ANDY FARRELL HAS INCLUDED the uncapped Sam Prendergast, Jamie Osborne, and Cormac Izuchukwu in his 35-man Ireland squad for the upcoming two-Test tour of South Africa.
Peter O’Mahony continues as Ireland captain, but Farrell will be without scrum-half Jamison Gibson Park, who is injured, and number eight Jack Conan, who misses out due to personal reasons.
21-year-old Leinster out-half Prendergast has not been making his province’s frontline matchday 23 but Farrell clearly believes in his potential as he includes him in his squad ahead of Ross and Harry Byrne, who both miss out on the tour.
Prendergast is one of three out-half options along with Jack Crowley and Ciarán Frawley.
22-year-old Osborne has impressed in midfield for Leinster this season and has been in Ireland camps before, while 24-year-old Izuchukwu has been superb for Ulster recently after new head coach Richie Murphy moved him from the second row to blindside flanker.
Losing first-choice scrum-half Gibson-Park to a hamstring injury is an obvious blow for Farrell, who includes Connacht’s Caolin Blade alongside Munster pair Conor Murray and Craig Casey.
Not having Conan available is also a setback for Ireland, with Ulster’s Nick Timoney and Connacht’s Cian Prendergast making the back row contingent for this tour of South Africa.
Connacht’s Mack Hansen is also absent from the touring squad, having been sidelined with a shoulder injury in recent months.
Ulster tighthead prop Tom O’Toole is set to cover the loosehead side on tour, having trained there with Ireland earlier this year.
The Irish squad will assemble at the IRFU’s high performance centre in Dublin on Thursday to begin preparations before departing for South Africa next Tuesday.
Ireland will play the Springboks in Pretoria on Saturday 6 July and in Durban on Saturday 13 July.
The back-to-back World Cup winners are ranked number one in World Rugby’s official list, with Ireland second. The two Tests will be shown live on Sky Sports.
Ireland squad to tour South Africa:
Loosehead props: Andrew Porter, Cian Healy, Tom O’Toole
Hookers: Dan Sheehan, Rónan Kelleher, Rob Herring
Tighthead props: Tadhg Furlong, Finlay Bealham, Oli Jager
Second rows: Tadhg Beirne, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan
Back rows: Peter O’Mahony (captain), Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier, Ryan Baird, Nick Timoney, Cian Prendergast, Cormac Izuchukwu
Scrum-halves: Conor Murray, Craig Casey, Caolin Blade
Out-halves: Jack Crowley, Ciarán Frawley, Sam Prendergast
Centres: Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, Garry Ringrose, Stuart McCloskey, Jamie Osborne
Back threes: James Lowe, Calvin Nash, Jimmy O’Brien, Jordan Larmour, Jacob Stockdale
