Munster’s star South African-born lock Jean Kleyn has missed out on a 42-player training squad as Ireland begin preparations for the World Cup.
Andy Farrell on Tuesday named an enlarged training squad that will prepare for Ireland’s pre-World Cup warm-up matches.
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The Ireland squad will train at their Dublin base through June and July ahead of home matches in August against Italy and Samoa and a fixture against Samoa at Stade Jean-Dauger in Bayonne.
Farrell has included four uncapped players: Ulster hooker Tom Stewart, Leicester backs Ciaran Frawley and Jamie Osborn and Munster wing Calvin Nash.
There is no space for Munster’s Kleyn, despite the former DHL Stormers second-rower playing an integral part in his province’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship title victory.
Johnny Sexton has been named, despite his continued recovery from a groin injury suffered in March.
Commenting on the squad announcement, Farrell said: “It is exciting to announce our extended training squad for the first phase of World Cup preparations, and we’re looking forward to assembling in Dublin next month to hit the ground running as a group.
“In the meantime, it’s important that we freshen up for a busy and exciting summer ahead, so we’re ready to get to work on 18th June and build towards the Bank of Ireland Nations Series and to France beyond that.”
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Farrell’s final 33-player Rugby World Cup squad is announced in late August.
Ireland open their Rugby World Cup campaign against Romania in Bordeaux on 9th September, before further Pool B clashes against Tonga (16th September) in Nantes, and South Africa (23rd September) and Scotland (7th October) at the Stade de France in Paris.
IRELAND TRAINING SQUAD:
Forwards (22)
Ryan Baird (Leinster/Dublin University)
Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers)
Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne)
Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere)
Gavin Coombes (Munster/Young Munster)
Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College)
Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf)
Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf)
Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy)
Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch)
Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne)
Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians)
Joe McCarthy (Leinster/Dublin University)
Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution)
Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch)
Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD)
Cian Prendergast (Connacht/Corinthians)
James Ryan (Leinster/UCD)
Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne)
Tom Stewart (Ulster/Ballynahinch)*
Kieran Treadwell (Ulster/Ballymena)
Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD)
Backs (20)
Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians)
Caolin Blade (Connacht/Galwegians)
Ross Byrne (Leinster/UCD)
Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon)
Jack Crowley (Munster/Cork Constitution)
Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster)
Ciaran Frawley (Leinster/UCD)*
Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)
Mack Hansen (Connacht/Corinthians)
Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers)
Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD)
James Lowe (Leinster)
Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor)
Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen)
Calvin Nash (Munster/Young Munster)*
Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster/Naas)
Jamie Osborne (Leinster/Naas)*
Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD)
Jonathan Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College)
Jacob Stockdale (Ulster/Lurgan)
Photo: Ryan Byrne/INPHO/Shutterstock