Two uncapped players included as Ireland name 36-man Nations Championship squad

Ireland face Argentina on November 6, Fiji on November 14 and South Africa on November 21. They will play a fourth match against a yet to be determined opponent

Leinster hooker Dan Sheehan will captain Ireland for the Nations Championship. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Dan Sheehan will once again lead Ireland into Nations Championship action next month having been named captain of a 36-player squad selected by Andy Farrell on Wednesday for the Tests against Argentina, Fiji and South Africa at Aviva Stadium.

Sheehan stepped in as skipper on the summer’s Nations Championship tour for games against Australia, Japan and New Zealand with Ireland captain Caelan Doris ruled out with foot and knee injuries.

There are two uncapped players in the group with Ulster pair Jamie Benson, a centre, and back-rower James McNabney earning their first senior call ups from the head coach, while there will be disappointment in Munster that only two of Clayton McMillan’s squad has been selected in the panel, Tadhg Beirne and Craig Casey.

Farrell was unable to select a number of frontline internationals for the Novmber home stand, with Munster’s Jack Crowley and Calvin Nash named among a group also including Jack Boyle, Harry Byrne, Jack Conan, Doris, Iain Henderson, Paddy McCarthy, and Bryn Ward in the IRFU press release.

Yet nor is there a place for Munster loosehead prop Jeremy Loughman, who played in two of the summer’s three Tests in Australia and New Zealand but was injured last Saturday against Racing 92 with Andrew Porter, Tom O’Toole and Billy Bohan the looseheads listed for Ireland this time around.

There was optimism in the southern province that uncapped back-rower Brian Gleeson, a try scorer from No.8 in the 33-25 win in Cork at the weekend, would have his early-season performances recognised but he appears to have missed out to McNabney in the race to fill the void created by a trio of back-row injuries led by captain Doris and augmented over the weekend by Conan and Ward.

Ireland open their November campaign against Argentina on Friday, November 6 (8.10pm), before playing Fiji on Saturday, November 14 (8.10pm) ahead of a sell-out match against world champions South Africa at the Aviva on Saturday, November 21 (4.40pm), with the Nations Championship Finals Weekend taking place a week later at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium.

Ireland squad for Nations Championship

Forwards (19): Ryan Baird (Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Billy Bohan (Connacht), Thomas Clarkson (Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster), Sam Illo (Connacht), Sean Jansen (Connacht), Rónan Kelleher (Leinster), Joe McCarthy (Leinster), James McNabney (Ulster), Darragh Murray (Connacht), Tom O’Toole (Ulster), Andrew Porter (Leinster), Cian Prendergast (Connacht), James Ryan (Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Leinster) (captain), Tom Stewart (Ulster), Nick Timoney (Ulster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster).

Backs (17): Bundee Aki (Connacht), Rob Baloucoune (Ulster), Jamie Benson (Ulster), Craig Casey (Munster), Nathan Doak (Ulster), Ciaran Frawley (Connacht), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster), Mack Hansen (Connacht), Robbie Henshaw (Leinster), Hugo Keenan (Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster), Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster), Tommy O’Brien (Leinster), Jamie Osborne (Leinster), Sam Prendergast (Leinster), Garry Ringrose (Leinster), Jacob Stockdale (Ulster).