GUS McCARTHY, SEAN O’Brien and Jude Postlethwaite have all been released from the Emerging Ireland squad following Sunday’s 29-24 defeat of Western Force.
The trio will leave South Africa on Monday afternoon and will be available for URC action with their provinces this weekend.
Leinster hooker McCarthy was a try-scorer off the bench in Emerging Ireland’s win over the Pumas last Wednesday and started yesterday’s game in Bloemfontein.
He returns to Dublin with Leinster awaiting an update on hooker Rónan Kelleher ahead of Saturday’s URC meeting with Munster at Croke Park. Kelleher was forced off with an injury just 12 minutes into Leinster’s defeat of Benetton over the weekend. Leinster are also currently without Dan Sheehan, who is a long-term absentee with an ACL injury.
Munster centre O’Brien, who started against the Pumas and the Force, will rejoin Graham Rowntree’s squad as the province deal with a growing injury list. Alex Nankivell has missed Munster’s last two games, with Rory Scannell, Shane Daly and Liam Coombes among the other centre options nursing injuries ahead of Saturday’s trip to Dublin.
Postlethwaite came off the bench against the Pumas and opened the scoring against the Force on Sunday. He returns to an Ulster squad who are also light at centre. Ben Carson started alongside Stewart Moore in the Ulster midfield in their defeat to the Bulls, with Stuart McCloskey missing the game due to knee and ankle injuries. Ulster host Connacht in Belfast on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Emerging Ireland squad are due to visit Heidedal Township this afternoon before concluding their three-mach tour in South Africa by taking on the Cheetahs on Wednesday [KO 6pm Irish time].
