WHEN SIMON EASTERBY named his initial squad for the 2025 championship this time last year, just four Ulster players made the cut – forwards Iain Henderson, Rob Herring and Cormac Izuchukwu, with back row James McNabney included as a development player.
Of the 15 backs selected in a 36-strong squad, none were Ulster players (Stuart McCloskey and Jacob Stockdale were both recovering from injury at the time). When Andy Farrell was back in the hot seat for last year’s November internationals, four Ulster men made the cut – McCloskey and Stockdale joining Iain Henderson and Nick Timoney.
A few months down the line, that number has jumped to seven. Leinster continue to lead the way in supplying 19 of Farrell’s 37-man group. Munster have eight, while Connacht drop to just three players due to Mack Hansen being ruled out.
It’s another positive development for Ulster rugby midway through a highly-encouraging season. The province are currently third in the URC table, just five points off the Stormers at the summit, and have booked a home Challenge Cup round of 16 game against the Ospreys – a club with far more pressing concerns on their plate.
In further good news for Ulster, eight players have been included in the Ireland XV squad to play England ‘A’ at Thomond Park on Friday 6 February, the night after Ireland’s Six Nations opener away to France – namely Sam Crean, Charlie Irvine, Bryn Ward, Scott Wilson, James Hume, Jack Murphy, Jude Postlethwaite and Zac Ward. Ulster and Connacht are joint-top suppliers with eight each in the Ireland XV selection.
Back row Bryn Ward will train with Andy Farrell’s senior group in Portugal before returning to link up with the Ireland XV squad. He’ll see plenty of familiar faces when he joins a camp that includes three Ulster forwards – Tom O’Toole, Tom Stewart and Nick Timoney – and four Ulster backs – Robert Baloucoune, Nathan Doak, Stuart McCloskey and Jacob Stockdale.
Now the question will turn to how many of them can play an important role over the next two months.
As the form 12 in the country, Stuart McCloskey looks well placed to be Ireland’s starting inside centre heading into this championship.
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The 33-year-old was excellent in November, even if his opportunities were cut short by injury – something that’s been an ongoing issue across his Test career. A leader for Ulster, he can be one of Ireland’s most important players in this championship if he keeps fit.
With Robbie Henshaw ruled out, McCloskey should have the edge on Bundee Aki to start in France, where he might well be joined by JacobStockdale in the Ireland backline. With a consistent run of form to his name Stockdale is coming into this camp in a good place.
Given Hugo Keenan is in a race to be fit for Paris and Hansen will miss the entire championship, the 29-year-old is surely a live option to start at fullback. That said, injuries elsewhere might make him a more attractive option on the wing, where Tommy O’Brien is included despite a calf problem. Calvin Nash, Jimmy O’Brien, Shayne Bolton and Jordan Larmour are all ruled out and in-form pair JJ Kenny and Zac Ward have both been included in the Ireland XV squad.
James Lowe is out of form but remains the frontrunner on the left wing, where Stockdale (who last started a game on the right wing in 2017) could be second in line. Stockdale – currently going through return to play protocols following a head injury – started in the number 11 shirt for Ireland against Japan in November but has played most of his rugby this season at fullback. With 40 caps to his name, he’s no stranger to the Ireland camp but Ulster fans would love to see him get a good run of games at Test level again – he last played back-to-back games for Ireland in 2020.
And given that lengthy injury list, the time might be right for Robert Baloucoune to make his Ireland return. The Ulster flyer would surely have added to his four Ireland caps if it wasn’t for a run of injury problems. The winger was last capped in November 2022 but has never strayed too far from Farrell’s plans. The 28-year-old was Ireland A’s starting right wing against Spain in November and scored two tries on the day.
While France might come too soon for a player who has only just returned from his latest layoff, Baloucoune may well come into the picture later in the championship.
Baloucoune is back after a tough time with injuries. Martin Seras Lima / INPHO
Martin Seras Lima / INPHO / INPHO
Scrum-half Nathan Doak is one of only two uncapped players in the squad – with Munster lock Edwin Edogbo – and his inclusion is well deserved. While still only 24, Doak feels like an Ulster veteran (he’s just two caps shy of 100 for his home province), and this season he’s further developed his game in Mark Sexton’s exciting attacking system.
It might be hard for Doak to crack a matchday 23, with Leinster’s Jamison Gibson-Park still comfortably Farrell’s main man at nine and Munster’s Craig Casey also playing well, but Doak’s inclusion is an acknowledgement of his consistency in the Ulster jersey, having toured without getting capped by Ireland last summer. Make the right impressions in camp, and he’ll be capped before the end of the championship.
