Squad due to be announced tomorrow.
Surely will get called:
Tom O’Toole, Timoney (apperantly list as an option to cover hooker on the official teamsheets), Stewart, Izuchukwu, McCloskey, Baloucoune, Stockdale, Doak
Maybe get called:
McCann- has been be playing great but keeps getting over looked, if not now can’t seeing it happening in the world cup cycle
Benson – has been good for Ulster out of postion, has was training with Ireland over the summer
Murphy – not playing his best, but the 3rd out half place it up for grabs with Crowley And Byrne injured, but hes up against O’Shea, Casper ( out side chance of Carbery) and even Benson
Bryn Ward – depends on how far of he is from injury, also lots of competition in the back row
Forwards (19):
Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(33)
Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster)(73)
Billy Bohan (Corinthians/Connacht)(1)
Thomas Clarkson (Blackrock College/Leinster)(16)
Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster)(88)
Sam Illo (Buccaneers/Connacht)(1)
Sean Jansen (Connacht)(2)
Rónan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)(51)
Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)(26)
James McNabney (City of Armagh/Ulster)*
Darragh Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht)(3)
Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(24)
Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster)(79)
Cian Prendergast (UCD/Connacht)(11)
James Ryan (UCD/Leinster)(83)
Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(41)( captain )
Tom Stewart (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(6)
Nick Timoney (Queen’s University/Ulster)(14)
Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)(81)Backs (17):
Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht)(72)
Rob Baloucoune (Enniskillen/Ulster)(9)
Jamie Benson (Ulster)*
Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster)(30)
Nathan Doak (Banbridge/Ulster)(2)
Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Connacht)(15)
Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(53)
Mack Hansen (Connacht)(30)
Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster)(85)
Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)(48)
Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster)(31)
Jimmy O’Brien (Naas/Leinster)(14)
Tommy O’Brien (Blackrock College/Leinster)(9)
Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster)(17)
Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)(17)
Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster)(76)
Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster)(43).
So McNabney and Benson in, Izuchukwu out, McCann over looked again, and Bryn must be a few games off. So Benson is the 3rd OH? (a shame for Murphy, pity he hasn’t started the season well)
Izzy squeezed out by the return of Ryan Baird I think. Ireland view him only as a 6.
Still 9 players is a great contingent from Ulster (second most of provinces). If all 9 have to fly back after Bulls we won’t have a team for Stormers (this won’t happen, but we’ll still be depleted).
@forestial Squad is too small to lose that amount of players in the sort term, but long term hopfully more players will get central contracts and free up some money to deepen the squad ( I get that central are only part funded now, but every bit helps)