IRELAND HEAD COACH Joe Schmidt has trimmed his Ireland squad to 27 names for the trip to Chicago to meet New Zealand in Soldier Field on Saturday.
Having named a 34-man squad last week, Schmidt has opted to leave Sean O’Brien, Peter O’Mahony, Keith Earls, Iain Henderson, James Tracy, Luke Marshall and Paddy Jackson in Ireland this week.
Jackson’s omission is for personal reasons, while Keith Earls is suspended and Iain Henderson injured.
The game seems to have come a little too soon for formidable back rows O’Brien and O’Mahony who are both only recently returned from long-term injury lay-offs.
Updated Ireland squad to face New Zealand in Chicago
Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) captain
Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Leinster)*
Sean Cronin (St Marys/Leinster)
Ultan Dillane (Corinthians/Connacht)
Tadgh Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster)
Craig Gilroy (Ulster)
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster) vice captain
Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster)
Billy Holland (Cork Constitution/Munster)*
Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
Kieran Marmion (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Jack McGrath (St Marys/Leinster)
Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster)*
Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
Jared Payne (Ulster)
Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster)*
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster)*
Jonathan Sexton (St Marys/Leinster)
CJ Stander (Munster)
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)
Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster)
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