Looking at the pack, hooker Tom Stewart is having another excellent season, having established himself as one of Ulster’s most important players over the last few years. Stewart, 25, is a powerful, dynamic hooker, with a return of six tries across 12 games this season.
Capped five times by Farrell since 2023, he captained Ireland A in November and his form has been trending in the right direction since, resulting in him edging out Gus McCarthy in this squad. Farrell might not want to deviate from his preferred one-two combination of Dan Sheehan and Rónan Kelleher in his matchday 23, but Stewart must be closing the gap on Kelleher for a place on the Ireland bench.
Stewart captained Ireland A in November. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Nick Timoney is another who has been on the fringes of the first team, regularly making squads but only getting limited minutes on the pitch. Timoney featured twice in November, starting against Japan before providing a positive impact off the bench against Australia. His reliability for Ulster over the winter months made him a shoo-in for this squad again, and he’ll be close to making a couple of matchday squads.
Tom O’Toole will also hope to nudge his way in at tighthead, where Tadhg Furlong and Finlay Bealham are both included but nursing injuries. O’Toole was Ireland A’s starting tighthead in November and notably, has also played loosehead for Ireland – one of the more injury-hit areas in this squad. The 27-year-old was on Ireland’s summer tour to Georgia and Portugal, but played for Ireland A during the 2025 Six Nations window, having come off the bench three times in the 2024 November Tests.
Indeed, all seven Ulster players may well get capped across the campaign, but that’s not to say it was all good news from an Ulster perspective.
Iain Henderson, who is on 86 caps, featured just once in November, coming off the bench against New Zealand in Chicago, and has been left out of this initial Six Nations squad on the back of only lining out twice for Ulster since that Ireland camp due to a back problem. Edogbo looks the coming man in the Ireland second row, but it might only take an injury or two to get Henderson back in over the coming weeks, with the lock potentially lining out against Scarlets this weekend.
The outlook is less clear for Cormac Izuchukwu. Earlier this week Ulster stated the 25-year-old was a doubt for this weekend’s URC meeting due to a foot injury, and today’s IRFU release marked Izuchukwu as “not currently available”.
It’s a setback, but overall, the picture from an Ulster perspective is looking healthier than it has for some time.
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Ulster see form rewarded with strong showing in Ireland squad
WHEN SIMON EASTERBY named his initial squad for the 2025 championship this time last year, just four Ulster players made the cut – forwards Iain Henderson, Rob Herring and Cormac Izuchukwu, with back row James McNabney included as a development player.
Of the 15 backs selected in a 36-strong squad, none were Ulster players (Stuart McCloskey and Jacob Stockdale were both recovering from injury at the time). When Andy Farrell was back in the hot seat for last year’s November internationals, four Ulster men made the cut – McCloskey and Stockdale joining Iain Henderson and Nick Timoney.
A few months down the line, that number has jumped to seven. Leinster continue to lead the way in supplying 19 of Farrell’s 37-man group. Munster have eight, while Connacht drop to just three players due to Mack Hansen being ruled out.
It’s another positive development for Ulster rugby midway through a highly-encouraging season. The province are currently third in the URC table, just five points off the Stormers at the summit, and have booked a home Challenge Cup round of 16 game against the Ospreys – a club with far more pressing concerns on their plate.
In further good news for Ulster, eight players have been included in the Ireland XV squad to play England ‘A’ at Thomond Park on Friday 6 February, the night after Ireland’s Six Nations opener away to France – namely Sam Crean, Charlie Irvine, Bryn Ward, Scott Wilson, James Hume, Jack Murphy, Jude Postlethwaite and Zac Ward. Ulster and Connacht are joint-top suppliers with eight each in the Ireland XV selection.
Back row Bryn Ward will train with Andy Farrell’s senior group in Portugal before returning to link up with the Ireland XV squad. He’ll see plenty of familiar faces when he joins a camp that includes three Ulster forwards – Tom O’Toole, Tom Stewart and Nick Timoney – and four Ulster backs – Robert Baloucoune, Nathan Doak, Stuart McCloskey and Jacob Stockdale.
Now the question will turn to how many of them can play an important role over the next two months.
As the form 12 in the country, Stuart McCloskey looks well placed to be Ireland’s starting inside centre heading into this championship.
The 33-year-old was excellent in November, even if his opportunities were cut short by injury – something that’s been an ongoing issue across his Test career. A leader for Ulster, he can be one of Ireland’s most important players in this championship if he keeps fit.
