CIARÁN FRAWLEY IS one of four players who have been ruled out of the upcoming Emerging Ireland tour to South Africa due to injuries picked up over the weekend. 

The Leinster out-half injured his shoulder playing for his province against Benetton on Friday night.

Connacht’s Cathal Forde will now travel with the touring party, which leaves this evening. Forde represented Ireland U20s in 2021 and made his Connacht debut against Glasgow in the URC last season.

Other players who have had to withdraw are Caolin Blade, the Connacht scrum-half, Munster’s Alex Kendellen and Leinster’s Alex Soroka. 

Blade got injured during Connacht’s game against the Stormers yesterday. Leinster’s Ben Murphy, who was a member of the 2020 U20s Six Nations squad, has joined the group travelling to South Africa.

Kendellen will complete his return to play process while Soroka aggravated an existing foot issue.

Ulster’s David McCann joined the squad on Friday. He was a member of the 2019 U20 Six Nations Grand Slam-winning side before captaining the Ireland U20s during the 2020 season.

The squad will depart for South Africa this evening and arrive in Bloemfontein on Tuesday ahead of their first game against the Windhoek Draught Griquas at the Toyota Stadium on Friday. 

Emerging Ireland Squad:

Backs: 

Robert Baloucoune (Ulster/Enniskillen)

Jack Crowley (Munster/Cork Constitution)

Shane Daly (Munster/Cork Constitution)

Nathan Doak (Ulster/Banbridge)

Cathal Forde (Connacht/Corinthians)

Jake Flannery (Ulster/Ballynahinch)

Antoine Frisch (Munster)

Michael McDonald (Ulster)

Ethan McIlroy (Ulster/Ballynahinch)

Stewart Moore (Ulster/Malone)

Chay Mullins (Connacht/IQ Rugby)

Ben Murphy (Leinster/Clontarf)

Calvin Nash (Munster/Young Munster)

Jamie Osbourne (Leinster/Naas)

Andrew Smith (Leinster/Clontarf)

Forwards: 

Tom Ahern (Munster/Shannon)

Diarmuid Barron (Munster/Garryowen)

Thomas Clarkson (Leinster/Dublin University)

James Culhane (Leinster/UCD)

Max Deegan (Leinster/Lansdowne)

Brian Deeny (Leinster/Clontarf)

John Hodnett (Munster/UCC)

Sam Illo (Connacht/Buccaneers)

Cormac Izuchukwu (Ulster/Ballynahinch)

David McCann (Ulster/Banbridge)

Joe McCarthy (Leinster/Dublin University)

Michael Milne (Leinster/UCD)

Scott Penny (Leinster/UCD)

Cian Prendergast (Connacht)

Callum Reid (Ulster/Banbridge)

Roman Salonoa (Munster/Shannon)

Tom Stewart (Ulster/Ballynahinch)

Dylan Tierney-Martin (Connacht/Corinthians)

Josh Wycherley (Munster/Young Munster)