JOE SCHMIDT HAS added Craig Gilroy, Dave Foley and Jordi Murphy to his Six Nations squad ahead of Saturday’s round three clash with England.
Mike Ross and Cian Healy also return to the fold as expected, with both Leinster props likely to be involved at Twickenham this weekend.
Dropping out of the Ireland squad are Mike McCarthy, Sean O’Brien and Dave Kearney – all of whom will miss the remainder of the tournament – as well as Tadhg Furlong and Rob Herring, who remain with their provinces to rehab thigh injuries. Munster’s James Cronin has been left out of the squad, having been on the bench in the first two rounds.
Otherwise, Joe Schmidt’s playing group remains as it was for the opening two games against Wales and France.
Gilroy has been in excellent form for Ulster in recent times and scored a superb try in yesterday’s Pro12 defeat to the Scarlets, but hasn’t played for Ireland since starting the 2014 November Test against Georgia.
Munster second row Foley was man of the match on his debut in that clash against the Georgians and won a second cap in the 2014 November series against the Wallabies, but has not featured under Schmidt since.
Back row Murphy was involved in Ireland’s World Cup campaign and started the quarter-final defeat to Argentina, but was omitted from Schmidt’s initial 2016 Six Nations squad and instead left to accumulate game time with Leinster.
Ireland squad for Round 3 of Six Nations 2016:
Forwards (18):
Finlay Bealham (Corinthians/Connacht)*
Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
Ultan Dillane (Corinthians/Connacht)*
David Foley (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster)
Jack McGrath (St Mary’s College/Leinster)
Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Tommy O’Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
Rhys Ruddock (St Mary’s College/Leinster)
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
CJ Stander (Munster)
Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley/Leinster)
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)*
Nathan White (Connacht)
Backs (16):
Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
Craig Gilroy (Dungannon/Ulster)
Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Patrick Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster)
Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht)
Luke Marshall (Ballymena/Ulster)
Stuart McCloskey (Ballynahinch/Ulster)*
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
Jared Payne (Ulster)
Eoin Reddan (Old Crescent/Leinster)
Jonathan Sexton (St Mary’s College/Leinster)
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster)
* denotes an uncapped player
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