Six Connacht players named for test series against Fiji & Australia

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Galway Daily rugby Finlay Bealham 200th appearance
Finlay Bealham. Photo Credit: Connacht Rugby/INPHO

Six Connacht players have been named for the 39 man Ireland squad for the sold-out test series against Fiji  & Australia

Among the backs, Caolin Blade and Mack Hansen have been named, with Cian Prendergast, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham, and Gavin Thornbury in the forwards.

Conor Murray and Ciaran Frawley, who played in last weekend’s games against the All-Blacks and Springboks, have been ruled out as they recover from injuries.

Scrum-half Johnny Sexton is reportedly recovering well from a dead leg, but it has not been confirmed if he will be joining training this week.

However, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart McCloskey, and Tadhg Furlong will be back in training this week after their own injuries.

Ireland will play both Fiji and Australia in the Aviva Stadium over the next two weekends.

The first sold out game against Fiji will take place this Saturday, November 12, with kick-off at 1pm.

The following Saturday Ireland will face Australia at home, with that match starting at 8pm.

Ireland Squad – Bank of Ireland Nations Series:

Backs (16)

Robert Baloucoune (Ulster/Enniskillen) 3 caps
Caolin Blade (Connacht/Galwegians) 1 cap
Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 36 caps
Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon) 5 caps
Jack Crowley (Munster/Cork Constitution) uncapped
Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 21 caps
Mack Hansen (Connacht) 7 caps
Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers) 60 caps
Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 24 caps
Michael Lowry (Ulster/Banbridge) 1 cap
Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor) 7 caps
Calvin Nash (Munster/Young Munster)
Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster/Naas) 1 cap
Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 45 caps
Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 109 caps CAPTAIN
Jacob Stockdale (Ulster/Lurgan) 35 caps

Forwards (23)

Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 26 caps
Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 34 caps
Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 31 caps
Max Deegan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 1 cap
Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 21 caps
Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 61 caps
Dave Heffernan (Connacht/Buccaneers) 7 caps
Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 119 caps
Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy) 68 caps
Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 29 caps
Jeremy Loughman (Munster/Garryowen) uncapped
Mike Milne (Leinster/UCD) uncapped
Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 88 caps
Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 3 caps
Scott Penny (Leinster/UCD) uncapped
Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 47 caps
Cian Prendergast (Connacht) uncapped
James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 47 caps
Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 11 caps
Gavin Thornbury (Connacht) uncapped
Nick Timoney (Ulster/Banbridge) 2 caps
Kieran Treadwell (Ulster/Ballymena) 9 caps
Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 44 caps

Bank of Ireland Nations Series Fixtures:

IRELAND v Fiji
Saturday 12th November, 2022, Aviva Stadium, KO 13:00

IRELAND v Australia
Saturday 19th November, 2022, Aviva Stadium, KO 20:00