Three players called up as Ireland lose another lock

Fresh from losing Tadhg Beirne, Ireland have lost another second row for at least the duration of the Guinness Six Nations.

Andy Farrell has given recalls for Scott Penny, Kieran Treadwell and Joey Carbery, but it’s in the engine room where they again have bad news.

Beirne was last week ruled out of the remainder of the Championship and and IRFU statement today confirmed that “unfortunately Joe McCarthy will also miss the rest of this year’s campaign with an ankle issue.”

Elsewhere loosehead Cian Healy and hooker Dan Sheehan both return from hamstring injuries.

Munster flyhalf Carbery is “added to the squad to provide additional cover as Johnny Sexton continues his rehab this week.”

“Caolin Blade, Gavin Coombes, Jordan Larmour, Jimmy O’Brien, Jamie Osborne, Cian Prendergast, Roman Salanoa and Jacob Stockdale return to the squad having played for their respective provinces in the URC at the weekend.”

“Keith Earls is unavailable this week with a calf issue while Jamison Gibson Park, Robbie Henshaw and Tadhg Furlong will all continue their respective rehab programmes. Rob Herring is continuing his graduated return to play protocols,” the statement concludes.

Backs (17)
Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 43 caps
Caolin Blade (Connacht/Galwegians) 1 cap
Ross Byrne (Leinster/UCD) 16 caps
Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 37 caps
Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon) 9 caps
Jack Crowley (Munster/Cork Constitution) 2 caps
Mack Hansen (Connacht/Corinthians) 10 caps
Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 27 caps
Jordan Larmour (Leinster/St Marys College) 30 caps
James Lowe (Leinster) 17 caps
Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor) 11 caps
Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 102 caps
Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster/Naas) 3 caps
Jamie Osborne (Leinster/Naas) *
Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 49 caps
Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 111 caps (c)
Jacob Stockdale (Ulster/Lurgan) 35 caps

Forwards (20)
Ryan Baird (Leinster/Dublin University) 8 caps
Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 29 caps
Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 35 caps
Gavin Coombes (Munster/Young Munster) 2 caps
Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 25 caps
Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 121 caps
Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy) 70 caps
Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 33 caps
Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne) 19 caps
Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians) 50 caps
Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 91 caps
Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 6 caps
Scott Penny (Leinster/UCD) *
Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 50 caps
Cian Prendergast (Connacht/Corinthians) 1 cap
James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 50 caps
Roman Salanoa (Munster/Shannon) *
Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 14 caps
Kieran Treadwell (Ulster/Ballymena) 10 caps
Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 47 caps