Eight Connacht players named in Irish squad for Nations Championship

Connacht's Sam Illo with friends he made his Irish debut against Japan in Australia back in July. | Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

placeholder image — Connacht's Sam Illo with friends he made his Irish debut against Japan in Australia back in July. | Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Bundee Aki, Billy Bohan, Ciaran Frawley, Mack Hansen, Sam Illo, Sean Jansen, Darragh Murray, and Cian Prendergast all included

Ireland head coach, Andy Farrell, has included eight Connacht Rugby players in his Irish squad for next month's Nations Championship Northern Hemisphere Series at Lansdowne Road, which will see games against Argentina (Friday November 6), Fiji (Saturday November (14), and South Africa (Saturday November 21). The finals weekend takes place a week later at Twickenham in London.

Billy Bohan, Sam Illo, Sean Jansen, Darragh Murray, and Cian Prendergast are amongst the 19 forwards named in the squad by Farrell; with Bundee Aki, Ciaran Frawley, and Mack Hansen making up the Connacht contingent in the backline.

Farrell has included two uncapped players in the panel, with Ulster’s Jamie Benson and James McNabney rewarded with their first senior call-ups.

A number of players were not considered due to injury, including Jack Boyle, Harry Byrne, Jack Conan, Jack Crowley, Caelan Doris, Iain Henderson, Paddy McCarthy, Calvin Nash and Bryn Ward.

Dan Sheehan will captain the squad.

Forwards: Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(33caps), 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), Tom Stewart (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(6), Nick Timoney (Queen’s University/Ulster)(14), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)(81).

Backs: 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), and Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster)(43).

*denotes uncapped player.