Munster's Craig Casey to captain Ireland as Paul O'Connell names summer tour squad
Craig Casey will captain Ireland on this summer's two-Test tour to Georgia and Portugal, leading a 32-player squad containing 11 uncapped players.
With 15 Ireland frontliners set to go on tour with Andy Farrell's British & Irish Lions to Australia in July and August, and the retirements of recent Six Nations regulars and Test centurions Cian Healy, Conor Murray and Peter O'Mahony, this tour was always going to present an opportunity to bring fresh blood and add Test experience for squad regulars usually denied extensive gametime.
Interim head coach Paul O'Connell, the only member of Farrell's coaching staff not tour with the Lions, named a touring party on Wednesday, will also be without a trio of experienced players unavailable with Robbie Henshaw ruled out due to injury and Ulster forwards Iain Henderson and Rob Herring not considered due to recent injuries.
Ireland are set to play Georgia in Tbilisi on July 5 and Portugal a week later in Lisbon on July 12, with Munster scrum-half Casey set to become Ireland's 112th captain since 1875 as he returns to the national squad having missed the Six Nations with a knee injury.
The uncapped players included six men who have had recent exposure to the Ireland camp - Tom Ahern, Michael Milne, Shayne Bolton, Nathan Doak, Ben Murphy and Tommy O'Brien – while Alex Kendellen, Darragh Murray, Paddy McCarthy, Stephen Smyth and Hugh Gavin have received first call-ups after impressing for their provinces and on Emerging Ireland duty earlier this season.
The IRFU said the tour will provide the Ireland management with 'an invaluable opportunity to build squad depth and expose high-potential players to meaningful game time in a green jersey'.
O'Connell has also named Ulster trio James McNabney, Jude Postlethwaite and Zac Ward as training panellists to link up with the squad at the IRFU High Performance Centre on Monday, June 23 for a nine-day training camp before the tourists depart Dublin for the Georgian capital on Wednesday, July 2.
Looking forward to a sixth meeting between Ireland and Georgia, and a first Test against the 2023 World Cup participants Portugal, interim head coach O'Connell said: 'I'm delighted to announce the Ireland squad for the summer tour and I believe we have a strong blend of youth and experience for what will be a trip into relatively uncharted territories this July.
'Georgia have made great strides in recent years, and they have made a significant investment in their rugby programme which has established them amongst the leading emerging sides in international rugby.
'Under the experience of Richard Cockerill they have built on a traditionally strong forward unit with a talented backline and they will provide a tough test for us. Portugal showcased their attacking prowess during the Rugby World Cup 2023 and Simon Mannix is a coach I know having worked with him previously (at Munster). They play with confidence and we're expecting another tough test."
O'Connell added: 'With 15 players away with The British & Irish Lions, this tour presents an opportunity for those on the fringes to impress the coaching team. A number of players have been really close to selection in recent times and it's important that everyone grasps the challenge that's ahead of them.
'Every moment on the training field and across the two-match series will count and there's a great opportunity for players to step up and impress.
'In welcoming the squad, I would like to congratulate Craig on his selection as captain. He is a real leader with a strong personality and it is a huge personal honour for him and an opportunity that I know he will relish over the coming weeks.'
Connacht tighthead prop Finlay Bealham is the squad's most experienced player with 51 Ireland caps while there are 13 tour members with less than 10 caps in addition to the 11 uncapped.
There will be first-choice internationals available to O'Connell though, not least at fly-half, where Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley will once again vie for the number 10 jersey alongside Ciaran Frawley, while at scrum-half, uncapped duo Nathan Doak and Ben Murphy have been given a chance to shine alongside captain Casey.
With Henshaw injured and both Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose selected for the Lions tour, there is an opportunity to grow midfield experience.
Stuart McCloskey and Jamie Osborne will lead the running for the starting centre partnership, though the latter could also start at full-back, while the uncapped Tommy O'Brien is perhaps the form pick from Leinster for a wing berth to rival Calvin Nash and Jacob Stockdale.
There will be disappointments, not least for Munster centre Tom Farrell, who has enjoyed a stellar first season with the southern province having been released last summer by Connacht.
Farrell finished the URC regular season campaign as the joint top try scorer and was the inaugural winner of the URC playmaker award having led the league in a number of statistical categories.
Fixtures:
Saturday, 5th July: Georgia v Ireland, Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi (kick off 9pm local time, 6pm Irish time).
Saturday, 12th July: Portugal v Ireland, Estádio Nacional do Jamor, Lisbon (kick off 7pm local, same Irish time).
Squad:
Forwards (18): Tom Ahern (Shannon/Munster), Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Corinthians/Connacht), Jack Boyle (UCD/Leinster), Thomas Clarkson (Dublin University/Leinster), Gavin Coombes (Young Munster/Munster), Max Deegan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Cormac Izuchukwu (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Alex Kendellen (UCC/Munster), Gus McCarthy (UCD/Leinster), Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster), Michael Milne (UCD/Munster), Darragh Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht), Tom O'Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Cian Prendergast (UCD/Connacht), Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley/Leinster), Tom Stewart (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Nick Timoney (Banbridge/Ulster).
Backs (14): Shayne Bolton (Connacht), Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster, captain), Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster), Nathan Doak (Banbridge/Ulster), Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster), Hugh Gavin (Galwegians/Connacht), Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster), Ben Murphy (Clontarf/Connacht), Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster), Jimmy O'Brien (Naas/Leinster), Tommy O'Brien (UCD/Leinster), Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster), Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster), Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster).
Training Panellists: James McNabney (City of Armagh/Ulster), Jude Postlethwaite (City of Armagh/Ulster), Zac Ward (Ballynahinch/Ulster).
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