Ireland squad named for opening rounds of Six Nations Championship

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<span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><span style='color:black'>TheIreland coaching group have named a squad of 36 players for theopening two rounds of the 2018 NatWest 6 NationsChampionship.&nbsp; All three of Ireland&#8217;s home games in thisyear&#8217;s Championship are sold out.</span></span><br><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Joe Schmidt, Ireland head coachcommented,<i style='outline:none'>&#8220;It&#8217;s been great towitness some quality performances from provincial teams over thelast seven weeks of European and derby matches, with a number ofplayers performing well.&nbsp;&nbsp;There were some very tightdecisions but it&#8217;s great to see some competitive depth in anumber of positions.&#8221;</i><br><br>There are a number of players unavailable through injury; FinlayBealham, Jamie Heaslip, Sean O&#8217;Brien, Rhys Ruddock, TommyO&#8217;Donnell, Luke Marshall, Garry Ringrose, Jared Payne andCraig Gilroy as well as Niall Scannell who is due to return toaction in the coming weeks.<br><br>Ireland take on France in Paris in their opening fixture beforehosting Italy at the Aviva Stadium as Conor O&#8217;Shea makes hisfirst visit to Dublin as Italian head coach.<br><br>The Ireland squad will host a mini-camp in Athlone following theRound 2 fixture against Italy.&nbsp; An open session will takeplace at Buccaneers RFC on Thursday 15</span></span><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>th</span></span> <span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>February ahead of the home game againstWales.</span></span><br><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>The open session is a ticketed event andtickets can be accessed through Ticketmaster.ie from the3</span></span><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>rd</span></span> <span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>February.&nbsp; Tickets for Ireland opensessions are free but there are restrictions in place to ensure awide spread of patrons can be accommodated.</span></span><br><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Following the Round 3 fixture against theWelsh, the Ireland squad will host a mini-camp in Dublin where asecond Open Session will be held at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday27</span></span><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>th</span></span> <span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>February.&nbsp;&nbsp; Tickets for theAviva Open Session will be available on Ticketmaster.ie on15</span></span><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>th</span></span> <span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>February. &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span><br><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Ireland&#8217;s last home fixture of thisyear&#8217;s Championship is against Scotland on Saturday10</span></span><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>th</span></span> <span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Marchwith the squad&#8217;s final game of the tournament taking placeseven days later in Twickenham.</span></span><br><br><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'><b style='outline:none'>IRELAND squad2018 NatWest 6 Nations Championship Squad Rounds 1 &amp;2</b></span></span><br><br><span style='font-weight:inherit'><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'><em style='outline:none'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>FORWARDS (20)</span></b></em><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) c 106caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 5caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Sean Cronin (St Mary's College/Leinster)56 caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Ultan Dillane (Corinthians/Connacht) 11caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 19caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 73caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 34caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 3cap</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 22caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Dan Leavy (UCD/Leinster) 4caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Jack McGrath (St Mary's College/Leinster)42 caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster) 18caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Peter O'Mahony (CorkConstitution/Munster) 42caps</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style='font-size:12pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><span style='color:black'><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 3caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Quinn Roux (Galwegians/Connacht) 3caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 4caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 11caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster) 18caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 53caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) 9caps</span></span><br><br><em style='outline:none'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><span style='font-size:inherit'><span style='color:inherit'><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>BACKS(16)</span></span></span></span></span></b></em> </span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 2caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Leinster) 6caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster) 6caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 62caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Chris Farrell (Young Munster/Munster) 2caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 31caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 78caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Ian Keatley (Young Munster/Munster) 7caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Jordan Larmour (St Mary'sCollege/Leinster)*</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht) 18caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)32 caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster) 6caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 59caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Johnny Sexton (St Mary'sCollege/Leinster) 68 caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Rory Scannell (Dolphin/Munster) 3caps</span></span><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'>Jacob Stockdale (BelfastHarlequins/Ulster) 4 caps</span></span><br><br><em style='outline:none'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>*Denotes UncappedPlayer</span></em><br><br><br><span style='line-height:inherit'><span style='text-decoration:inherit'><b style='outline:none'>IRELAND 2018NatWest 6 Nations Championship Fixtures</b><br><br>France v <b style='outline:none'>IRELAND</b><br><i style='outline:none'>Saturday 3rd February, 2018</i><br>Stade de France, KO 16.45<br><br><b style='outline:none'>IRELAND</b> v Italy<br><i style='outline:none'>Saturday 10th February, 2018</i><br>Aviva Stadium, KO 14.15<br><br><b style='outline:none'>IRELAND</b> v Wales<br><i style='outline:none'>Saturday 24th February, 2018</i><br>Aviva Stadium<br><br><b style='outline:none'>IRELAND</b> v Scotland<br><i style='outline:none'>Saturday 10th March, 2018</i><br>Aviva Stadium, KO 14.15<br><br>England v <b style='outline:none'>IRELAND</b><br><i style='outline:none'>Saturday 17th March, 2018</i><br>Twickenham Stadium, KO 14.45<br><br><b style='outline:none'>IRELAND Open Sessions</b><br>Buccaneers RFC<br>Dubarry Park, Athlone<br><i style='outline:none'>Thursday 15th February, 2018</i><br><br>Aviva Stadium<br>Dublin<br><i style='outline:none'>Tuesday 26th February,2018</i></span></span></span></span>

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