Tom Farrell and Jimmy O’Brien called into Ireland squad as Mack Hansen drops out

Ireland are also monitoring the recoveries of centre duo Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw after a bruising weekend of URC action.

IRELAND'S CALL UP: Tom Farrell has been called into the Ireland squad. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile.

Munster centre Tom Farrell and Leinster back Jimmy O’Brien have been called into Ireland’s squad ahead of the opening Test of the November window, against New Zealand in Chicago.

Yet head coach Andy Farrell has lost the services of Connacht wing Mack Hansen for the Gallagher Cup clash at Soldier Field on November and the three Quilter Nations Series Tests in Dublin which follow on consecutive Saturdays.

Ireland are also monitoring the recoveries of centre duo Bundee Aki (hip) and Robbie Henshaw (groin) after a bruising weekend of URC action which has also denied uncapped Munster duo Edwin Edogbo (concussion) and Brian Gleeson (elbow) their opportunity to travel with the squad to Chicago.

Connacht’s Aki was injured on his seasonal debut against the Bulls on Friday night, as was Hansen, but both the centre and fellow midfielder Henshaw, who came off in Leinster’s home defeat to Munster on Saturday, will continue to be assessed and will depart for the United States with the rest of the squad on Tuesday.

It seems like a long-awaited call-up for Tom Farrell. The outside centre was Munster’s player of the season in his first campaign since joining from Connacht and speaking at the tail end of 2024-25 he had been resigned to missing his opportunity, a feeling endorsed by his omission from the Ireland squad which toured to Georgia and Portugal last summer.

O’Brien’s omission from the initial squad named last Wednesday was more of a surprise given his strong start to the new season but he earns his recall as Hansen’s replacement after being a late addition to the Leinster bench at Croke Park last Saturday, getting an early run off the bench on 23 minutes after a head injury to Jordan Larmour.