Conor Murray out of Autumn programme while Jack Crowley added to squad

The 33-year suffered a groin injury while making his 100th appearance for Ireland last Saturday

Ireland vs South Africa: Ireland's Conor Murray leaves the field with an injury

Conor Murray will play no further part in Ireland’s November window with the Munster scrum-half ruled out as a result of the groin strain that forced him off on Saturday when he won his 100th cap against South Africa.

The 33-year suffered the injury while making a break into the Springbok 22 during the first half of a game won 19-16 by the hosts at the Aviva Stadium and his unavailability inevitably creates an opening further down the depth chart.

Jamison Gibson-Park replaced him off the bench three days ago. Andy Farrell’s first-choice No.9 in recent seasons, the Leinster man was making his first appearance of the campaign due to injury issues of his own.

Craig Casey, Murray’s Munster colleague, captained Ireland ‘A’ against an All Black XV at the RDS last Friday and will definitely feature this coming weekend when Ireland face Fiji in Ballsbridge.

Ciaran Frawley was another who would have earned game time against the Pacific Islanders but he suffered a twisted knee in that RDS tie and returns to Leinster for rehab. So do his clubmates Joe McCarthy and Ryan Baird who go through return-to-play protocols.

There is good news to go with the bad.

Robbie Henshaw missed the Springbok win with a hamstring issue but he is expected to train this week. So is Tadhg Furlong who came off at half-time at the weekend with an ankle problem. Johnny Sexton is recovering from a dead leg.

Whether related to that last fact or not, Jack Crowley has been added to the senior panel. The Munster ten replaced Frawley at the RDS against the Kiwis and is not alone in moving up the ladder after that encounter.

Connacht scrum-half Caolin Blade and Leinster backs rows Scott Penny and Max Deegan have also been included in a 39-man panel for the week ahead after turns for the second string.

So too has their clubmate and prop Michael Milne who played twice for Emerging Ireland last month.

Also of interest is the addition of Ulster’s Iain Henderson to the official list. The Ulsterman trained with Ireland last week but was not an option for selection last time out due to injury issues.

Munster’s Gavin Coombes is an interesting omission. The province, missing a number of players due to Ireland duties and injuries, faces a South African ‘A’ side in Cork on Thursday evening.

Ireland squad:

Backs (16): Robert Baloucoune (Ulster/Enniskillen) 3 caps; Caolin Blade (Connacht/Galwegians) 1 cap; Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 36 caps; Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon) 5 caps; Jack Crowley (Munster/Cork Constitution) uncapped; Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 21 caps; Mack Hansen (Connacht) 7 caps; Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers) 60 caps; Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 24 caps; Michael Lowry (Ulster/Banbridge) 1 cap; Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor) 7 caps; Calvin Nash (Munster/Young Munster); Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster/Naas) 1 cap; Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 45 caps; Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 109 caps; Jacob Stockdale (Ulster/Lurgan) 35 caps.

Forwards (23): Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 26 caps; Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 34 caps; Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 31 caps; Max Deegan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 1 cap; Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 21 caps; Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 61 caps; Dave Heffernan (Connacht/Buccaneers) 7 caps; Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 119 caps; Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy) 68 caps; Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 29 caps; Jeremy Loughman (Munster/Garryowen) uncapped; Mike Milne (Leinster/UCD) uncapped; Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 88 caps; Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 3 caps; Scott Penny (Leinster/UCD) uncapped; Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 47 caps; Cian Prendergast (Connacht) uncapped; James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 47 caps; Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 11 caps; Gavin Thornbury (Connacht) uncapped; Nick Timoney (Ulster/Banbridge) 2 caps; Kieran Treadwell (Ulster/Ballymena) 9 caps; Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 44 caps.