Ulster’s Jacob Stockdale has been named in Ireland’s 37-man Six Nations squad with Munster fly-half Joey Carbery a notable absentee.
Stockdale joins Stuart McCloskey, Iain Henderson, Rob Herring and Tom O’Toole as the Ulster inclusions as Nick Timoney and Michael Lowry miss out.
Ross Byrne and Jack Crowley are named as the fly-half back up to Johnny Sexton with Carbery missing out.
Leinster back Jamie Osborne is the only uncapped player in the squad.
Robert Baloucoune missed Ulster’s game last weekend against La Rochelle because of a hamstring injury and his absence appears to have opened the door to club-mate Stockdale returning to the Ireland squad.
Wing Stockdale, who was Six Nations player of the tournament in 2018, has not featured for Ireland since the summer Test against Japan in July 2021 although he was ruled out for nearly all last season because of injury.
Henderson is included despite being unavailable for Ulster’s European game against Sale this weekend because of concussion but Timoney and Lowry miss out along with their other club-mates Kieran Treadwell and James Hume amid the northern province’s recent poor run.
As expected skipper Sexton and Leinster colleague Tadhg Furlong are both included despite their recent injuries while Munster veterans Conor Murray and Keith Earls are also named in the squad.
Ireland open their campaign against Wales in Cardiff on 4 February.
Ireland squad
Backs (17): Aki (Connacht), R Byrne (Leinster), Casey (Munster), Crowley (Munster), Earls (Munster), Gibson-Park (Leinster), Keenan (Leinster), Larmour (Leinster), Lowe (Leinster), McCloskey (Ulster), Murray (Munster), O’Brien (Leinster), Osborne (Leinster), Ringrose (Leinster), Sexton (Leinster), Stockdale (Ulster)
Forwards (20): Baird (Leinster), Bealham (Connacht), Beirne (Munster), Conan (Leinster), Coombes (Munster), Doris (Leinster), Furlong (Leinster), Healy (Leinster), Henderson (Ulster), Herring (Ulster), Kelleher (Leinster), Kilcoyne (Munster), McCarthy (Leinster), O’Mahony (Munster), O’Toole (Ulster), Porter (Leinster), Prendergast (Connacht), Ryan (Leinster), D Sheehan (Leinster), Van der Flier (Leinster)