With Robbie Henshaw ruled out, McCloskey should have the edge on Bundee Aki to start in France, where he might well be joined by Jacob Stockdale in the Ireland backline. With a consistent run of form to his name Stockdale is coming into this camp in a good place.
Given Hugo Keenan is in a race to be fit for Paris and Hansen will miss the entire championship, the 29-year-old is surely a live option to start at fullback. That said, injuries elsewhere might make him a more attractive option on the wing, where Tommy O’Brien is included despite a calf problem. Calvin Nash, Jimmy O’Brien, Shayne Bolton and Jordan Larmour are all ruled out and in-form pair JJ Kenny and Zac Ward have both been included in the Ireland XV squad.
James Lowe is out of form but remains the frontrunner on the left wing, where Stockdale (who last started a game on the right wing in 2017) could be second in line. Stockdale – currently going through return to play protocols following a head injury – started in the number 11 shirt for Ireland against Japan in November but has played most of his rugby this season at fullback. With 40 caps to his name, he’s no stranger to the Ireland camp but Ulster fans would love to see him get a good run of games at Test level again – he last played back-to-back games for Ireland in 2020.
And given that lengthy injury list, the time might be right for Robert Baloucoune to make his Ireland return. The Ulster flyer would surely have added to his four Ireland caps if it wasn’t for a run of injury problems. The winger was last capped in November 2022 but has never strayed too far from Farrell’s plans. The 28-year-old was Ireland A’s starting right wing against Spain in November and scored two tries on the day.
While France might come too soon for a player who has only just returned from his latest layoff, Baloucoune may well come into the picture later in the championship.
Scrum-half Nathan Doak is one of only two uncapped players in the squad – with Munster lock Edwin Edogbo – and his inclusion is well deserved. While still only 24, Doak feels like an Ulster veteran (he’s just two caps shy of 100 for his home province), and this season he’s further developed his game in Mark Sexton’s exciting attacking system.
It might be hard for Doak to crack a matchday 23, with Leinster’s Jamison Gibson-Park still comfortably Farrell’s main man at nine and Munster’s Craig Casey also playing well, but Doak’s inclusion is an acknowledgement of his consistency in the Ulster jersey, having toured without getting capped by Ireland last summer. Make the right impressions in camp, and he’ll be capped before the end of the championship.
Looking at the pack, hooker Tom Stewart is having another excellent season, having established himself as one of Ulster’s most important players over the last few years. Stewart, 25, is a powerful, dynamic hooker, with a return of six tries across 12 games this season.
Capped five times by Farrell since 2023, he captained Ireland A in November and his form has been trending in the right direction since, resulting in him edging out Gus McCarthy in this squad. Farrell might not want to deviate from his preferred one-two combination of Dan Sheehan and Rónan Kelleher in his matchday 23, but Stewart must be closing the gap on Kelleher for a place on the Ireland bench.
Nick Timoney is another who has been on the fringes of the first team, regularly making squads but only getting limited minutes on the pitch. Timoney featured twice in November, starting against Japan before providing a positive impact off the bench against Australia. His reliability for Ulster over the winter months made him a shoo-in for this squad again, and he’ll be close to making a couple of matchday squads.
Tom O’Toole will also hope to nudge his way in at tighthead, where Tadhg Furlong and Finlay Bealham are both included but nursing injuries. O’Toole was Ireland A’s starting tighthead in November and notably, has also played loosehead for Ireland – one of the more injury-hit areas in this squad. The 27-year-old was on Ireland’s summer tour to Georgia and Portugal, but played for Ireland A during the 2025 Six Nations window, having come off the bench three times in the 2024 November Tests.
Indeed, all seven Ulster players may well get capped across the campaign, but that’s not to say it was all good news from an Ulster perspective.
Iain Henderson, who is on 86 caps, featured just once in November, coming off the bench against New Zealand in Chicago, and has been left out of this initial Six Nations squad on the back of only lining out twice for Ulster since that Ireland camp due to a back problem. Edogbo looks the coming man in the Ireland second row, but it might only take an injury or two to get Henderson back in over the coming weeks, with the lock potentially lining out against Scarlets this weekend.
The outlook is less clear for Cormac Izuchukwu. Earlier this week Ulster stated the 25-year-old was a doubt for this weekend’s URC meeting due to a foot injury, and today’s IRFU release marked Izuchukwu as “not currently available”.
It’s a setback, but overall, the picture from an Ulster perspective is looking healthier than it has for some time.
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2026 six nations Ireland Rugby Selection Ulster