Four Connacht players have been named for the Irish national side that will face off against the All-Blacks at the RDS this weekend.
Dave Heffernan, Gavin Thornbury, and Cian Prendergast will all be starting for Ireland this Saturday, while Caolin Blade will be among the replacements.
Aside from Heffernan and Prendergast, the Ireland side ‘A’ features 10 players who played against the Māori All Blacks during the Summer Tour of New Zealand – Craig Casey, Gavin Coombes, Ciarán Frawley, James Hume, Jeremy Loughman, Michael Lowry, Joe McCarthy, Jimmy O’Brien, Tom O’Toole, and Nick Timoney.
Jamie Osborne is one of three from the Emerging Ireland squad in the starting line up alongside Prendergast and McCarthy.
Diarmuid Barron, Jack Crowley, Max Deegan and Calvin Nash, who were also on the Emerging Ireland Tour to South Africa, are named among the replacements.
Craig Casey will captain the side which features Jacob Stockdale, who last lined out for Ireland against Japan in July 2021, while among the replacements is Marty Moore whose last game for Ireland was against Scotland in March 2015.
Ireland ‘A’ v All Blacks XV (RDS, Friday, November 4th, 7.45pm)
15. Michael Lowry (Ulster/Banbridge) 1 cap
14. Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster/Naas) uncapped
13. Jamie Osborne (Leinster/Naas) uncapped
12. James Hume (Ulster/Banbridge) 3 caps
11. Jacob Stockdale (Ulster/Lurgan) 35 caps
10. Ciaran Frawley (Leinster/Skerries) uncapped
9. Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon) 5 caps Captain
1. Jeremy Loughman (Munster/Garryowen) uncapped
2. Dave Heffernan (Connacht/Buccaneers) 7 caps
3. Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 3 caps
4. Joe McCarthy (Leinster/Dublin) uncapped
5. Gavin Thornbury (Connacht) uncapped
6. Cian Prendergast (Connacht) uncapped
7. Nick Timoney (Ulster/Banbridge) 2 caps
8. Gavin Coombes (Munster/Young Munster) 2 caps
Replacements:
16. Diarmuid Barron (Munster/Garryowen) uncapped
17. Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians) 48 caps
18. Marty Moore (Ulster) 10 caps
19. Ross Molony (Leinster/UCD) uncapped
20. Max Deegan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 1 cap
21. Caolin Blade (Connacht/Galwegians) 1 cap
22. Jack Crowley (Munster/Cork Constitution) uncapped
23. Calvin Nash (Munster/Young Munster) uncapped
