New Ireland head-coach Andy Farrell has named five uncapped players in his first Six Nations squad and has confirmed Johnny Sexton as Rory Best's successor as captain.
Leinster's Max Deegan, Caelan Doris and Ronan Kelleher and Ulster duo Billy Burns and Tom O’Toole are the uncapped inclusions in the 35-man group.
There's no place for Leinster's Rhys Ruddock and Jamison Gibson Park, Ulster's Stuart McCloskey or Munster forwards Niall Scannell and Jean Kleyn.
“At the get-together in December we challenged the players to put their hands up for selection and the coaches are really pleased with the performances in recent weeks," Farrell told Irish Rugby TV.
“As we progress through the Championship we will look to select sides that we believe are best suited to the task at the weekend.
“We will keep a close eye on the provincial performances in the PRO14 not just for the players in the squad that will transition back for game minutes but also for those players that were part of the wider selection discussions over the past few weeks."
Johnny Sexton has been named as the Ireland captain for the 2020 #GuinnessSixNations 🙌#TeamOfUs pic.twitter.com/pqcVHo2AI6
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) January 15, 2020
Former world player of the year Sexton will lead the squad into the Six Nations:
“We have appointed Johnny as captain for the Six Nations Championship, you can see what it means to him and the enthusiasm he will bring to the role. He has been developing as a leader for a number of years with Ireland, Leinster and the Lions and he will be a positive voice for the group.
Ryan Baird, Robert Baloucoune, Harry Byrne and Will Connors will train with the group at the warm-weather training camp in Portugal ahead of the tournament and Farrell says that'll be important for their development:
“The provinces are doing a great job in developing young talent and we feel there is an opportunity in the national set-up to support that work and get a better insight into some young players that have put in strong performances for their provinces.
“Ryan, Will, Harry and Robert will be the first ones to join the squad in this development role.”
Forwards (19):
Max Deegan (Lansdowne/Leinster) 0 caps
Caelan Doris (UCD/Leinster) 0 caps
Ultan Dillane (Corinthians/Connacht) 14 caps
Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 41 caps
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 95 caps
Dave Heffernan (Buccaneers/Connacht) 1 cap
Iain Henderson (Academy/Ulster) 53 caps
Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 8 caps
Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster) 0 caps
Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 36 caps
Jack McGrath (St Mary’s College/Ulster) 56 caps
Jack O’Donoghue (UL Bohemians/Munster) 2 caps
Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 64 caps
Tom O’Toole (Banbridge/Ulster) 0 caps
Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 23 caps
James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 23 caps
CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster) 38 caps
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 67 caps
Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) 23 caps
Backs (16):
Will Addison (Enniskillen/Ulster) 4 caps
Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 23 caps
Billy Burns (Ulster) 0 caps
Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster) 3 caps
Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster) 18 caps
John Cooney (Terenure College/Ulster) 8 caps
Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 82 caps
Chris Farrell (Young Munster/Munster) 9 caps
Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 40 caps
Dave Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster) 19 caps
Jordan Larmour (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 21 caps
Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster) 19 caps
Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 78 caps
Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster) 28 caps
Jonathan Sexton (St Marys College/Leinster) 88 caps CAPTAIN
Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster) 25 caps
Development Players:
Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)
Robert Baloucoune (Enniskillen/Ulster)
Harry Byrne (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Will Connors (UCD/Leinster).
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