Joey Carbery not included as Andy Farrell names RWC training squad

The starting group will include four uncapped players in the Leinster pair of Jamie Osborne and Ciaran Frawley, Munster wing Calvin Nash and Ulster hooker Tom Stewart

TRAINING SQUAD NAMED: Ireland Head Coach Andy Farrell has announced a 42-player summer training squad. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Tue, 30 May, 2023 - 16:45

Brendan O'Brien

As ever when it comes to squad announcements, it is the names of those not on the list that catches the eye first, although Andy Farrell has pulled few surprises in selecting the 42 players who will get Ireland’s World Cup preparations underway next month.

The number itself is revealing. A 45-man roster was expected so the head coach’s preference to tighten the belt with his initial training panel is indicative in itself of the fact that there are probably very few places to scramble over in terms of the 33 he will bring to France in the autumn.

Among those omitted is Joey Carbery and it says everything about the Munster ten’s slip down the ladder with club and country that this comes as no surprise. The failure of some of his provincial colleagues to make the cut is actually of greater note.

Jean Kleyn’s superb form in red this term has not proven enough to earn him a recall for the first time since Joe Schmidt picked him for the 2019 World Cup. John Hodnett’s late surge and man of the match effort in the URC final has seen him fall short too.

If there was serious support for both candidates then Farrell does at least have a plethora of other options in both departments. The same can be said for Jeremy Loughman and Shane Daly's candidacies but both can still be disappointed at being left out in the cold.

It’s not just Munster players pondering a longer summer vacation.

Only half-a-dozen Ulster players have been selected. Among them is Kieran Treadwell who gets the nod ahead of Kleyn and, while his form has not been as noticeable, he has done a job for Farrell going back to last summer’s tour in New Zealand.

Robert Baloucoune is another to fall the wrong side of this line, as have other wingers in Jordan Larmour, Daly and the long-time injured Andrew Conway. John Ryan’s fine form with Munster and the Chiefs didn’t do enough for him at tighthead either.

The squad will train at their Dublin base through the months of June and July and play Italy, England and Samoa before the final tournament squad is announced in late August. The opening game, against Romania, is in early September.

The starting group will include four uncapped players in the Leinster pair of Jamie Osborne and Ciaran Frawley, Munster wing Calvin Nash and Ulster hooker Tom Stewart.

Frawley’s versatility was clearly crucial in his selection, the Leinster back being able to cover out-half and full-back, while the same could be said for the likes of Jimmy O’Brien. All told there are 15 at a minimum who could slot into different roles if needed.

That’s crucial at a World Cup.

Farrell has selected 20 backs and 22 forwards here. Eighteen of the squad featured at the Japan World Cup when Ireland lost to Japan in the pool stages and exited after a heavy quarter-final defeat to New Zealand.

Ireland Training Squad

Forwards (22)

Ryan Baird (Leinster)

Finlay Bealham (Connacht)

Tadhg Beirne (Munster)

Jack Conan (Leinster)

Gavin Coombes (Munster)

Caelan Doris (Leinster)

Tadhg Furlong (Leinster)

Cian Healy (Leinster)

Iain Henderson (Ulster)

Rob Herring (Ulster)