LEINSTER DUO JAMES Lowe and Jimmy O’Brien have been called up to Ireland’s Six Nations squad ahead of Sunday’s round three clash with Italy in Dublin.
Lowe made an impressive return from his hamstring injury off the bench for Leinster during their bonus-point win over the Ospreys at the RDS on Saturday, scoring a superb long-range try with his first touch.
The 29-year-old was ruled out of the first two rounds of the Six Nations through injury but he underlined his fitness to Ireland boss Andy Farrell with his excellent showing over the weekend.
Nine-times capped Lowe, who was superb during the November Tests, will immediately come back into contention for a place in the Ireland team, although Connacht’s Mack Hansen has performed strongly on the left wing in his absence so far in the Six Nations.
Meanwhile, 25-year-old Kildare man O’Brien has been handed his first official call-up to the senior Ireland squad.
The versatile Leinster man can play at fullback, on the wing, or at outside centre and has been a consistently excellent performer for his province. Former Ireland U20 international O’Brien came through Naas RFC and Newbridge College to break into the professional game.
Farrell has also welcomed the 14 players who were released to their provinces last week back into Ireland camp ahead of the Italy game.
Connacht’s Jack Carty and Dave Heffernan, Leinster’s Ryan Baird, Cian Healy and Jordan Larmour, Munster’s Craig Casey, Gavin Coombes and Dave Kilcoyne, and Ulster’s Robert Baloucoune, James Hume, Michael Lowry, Tom O’Toole, Nick Timoney, and Kieran Treadwell all return.
Ireland squad:
Loosehead props: Andrew Porter, Cian Healy, Dave Kilcoyne
Hookers: Dan Sheehan, Rob Herring, Dave Heffernan
Tighthead props: Tadhg Furlong, Finlay Bealham, Tom O’Toole
Second rows: Tadhg Beirne, Iain Henderson, James Ryan, Kieran Treadwell, Ryan Baird
Back rows: Jack Conan, Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier, Peter O’Mahony, Nick Timoney, Gavin Coombes
Scrum-halves: Jamison Gibson-Park, Conor Murray, Craig Casey
Out-halves: Johnny Sexton (captain), Joey Carbery, Jack Carty
Centres: Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, Garry Ringrose, James Hume
Back threes: Hugo Keenan, Andrew Conway, Robert Baloucoune, Jordan Larmour, Mack Hansen, Mike Lowry, James Lowe, Jimmy O’Brien.
