Irish Rugby

Joel Bell
BBC Sport NI

Image source, Getty Images

Ulster prop Tom O'Toole says it is an "extreme honour" to play for Ireland after being named in Andy Farrell's squad for the forthcoming Six Nations.

The focus this weekend is on the United Rugby Championships, but on 5 February, Ireland kick off their Six Nations campaign against the current holders France in Dublin.

With 18 caps under his belt, O'Toole will be hoping to play a role in helping Ireland secure the title they won back-to-back in 2023 and 2024 after being named this week in Andy Farrell's wider panel for the championship.

''I think every player would love to get the opportunity to play in green, and I've been fortunate enough to play in it. It is an extreme honour to be back within that group.'' he told BBC Sport NI.

''I went in from early in my career and I got that experience and exposure from a young age with some incredible players like Jonny Sexton.

''The amount of experience you get from those guys, you can take into your day-to- day and how you carry yourself and how you get around your business. That's something I took from that experience.''

The tight-head prop, who joined the Ulster Academy in 2017, made his senior debut a year later and has been a key player in Richie Murphy's side ever since.

This weekend he will embrace the challenge of continuing their fine form against Scarlets at the Parc y Scarlets in Wales (15:00 GMT on Saturday).

''It's been incredible, it's been a great buzz. It was difficult last year for supporters and players, but it's really good this year with a great buzz about the place,'' added the 27-year-old.

''The new coaches have come in, they've been really good for the squad and we're playing an exciting brand of attacking rugby.

''It's really enjoyable to be a part of and it's the rugby I enjoy playing. It just took one or two performances to get that belief within ourselves and to prove we can do it and play.''

Image source, Inpho

Cian Prendergast will captain a Connacht side which shows three changes to their starting team from that which beat Montauban in the Challenge Cup last week for Saturday's United Rugby Championship clash with a Leinster at a sold-out Dexcom Stadium (17:30 GMT).

There are two changes in the half-backs as fit-again Caolin Blade links up with Josh Ioane at nine and 10, while Dylan Tierney-Martin comes in at hooker following Dave Heffernan's injury.

Cian Prendergast captains the side from blindside flanker in a strong back row with Paul Boyle and Sean Jansen. Josh Murphy and Darragh Murray continue in the second row, while Academy prop Billy Bohan starts in a front row with Dylan Tierney-Martin and Sam Illo.

Forde and West keep their places in midfield after impressive Challenge Cup outings, with Treacy, Jennings and Gilbert making up the back three. Buckley, Carty and Aki add experience from the bench.

Connacht currently sit 12th in the URC table and have lost their last three league outings.

Connacht: S Gilbert; S Jennings; H West, C Forde; F Treacy, J Ioane; C Blade; B Bohan, D Tierney-Martin, S Illo; J Murphy, D Murray; C Prendergast (capt), P Boyle, S Jansen.

Replacements: E de Buitléar, D Buckley, J Aungier, Joe Joyce, S O'Brien, B Murphy, J Carty, B Aki.

Doris set to captain Leinster on his 100th appearence

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Caelan Doris will captain Leinster as he is set to make his 100th appearence in blue during Saturday's visit to Connacht.

Niall Smyth is set to make his debut for the province and will be joined in the front row by Gus McCarthy and Jack Boyle.

James Lowe returns for his first appearance since last month's win over Munster and lines out on the wing, one try shy of equalling Shane Horgan's Leinster record of 69, with Joshua Kenny on the opposite flank and Ciaran Frawley named at full-back.

South African RG Snyman and James Ryan combine in the second row, with centurion Caelan Doris joined by Will Connors and Alex Soroka.

Harry Byrne and Fintan Gunne start in the half-backs, with Charlie Tector partnering Garry Ringrose in midfield.

Leinster sit fifth in the URC table, Leo Cullen's side have won nine games in a row in all competitions, their last defeat coming against Munster in October last year.

Leinster: C Frawley; J Kenny, G Ringrose, C Tector, J Lowe; H Byrne, F Gunne; J Boyle, G McCarthy, N Smyth; RG Snyman, J Ryan; A Soroka, W Connors, C Doris (capt).

Replacements: R Kelleher, J Cahir, A Sparrow, B Deeny, D Mangan, S Penny, L McGrath, R Moloney.

Image source, Inpho

Jacob Stockdale has not been included in Ulster's matchday squad to face Scarlets in the United Rugby Championship at Parc Y Scarlets on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Ireland wing has been following World Rugby's return-to-play protocols after he developed delayed concussion symptoms following last week's Challenge Cup win over Stade Francais at Affidea Stadium.

The Irish province's starting team for the meeting with Scarlets shows four changes from the side which defeated their French opponents in European competition.

