Andy Farrell likes to sprinkle the occasional uncapped player into his squads. For a bit of flavour. To give them a taste of the big boy environment.

Only once in Farrell’s tenure did he go wild, calling up 11 uncapped players. For that one, back in the summer of 2021, it was because several senior stars were on British & Irish Lion duty in South Africa. For the 2022 tour to New Zealand, with five games on a tight schedule, five rookies got the call. Supporters, and media, usually get two uncapped players to focus on. Every now and then, like the summer tour, it is three.

His squad announcements are just exciting enough to get due coverage, but there is not much to extend into two- and three-day news cycles. Social media meltdowns are spared. No-one is banging tables in podcast studios. You could confidently name 27 of Farrell’s World Cup squad. The scrap for the six remaining spots is where the drama is.

‘Some specimen of a man’

Farrell named Ulster duo Jamie Benson and James McNabney in his 36-man squad, then revealed both have already been in camp, to get up to speed with plays and players. Benson, signed from Harlequins earlier this year, was brought in to train with the senior squad before summer games against Australia, Japan and New Zealand. “It was great to get to know him and see what he was all about,” said Farrell. “He has started the season really well, in a few different positions, for Ulster. That shows his versatility.”

McNabney was set for his Ireland debut in the summer of 2025 after being named by interim head coach Paul O’Connell for the tour to Georgia and Portugal. Then only 22, McNabney suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury and was replaced in the squad by Munster’s Brian Gleeson. The back-row, who was part of Ireland’s U20 Six Nations Grand Slam wins in 2022 and 2023, missed all of last season as he recovered and rehabbed his knee. He returned this season to start at No.8 against Edinburgh, before coming off the bench in draws with Glasgow and Munster.

Farrell confirmed McNabney, coming in at 19-stone and measuring 6ft 5in, had been invited in for an Irish alignment camp in late August. “That just goes to show that we have been interested in him for a while,” Farrell added. “He’s some specimen of a man and he certainly runs his weight. So we’re excited to have him and Jamie in.”

More fire for Munster bellies

Munster captain Tadhg Beirne hails from Eadestown, in Kildare, so Craig Casey is the province’s sole home-grown representative in Ireland’s senior squad. Jack Crowley and Calvin Nash were included in the squad announcement as injured players not considered, so there are two crumbs of comfort for the southern brethren.

Taking a closer look at the Munster squad, and Ireland’s pressing needs, a few excluded players can consider themselves hard done by. Evan O’Connell and Brian Gleeson have started this season well, and had been tipped in some quarters to get called up. Both have been in and around senior squads before, but Farrell opted for the likes of McNabney and Connacht’s Darragh Murray.

For the past decade, there has been a growing sense Munster players do not get the tight squad selection calls, and that they are under-represented… Saturday at Aviva Stadium could be very spicy.

There had been some speculation that Farrell would bring in former England tighthead, Kieran Brookes, now that he is ensconced at Munster. The 36-year-old, who won the last of his seven England caps a decade ago, has proved to be a canny signing by Munster, and has impressed at scrum time, but Ireland clearly like what they see in Sam Illo. The Connacht prop will push Tom Clarkson to back up Tadhg Furlong. Jeremy Loughman was surely in with a shout, yet Billy Bohan got the last loosehead place.

After a tough start to the season against Glasgow, there has been optimism around Munster. Following last weekend’s win over Racing, Clayton McMillan declared: “I hope what people are seeing is people that are happy to turn up to work, seeing the evolution of a clear identity around how we want to play – a team that when put under pressure is going to fight hard to win more moments than we lose.”

For the past decade, there has been a growing sense Munster players do not get the tight squad selection calls, and that they are under-represented. Last October, four Munster players were named in Ireland’s squad, and they took offence at that, beating Leinster at Croke Park three days later. This time around, with another Leinster game coming up, they have only two inclusions. Saturday at Aviva Stadium could be very spicy. Plenty of points to be proved.

Prendergast to start, but Frawley form a huge bonus

Leinster attack coach Tyler Bleyendaal flippantly suggested Sam Prendergast has not drastically changed his game, or bulked up, but instead grew his hair out. The 23-year-old has put on some timber though over the summer and is playing with a real spark.

