8 Munster Players In Ireland Squad To Face Italy

21st February 2019 By The Editor

Conor Murray starts at scrum-half for Ireland.

Eight Munster players have been named in the Ireland squad to face Italy in Rome for Sunday’s Guinness 6 Nations clash.

Peter O’Mahony captains the side with Conor Murray, Chris Farrell, Dave Kilcoyne and Keith Earls all starting. Niall Scannell, John Ryan and Andrew Conway are among the replacements.

It will be the first time O’Mahony captains Ireland in the Six Nations. He first captained Ireland on the summer tour to North America in 2013 and recently led the tour party in Australia.

O’Mahony is joined in the back row by Sean O’Brien and Jordi Murphy. Quinn Roux is partnered by Ultan Dillane in the second row with Kilcoyne, Sean Cronin and Tadhg Furlong making up the front-row. This will be Cronin’s first start in a Six Nations Championship.

Murray and Johnny Sexton start in the half backs with Bundee Aki and Farrell filling the centre berths. Rob Kearney is joined in the backfield by Jacob Stockdale and Earls.

The uncapped Jack Carty is named in the replacements and alongside John Cooney and Conway. Scannell, Jack McGrath and Ryan are the front row cover with Iain Henderson and Josh van der Flier also named.

Ireland Team & Replacements (v Italy, 2019 Guinness Six Nations Championship, Stadio Olimpico, Rome KO 4pm local/3pm Irish)

15 Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 88 caps

14 Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 74 caps

13 Chris Farrell (Young Munster/Munster) 4 caps

12 Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 14 caps

11 Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster) 16 caps

10 Jonathan Sexton (St Marys College/Leinster) 80 caps (vc)

9 Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 69 caps

1 Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 26 caps

2 Sean Cronin (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 67 caps

3 Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 30 caps

4 Ultan Dillane (Corinthians/Connacht) 12 caps