SM
Man Utd vs. PAOK: 4 hrs 6 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Ireland name six uncapped players in 35-man squad for Six Nations

:Headline: Ireland name six uncapped players in 35-man squad for Six Nations: ID:417677: from db_amp
Ulster's John Cooney is a notable absentee in the 35-man group.

Ireland have named a 35-man squad for the final two rounds of the 2020 Six Nations, which will resume on October 24.

Six uncapped players are included for the games against Italy at the Aviva Stadium and the trip to France on October 31.

Head coach Andy Farrell said: “There has been a huge effort right across Irish Rugby to ensure that the professional game could return safely and that work is greatly appreciated by the national management.

“We have protocols in place to safeguard the welfare of the players and staff and are looking forward to completing the Six Nations Championships.

“We have two competitions to play in over the coming months but will focus first on a strong finish to the Six Nations Championships.

“The return to rugby has not been without its challenges as some players have suffered injury setbacks and there has been limited playing opportunities ahead of a busy and exciting international window.

“We will be closely monitoring the form and fitness of players competing in the Guinness PRO14 over the coming weeks.”

John Cooney, centre, has struggled for form with Ulster since rugby’s resumption (Donall Farmer/PA)

Ulster scrum-half John Cooney has missed out despite appearing off the bench in Ireland’s three matches in the tournament earlier this year.

Farrell’s men are currently fourth in the table, but only four points off joint-leaders England and France and with a game in hand over their title rivals.

Ed Byrne, Shane Daly, Hugo Keenan and Jamison Gibson Park will join up with the national team squad for the first time while Harry Byrne, Craig Casey, James Lowe, James Tracy and Fineen Wycherley will train with the squad next week at the High Performance Centre in Dublin.

Farrell’s predecessor Joe Schmidt, who led Ireland to a Grand Slam in 2018 in addition to three Six Nations titles, will join World Rugby in November as director of rugby and high performance.

With the organisation’s headquarters based in Dublin, the New Zealand-born coach will be familiar with his surroundings and will head up a new department in the international federation.

Schmidt said: “I’m really looking forward to getting started. I’m passionate about the game and keen that people continue to enjoy being involved in it, from the young to the young at heart.

“The professional game is the showpiece for our sport and involving key stakeholders in our discussions about how the game is played and how players are managed will be beneficial.

“It has been a challenging year thus far and likely to remain difficult for some time, but it has been great to see the resumption of numerous competitions, with plenty of entertaining and exciting matches.”

amp_article__417677 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2020-10-08 10:36:04:
html db last update - 2020-10-08 10:36:04 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about John Cooney

Click here for more stories about Ireland

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .