Doris in Ireland squad but McCarthy misses out

Returning head coach Andy Farrell has included captain Caelan Doris in his Ireland squad for the autumn internationals, but Joe McCarthy misses out.

Doris, who has not played since undergoing shoulder surgery in early May, recently returned to Leinster training, but it remains unclear if he will be fit to face New Zealand in Chicago on 1 November.

Lock McCarthy, however, was not considered after failing to recover from the foot injury he sustained during the first British and Irish Lions Test against Australia in July.

Ulster forward Cormac Izuchukwu and Munster wing Calvin Nash also miss out because of injury, while full-back Hugo Keenan had already been ruled out after undergoing hip surgery following the Lions tour.

Leinster prop Paddy McCarthy – Joe’s younger brother – is the only uncapped player in the 34-man squad, but the Irish Rugby Football Union [IRFU] says uncapped Munster duo Edwin Edogbo and Brian Gleeson and once-capped Connacht wing Shayne Bolton will travel to Chicago as “cover”.

After facing the All Blacks at Soldier Field in a rematch of their 2016 meeting, Ireland host Japan, Australia and world champions South Africa in Dublin.

In a largely familiar-looking squad, Leinster’s Sam Prendergast and Munster’s Jack Crowley will once again vie for the starting fly-half spot. Ciaran Frawley is the third fly-half selected with Farrell opting against calling up Leinster’s Harry Byrne.

At scrum-half, Farrell has picked British and Irish Lion Jamison Gibson-Park and Craig Casey, who captained Ireland to the summer Test wins over Georgia and Portugal. There is also a return for Connacht’s Caolin Blade, who is preferred to club-mate Ben Murphy.

Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, Garry Ringrose and Stuart McCloskey represent an experienced cohort of midfield options. Jamie Osborne is another option in the centres, but the 23-year-old is also a frontrunner to deputise for Keenan at full-back.

Wingers James Lowe, Mack Hansen, Tommy O’Brien and Jacob Stockdale are included. O’Brien impressed on his first Ireland outings over the summer with two tries apiece in the wins over Georgia and Portugal.

Forwards (19): Thomas Ahern (Munster), Ryan Baird (Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Connacht), Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Jack Boyle Leinster), Thomas Clarkson (Leinster), Jack Conan (Leinster), Caelan Doris (Leinster, capt), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster), Iain Henderson (Ulster), Ronan Kelleher (Leinster), Gus McCarthy (Leinster), Paddy McCarthy (Leinster), Andrew Porter (Leinster), Cian Prendergast (Connacht), James Ryan (Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Nick Timoney (Ulster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster)(73).