Irish coach Joe Schmidt has named a 45 man training squad for this September’s World Cup. The major talking point from the squad announcement is the omission of Ian Keatley.
The Munster out half started Ireland’s opening Six Nations game against Italy, scoring 14 points. The out halves Schmidt has decided to go with in the squad are Jonny Sexton, Ian Madigan and Ulster’s Paddy Jackson.
However, Joe Schmidt’s decision not to include Keatley will not surprise many because he suffered a severe loss in form during the latter part of the season.
Schmidt Names Irish World Cup Training Squad
Other notable exclusions from the squad include James Cronin, Mike McCarthy, Nathan White and young Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey.
Rhys Ruddock has also been ruled out due to injury after breaking his right arm for the second time in six months while captaining Emerging Ireland against Uruguay in the Tbilisi Cup.
There has been some good news though for Andrew Trimble and Donnacha Ryan who are named in the training squad. Trimble has been out of action since sustaining a toe injury during a Pro 12 game against Glasgow Warriors last October.
Donnacha Ryan returned to Munster’s starting line up at the back end of the season after being out for a year also due to a toe injury. He last played for Ireland in March 2013 against Italy in what proved to be Declan Kidney’s final match in charge of the national side.
There was also good news for Leinster’s uncapped duo Jack Conan and Tadhg Furlong who have got the call up thanks to outstanding form in the Emerging Ireland team that won the Tbilisi Cup.
Squad in Full
Forwards (23)
Rory Best (Ulster/Banbridge)
Michael Bent (Leinster/Dublin University)
Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere)
Sean Cronin (Leinster/St Mary’s College)
Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf)
Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf)
Jamie Heaslip (Leinster/Dublin University)
Iain Henderson (Ulster/Ballynahinch)
Chris Henry (Ulster/Malone)
Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch)
David Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians)
Jack McGrath (Leinster/St Mary’s College)
Martin Moore (Leinster/Lansdowne)
Jordi Murphy (Leinster/Lansdowne)
Sean O’Brien (Leinster/UCD)
Paul O’Connell (Captain) (Munster/Young Munster)
Tommy O’Donnell (Munster/UL Bohemians)
Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution)
Mike Ross (Leinster/Clontarf)
Donnacha Ryan (Munster/Shannon)
Richard Strauss (Leinster/Old Wesley)
Devin Toner (Leinster/Lansdowne)
Dan Tuohy (Ulster/Ballymena)
Backs (22)
Isaac Boss (Leinster/Terenure)
Tommy Bowe (Ulster/Belfast Harlequins)
Darren Cave (Ulster/Belfast Harlequins)
Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster/Lansdowne)
Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster)
Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster/Blackrock College)
Craig Gilroy (Ulster/Dungannon)
Robbie Henshaw (Connacht/Buccaneers)
Paddy Jackson (Ulster/Dungannon)
Felix Jones (Munster/Shannon)
David Kearney (Leinster/Lansdowne)
Rob Kearney (Leinster/UCD)
Ian Madigan (Leinster/Blackrock College)
Kieran Marmion (Connacht/Corinthians)
Fergus McFadden (Leinster/Old Belvedere)
Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen)
Jared Payne (Ulster)
Eoin Reddan (Leinster/Lansdowne)
Noel Reid (Leinster/Clontarf)
Jonny Sexton (Racing Metro 92)
Andrew Trimble (Ulster/Ballymena)
Simon Zebo (Munster/Cork Constitution)
“Main Photo:”