Michael Lowry returns from an ankle injury to replace Stockdale at full-back, while Werner Kok is drafted in on the right wing.

Australia loose-head prop Angus Bell is named in the front row after being forced to withdraw from the starting team to face Stade Francais last week because of illness.

Charlie Irvine has overcome a calf injury and comes into the second row to partner captain Iain Henderson, with Harry Sheridan dropping to the replacements' bench.

The match will see scrum-half Nathan Doak, who was selected in the Ireland squad this week for the forthcoming Six Nations, make his 100th appearance for Ulster.

Ulster sit on 31 points in the upper echelons of the URC table going into the weekend.

Ulster: Lowry; Baloucoune, Hume, McCloskey, Kok; Murphy, Doak; Bell, Stewart, O'Toole; Henderson (c), Irvine; McCann, Timoney, Ward.

Replacements: Herring, O'Sullivan, Wilson, Sheridan, Dalton, McKee, Flannery, Postlethwaite.

Joel Bell
BBC Sport NI

Image source, Inpho

Munster have made eight personnel changes to their starting line-up for Friday's United Rugby Championship game against the Dragons at Musgrave Park as they aim to bounce back from last week's disappointing defeat by Castres which saw them eliminated from the Champions Cup after the pool stages.

Clayton McMillan's side dropped down to the Challenge Cup after the narrow two-point home loss to the French side.

Sean Edogbo, 21, is set to make his first competitive start this weekend as he is joined in a new-look back three by Ruadhán Quinn and Brian Gleeson, who recently signed a two-year contract extension.

Edogbo follows in the footsteps of his brother Edwin as the second player from Cobh Pirates to play for Munster in the professional era, with Edwin subsequently called into the Ireland squad for the Six Nations this week.

Captain Diarmuid Barron is named in the front row, joined by Jeremy Loughman and Michael Ala'alatoa, as Mike Haley, Dan Kelly, JJ Hanrahan and Ethan Coughlan all come into the back-line.

Daly moves to the wing, with Haley and Thaakir Abrahams completing the back three. Alex Nankivell and Kelly form the midfield pairing with Coughlan and Hanrahan the half-backs.

The second row partnership of Jean Kleyn and Fineen Wycherley remains unchanged.

Munster sit sixth in the URC table, level on points with neighbouring province Leinster, while Dragons, who are 13th, come into this match off the back of a win over Newcastle in the European Challenge Cup.

Lee Barron, Josh Wycherley and Oli Jager provide the front row back-up among the replacements, while 21-year-old second row Evan O'Connell is in line for his first appearance since November off the bench.

Gavin Coombes completes the back-row cover, as Paddy Patterson, who has completed the return-to-play protocols, Tony Butler and Diarmuid Kilgallen are the replacement options among the backs.

Munster Rugby: Mike Haley; Thaakir Abrahams, Dan Kelly, Alex Nankivell, Shane Daly; JJ Hanrahan, Ethan Coughlan; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron (C), Michael Ala'alatoa; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Seán Edogbo, Ruadhán Quinn, Brian Gleeson.

Replacements: Lee Barron, Josh Wycherley, Oli Jager, Evan O'Connell, Gavin Coombes, Paddy Patterson, Tony Butler, Diarmuid Kilgallen.

Image source, Getty Images

Ulster's European Challenge Cup last-16 tie against Ospreys at the Affidea Stadium in Belfast is to take place on Saturday 4 April, with a 20:00 BST kick-off.

Munster will travel to face Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park in the same competition on the same day, with that match starting at 12:30.

In the last 16 of the Champions Cup, Leinster, the sole remaining Irish province, will be at home to Edinburgh on Sunday 5 April at 17:30.

Connacht will host the Sharks on Friday 3 April in the Challenge Cup, that game starting at 20:00.

Image source, Inpho

Ulster's Zac Ward is one of eight Ulster players names in Cullie Tucker's Ireland XV squad that will face England 'A' at Thomond Park on Friday, 6 February (19.15 GMT).

Ward, who featured in the Ireland XV against Spain in November, missed out on a place in Andy Farrell's 37-man squad for the Six Nations, but the winger will have the chance to impress in Limerick after a good run of form on the wing for his province.

Joining Ward in the 27-man squad are fellow Ulster backs Jack Murphy, Jude Postlethwaite and the three-time capped James Hume.

In the forwards, Ulster are represented by Sam Crean, Charlie Irvine, Scott Wilson and the in-form Bryn Ward - younger sibling of Zac - who picked up back-to-back man-of-the-match awards in the northern province's recent on-field wins against Munster and Stade Francais.

