Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt has named a 34-man panel of players that he will choose from for his side’s opening two Six Nations games against Scotland and Wales.
Former Kilkenny College player and student Robin Copeland is one of three uncapped players remaining in the squad from the initial training panel, with the Leinster pair of Martin Moore and Jordi Murphy.
Simon Zebo and Craig Gilroy have both been excluded from the squad, despite proving their fitness during last weekend’s win for the Ireland Wolfhounds over the England Saxons.
The exclusion of Zebo and Gilroy means that Luke Fitzgerald, Dave Kearney, Andrew Trimble and Fergus McFadden look set to compete for the two wing spots in the team for the opening game against Scotland this Sunday.
Elsewhere, the IRFU have agreed a new kit deal with New Zealand-based manufacturers, Canterbury.
Following the news that Puma are set to call a premature end to their deal with the Irish team, the Union have secured a new supplier from the start of this year’s November Internationals.
The new multi-million euro deal will run for six years up until 2020 and will include two World Cup tournaments.
