JOEY CARBERY HAS been recalled to the Ireland squad with captain Johnny Sexton remaining a doubt for this weekend’s Six Nations clash with Italy in Rome.
37-year-old Sexton continues to rehab after suffering a groin injury against France, so Munster man Carbery has been called up to offer another option at out-half along with Ross Byrne and Jack Crowley.
Byrne is expected to start in the number 10 shirt if Sexton is ruled out, with Crowley possibly making his first appearance of the campaign off the bench, but Carbery will be pleased to return to the mix having been left out of the original Six Nations squad.
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has also added Leinster back row Scott Penny and Ulster lock Kieran Treadwell to his squad.
Meanwhile, hooker Dan Sheehan has been passed fit for the Italy game after recovering from a hamstring injury, while loosehead prop Cian Healy has also completed his recovery from the same issue.
However, veteran wing Keith Earls has been ruled out of contention for this weekend due to a calf injury, while hooker Rob Herring continues to go through the return-to-play protocols after suffering a head injury in a high tackle from France prop Uini Atonio two weekends ago.
Leinster second row Joe McCarthy won’t be involved for the remainder of the Six Nations due to an ankle issue.
Jamison Gibson Park [hamstring], Robbie Henshaw [wrist], and Tadhg Furlong [calf] all continue to rehab their respective injuries.
Caolin Blade, Gavin Coombes, Jordan Larmour, Jimmy O’Brien, Jamie Osborne, Cian Prendergast, Roman Salanoa, and Jacob Stockdale all rejoin the Ireland squad after featuring for their provinces in the URC over the weekend.
Ireland’s 37-man squad:
Backs:
- Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 43 caps
- Caolin Blade (Connacht/Galwegians) 1 cap
- Ross Byrne (Leinster/UCD) 16 caps
- Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 37 caps
- Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon) 9 caps
- Jack Crowley (Munster/Cork Constitution) 2 caps
- Mack Hansen (Connacht/Corinthians) 10 caps
- Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 27 caps
- Jordan Larmour (Leinster/St Marys College) 30 caps
- James Lowe (Leinster) 17 caps
- Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor) 11 caps
- Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 102 caps
- Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster/Naas) 3 caps
- Jamie Osborne (Leinster/Naas)*
- Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 49 caps
- Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 111 caps (captain
- Jacob Stockdale (Ulster/Lurgan) 35 caps
Forwards:
- Ryan Baird (Leinster/Dublin University) 8 caps
- Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 29 caps
- Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 35 caps
- Gavin Coombes (Munster/Young Munster) 2 caps
- Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 25 caps
- Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 121 caps
- Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy) 70 caps
- Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 33 caps
- Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne) 19 caps
- Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians) 50 caps
- Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 91 caps
- Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 6 caps
- Scott Penny (Leinster/UCD)*
- Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 50 caps
- Cian Prendergast (Connacht/Corinthians) 1 cap
- James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 50 caps
- Roman Salanoa (Munster/Shannon)*
- Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 14 caps
- Kieran Treadwell (Ulster/Ballymena) 10 caps
- Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 47 caps
* denotes uncapped player
