards the World Cup in two years’ time and hand someone else the captain’s armband.

Sexton’s next game will be his 100th for Ireland.

The question as to who succeeds him at No.10, whenever that may be, continues to change. Joey Carbery and Harry Byrne get the nod as back-ups this time while Billy Burns, Jack Carty and Ross Byrne – all of them capped before now – are deemed surplus to requirements.

The introduction of ‘development’ players into the squad environs stretches back to Joe Schmidt’s time in charge and Farrell has also named Munster’s Thomas Aherne and Leinster’s Jamie Osborne in that guise today.

"It has been a short lead in to this international window but that is the challenge, to get back up to speed quickly and build on the performances from the Six Nations and the summer Tests,” the head coach said.

“This is the start of an exciting period for the group as we begin to build towards the Rugby World Cup in France.

In September we got together and mapped out what was coming up in this window, the exciting fixtures that lay ahead in the next 12 months, and beyond that the opportunities to improve as a group over the next five windows we will have together.

“In a few weeks’ time we will face an exciting and well-coached Japan team who showed in July what a dangerous team they are. New Zealand dominated the Rugby Championship losing just one game while Argentina are battle-hardened from playing the southern hemisphere’s Big 3 week in week out over the past two months.

“It would be fantastic to play in front of a full-house at the Aviva Stadium. We had small crowds back in for the games in July and even that made a huge difference to the team and the atmosphere in the stadium."

IRELAND squad: Backs: Bundee Aki, Robert Baloucoune, Harry Byrne, Joey Carbery, Craig Casey, Andrew Conway, Keith Earls, Ciaran Frawley, Jamison Gibson Park, James Hume, Hugo Keenan, Jordan Larmour, James Lowe, Stuart McCloskey, Conor Murray, Garry Ringrose, Johnny Sexton, Simon Zebo.

Forwards: Ryan Baird, Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Gavin Coombes, Ultan Dillane, Caelan Doris, Tadhg Furlong, Cian Healy, Iain Henderson, Rob Herring, Ronan Kelleher, Dave Kilcoyne, Peter O’Mahony, Tom O’Toole, Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Dan Sheehan, Nick Timoney, Josh van der Flier.