Leinster's four-time capped back row Max Deegan has been names as captain, with further capped Test internationals selected in the forwards including Leinster's Gus McCarthy, Munster's Oli Jager and Connacht duo Paul Boyle and Darragh Murphy.

Munster's Shane Daly and Connacht's Ben Murphy provide further Test match experience in the backs.

Ireland XV squad

Forwards (16): Diarmuid Barron (Munster), Billy Bohan (Connacht), Paul Boyle (Connacht), Sam Crean (Ulster), Max Deegan (Leinster, captain), Brian Gleeson (Munster), Sam Illo (Connacht), Charlie Irvine (Ulster), Oli Jager (Munster), Sean Jansen (Connacht), Diarmuid Mangan (Leinster), Gus McCarthy (Leinster), Darragh Murray (Connacht), Stephen Smyth (Leinster), Bryn Ward (Ulster), Scott Wilson (Ulster)

Backs (11): Shane Daly (Munster), Matthew Devine (Connacht), Cathal Forde (Connacht), Fintan Gunne (Leinster), James Hume (Ulster), Dan Kelly (Munster), Joshua Kenny (Leinster), Ben Murphy (Connacht), Jack Murphy (Ulster), Jude Postlethwaite (Ulster), Zac Ward (Ulster).

Image source, Inpho

Ulster's utility back Stewart Moore has sustained an "significant knee injury" in training and will undergo surgery.

"All out of luck last week, three letters no athlete wants to hear. Different challenge ahead," the 26-year-old posted on social media.

Moore was loaned out to Newcastle Red Bulls in November but was recalled by Ulster after 19 days due to injuries in Richie Murphy's squad.

Ireland international Jacob Stockdale is a doubt for Ulster's United Rugby Championship game away to Scarlets on Saturday.

Stockdale will follow World Rugby's return to play protocols after he developed delayed concussion symptoms following the Challenge Cup win over Stade Francais.

Cormac Izuchukwu and Ben Carson are injury doubts for the game with Scarlets and their availability will be assessed ahead of the game.

Australia prop Angus Bell is available for selection after he was forced to withdraw from the starting team against Stade Francais through illness.

Forwards James McNabney and Juarno Augustus remain unavailable with their respective knee and ankle injuries.

Image source, Anadolu via Getty Images

Full-back Hugo Keenan will not see action for Leinster in their United Rugby Championship game against Connacht in Galway on Saturday [17:30 GMT] but the Ireland international remains in contention for the Six Nations.

Keenan scored the winning try for the British and Irish Lions in their second Test against Australia to seal the series win last summer and underwent hip surgery upon his return home.

The 29-year-old has not featured for club nor country since, but will step up his on-field training with Leinster alongside Jamie Osborne, who has been out with a shoulder injury sustained during Ireland's win over Japan in November.

Both are closing in on returns to action, which will be good news for Ireland head coach Andy Farrell, who is due to announce his squad for the Six Nations on Wednesday ahead of the opening game away to France on 5 February.

Elsewhere, Ciaran Frawley and Jack Conan will be available this week as they return to training, while Jimmy O'Brien (hamstring), Robbie Henshaw (knee), Tommy O'Brien (calf) and Tadhg Furlong (calf) will be assessed later in the week.

There are no further updates on Ryan Baird, Jordan Larmour, Paddy McCarthy, Andrew Porter or Rabah Slimani.

Joel Bell
BBC Sport NI

Image source, Getty Images

Having been deprived of a game last weekend, Ulster's Harry Sheridan is looking forward to a "massive fixture" against Stade Francais on Saturday at Affidea Stadium (13:00 GMT).

Second place Ulster take on pool leaders Stade Francais in a top of the table clash in the European Challenge Cup.

Ulster, who won their opening game against Racing 92, were awarded a 28-0 win and five points last weekend following the weather-enforced cancellation of their game against the Cheetahs in the Netherlands.

Sheridan says the squad are hoping to bounce back from the frustration of last weekend even though they have already qualified for the next round.

"We were going over there expecting to do a job. All we wanted to do was go down and play the game and obviously the game was called off last minute, it was unfortunate," said the 24-year-old second row, who has started nine games for Ulster this season.

''But we'll take five points every day of the week and change our focus now to Stade Francais. It's a massive fixture for us at home in front of our fans. I'm really looking forward to it.''

Sheridan's parents were part of Ulster's travelling support in the Netherlands last weekend and he is hoping Richie Murphy's side can produce a top performance to make up for last weekend's disruption.

''We've got to put an even better show on this weekend and really deliver," added Sheridan.

"We're looking to really show them and put in a performance that they can be proud of this weekend.

''We're aiming to get the maximum points against a tough opposition. That would put us in a great position to get home, round of 16, quarter, semi-finals going into this Challenge Cup competition, which is so highly revered.''