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Jacob Stockdale, James Lowe and Stuart McCloskey.

Lowe misses out, McCloskey and Stockdale return in 37-man Ireland squad

Andy Farrell has also named an additional panel of players for the Ireland A fixture against New Zealand.

IRELAND HEAD COACH Andy Farrell has named a 37-man squad for next month’s November internationals.

Leinster pair Hugo Keenan and Jamison Gibson-Park are both included despite having yet to play any minutes this season due to injury.

However winger James Lowe misses out as he continues to work his way back from a calf problem. Ulster’s Iain Henderson – another player yet to get up and running this season – is a notable absentee, as are Munster pair Keith Earls and Andrew Conway.

Ireland open their Autumn calendar with a 5 November clash against the world champions Springboks at the Aviva Stadium, before welcoming Fiji and Australia to Dublin on 12 and 19 November respectively.

An Ireland A side will also play a New Zealand XV at the RDS on 4 November, and Farrell has selected an additional 12-player panel for this fixture. The Ireland A players will join the main group following round seven of the United Rugby Championship. 

With Connacht’s Bundee Aki suspended for the games against Fiji and Australia, Farrell has named just three centres in his squad, with Ulster’s Stuart McCloskey rewarded for his fine form with a first call up since last year’s November internationals.

His provincial teammate Jacob Stockdale is also included despite being sidelined with an ankle injury since in the round three URC defeat to Leinster. Stockdale was last capped for Ireland in July 2021, missing a year out with injury before making his return to action last month.

Munster pair Tadhg Beirne and Craig Casey are also included despite picking up groin injuries during Munster’s win over the Bulls last weekend. 

James Ryan and Josh van der Flier also make the cut after picking up injuries in Leinster’s win against Connacht last Friday.

Farrell has included six uncapped players in his squad, with Ciarán Frawley, Jeremy Loughman, Joe McCarthy, Calvin Nash, Jimmy O’Brien and Cian Prendergast all hoping to win their first caps at Test level.

Frawley, Loughman, McCarthy, O’Brien and Prendergast all featured for the Ireland XV side that played the Maori All Blacks during the summer tour of New Zealand, while Prendergast, McCarthy, Baloucoune and Nash were part of the Emerging Ireland squad which recently took in a three-game trip to South Africa.

Frawley will hope to get minutes at out-half alongside Sexton and Joey Carbery after missing the Emerging Ireland tour with injury.

Caolin Blade, Marty Moore and Dave Kilcoyne are the senior players in a youthful A panel, which also includes highly-rated Munster pair Tom Ahern and Jack Crowley, who both starred on the recent Emerging Ireland tour, and Ulster centre James Hume – who featured twice off the bench for Ireland in last season’s Six Nations.

There is no place in either squad for Ulster scrum-half Nathan Doak – another player who impressed with Emerging Ireland – or Munster out-half Ben Healy.

The Ireland squad are due to assemble at their Carton House base next week following this weekend’s URC fixtures – which includes a Leinster v Munster interpro derby at Aviva Stadium.

Ireland head into the November Test window as the top-ranked side in the world on the back of their historic summer tour to New Zealand.

The IRFU have also announced Bank of Ireland as the title sponsor for Ireland’s November fixtures. 

Ireland squad:

Robert Baloucoune (Ulster) 2 caps

Joey Carbery (Munster) 35 caps

Craig Casey (Munster) 5 caps

Ciarán Frawley (Leinster) uncapped

Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 20 caps

Mack Hansen (Connacht) 6 caps

Robbie Henshaw (Leinster) 60 caps

Hugo Keenan (Leinster) 23 caps

Michael Lowry (Ulster) 1 cap

Conor Murray (Munster) 99 caps

Stuart McCloskey (Ulster) 6 caps

Calvin Nash (Munster) uncapped

Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster) uncapped

Garry Ringrose (Leinster) 44 caps

Johnny Sexton (Leinster) 108 caps captain

Jacob Stockdale (Ulster) 35 caps

Forwards (21)

Ryan Baird (Leinster) 8 caps

Finlay Bealham (Connacht) 25 caps

Tadhg Beirne (Munster) 33 caps

Jack Conan (Leinster) 30 caps

Gavin Coombes (Munster) 2 caps

Caelan Doris (Leinster) 20 caps

Tadhg Furlong (Leinster) 60 caps

Dave Heffernan (Connacht) 7 caps

Cian Healy (Leinster) 118 caps

Rob Herring (Ulster) 28 caps

Jeremy Loughman (Munster) uncapped

Joe McCarthy (Leinster) uncapped

Peter O’Mahony (Munster) 87 caps

Tom O’Toole (Ulster) 3 caps

Andrew Porter (Leinster) 46 caps

Cian Prendergast (Connacht) uncapped

James Ryan (Leinster) 46 caps

Dan Sheehan (Leinster) 10 caps

Nick Timoney (Ulster) 2 caps

Kieran Treadwell (Ulster) 8 caps

Josh van der Flier (Leinster) 43 caps

Ireland ‘A’ Panel:

Tom Ahern (Munster)

Diarmuid Barron (Munster)

Caolin Blade (Connacht) 1 cap

Jack Crowley (Munster)

Shane Daly (Munster) 2 caps

Max Deegan (Leinster) 1 cap

James Hume (Ulster) 3 caps

Dave Kilcoyne (Munster) 48 caps

Marty Moore (Ulster) 10 caps

Jamie Osbourne (Leinster)

Scott Penny (Leinster)

Roman Salanoa (Munster) 

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Ciarán Kennedy
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