Noticeably, he has been more of a running threat in his three games so far and is showing a willingness to get stuck into defensive duties. Farrell will be as encouraged as swathes of Leinster fans by his bright start to the season. Expect him to wear 10 against Argentina and, in all likelihood, South Africa.

Frawley has enjoyed a fantastic start for Connacht, playing three games in the 10 jersey, scoring four tries and picking up two man-of-the-match awards. He has 15 caps for Ireland so far and his only fly-half start was against Japan last summer. His form, and talent, certainly merit a start against Fiji. Frawley will be gunning for more than that and at 28, his time may have finally come.

One-horse race for the No.7 jersey

One of the key sub-plots of this squad announcement centres around who will compete with Josh van der Flier for the starting openside role. Farrell has looked at Caelan Doris and Nick Timoney in the No.7 jersey, conscious that Van der Flier is 33. The Leinster back-row missed out on Test minutes on his first ever Lions tour in 2025, but Farrell started him in all six matches last season, against true heavyweight nations.

Ryan Baird and Cian Prendergast will scrap for starting at blindside, Van der Flier gets the big outings and Sean Jansen looks set for a couple of big starts at the back of the pack.

Had Doris been fit, Farrell may have been tempted to play him at openside against South Africa, with Sean Jansen at No.8. As it is, Doris and Jack Conan are sidelined for the Nations Championship. Ulster’s Bryn Ward suffered a knee injury and also misses out. “It’s always going to test you when you’ve got a couple of injuries in one position,” Farrell noted. “That’s not just up to the guys that are stepping in. It’s up to the rest of the squad, to make sure that we all roll in together.”

Farrell is unlikely to rush into any other back-row changes. Ryan Baird and Cian Prendergast will scrap for starting at blindside, Van der Flier gets the big outings and Sean Jansen looks set for a couple of big starts at the back of the pack. There may be a temptation to start Beirne at No.6, but Ireland are better with him in the second row, and James Ryan as impact sub.

Can McCloskey back up his best ever season?

It was interesting to note, earlier this week, that Alex Nankivell has signed up for two more seasons with Munster. Should he come through those unscathed, the New Zealander then becomes Irish qualified. Nankivell would be 32 in 2028 when, under World Rugby’s five-year residency rules, he is eligible to play for his adopted country.

We are still two years out from this possibility, but the centre is firmly on track. The latest Ireland squad contains four centres aged over 30 – Garry Ringrose (31), Robbie Henshaw (33), Stuart McCloskey (34) and Bundee Aki (36) – while the versatile Jimmy O’Brien is not far behind. They might need Nankivell yet.

McCloskey enjoyed his best ever campaign, for Ulster and Ireland, last season but finished it on the sidelines after injuring his hamstring. He looks to have usurped Aki and Henshaw and is playing with a real confidence. If he is capable of going up another level, Ireland could certainly do with it. Benson and Jamie Osborne are the younger options, but do not expect Farrell to deviate from his plans too much up to and including the World Cup.

Battle royal on the wings

Farrell rates Mack Hansen extremely high. When the Connacht winger is fit, he starts for Ireland. In his final two games of last season, back in November 2025, Hansen was selected at full-back against Australia and South Africa. He then underwent foot surgery but has returned to log three straight starts for Stuart Lancaster’s men. If he gets through Connacht’s next two games, against Zebre and Leinster, I expect him to go straight back into the Ireland XV.

I would use this opportunity to give Tommy O’Brien a long, hard look at outside centre, in at least one game.

Hugo Keenan is odds-on to start at full-back, so that leaves Jimmy O’Brien, Tommy O’Brien, Rob Baloucoune, Jacob Stockdale and possibly Osborne dicing it out for the final spot in the back three. Ireland may be short of Test-proven looseheads and No.8s, but Farrell is spoilt for back-three options. My vote would be Baloucoune, and I would use this opportunity to give Tommy O’Brien a long, hard look at outside centre, in at least one game.

My strongest Ireland XV: 15. Hugo Keenan; 14. Mack Hansen, 13. Tommy O’Brien, 12. Stuart McCloskey, 11. Rob Baloucoune; 10. Sam Prendergast, 9. Jamison Gibson-Park; 1. Andrew Porter, 2. Dan Sheehan, 3. Tadhg Furlong, 4. Joe McCarthy, 5. Tadhg Beirne, 6. Cian Prendergast, 7. Josh van der Flier, 8. Sean Jansen.