With Ireland set to face the Springboks on 21 November at a sold-out Aviva Stadium, Farrell has named a 36-man squad that carries some notable absences and a couple of uncapped wildcards. The piece runs a winners-and-losers breakdown: Ulster flyhalf Jamie Benson gets a shot with Crowley injured and Prendergast yet to nail down the 10 jersey, while Mack Hansen returns after nearly a year out. The experienced midfield quartet of Aki, Henshaw, McCloskey and Ringrose — 262 caps between them — are all available simultaneously, which the piece flags as a genuine coaching luxury. On the other side of the ledger, the back row is threadbare with both Doris and Conan injured, leaving four relatively inexperienced operators to audition ahead of the 2027 World Cup. The Munster angle is striking: just Beirne and Casey make the cut, against nine Ulster and eight Connacht representatives, with Leinster's 17 dominating the room. Worth a read for context on the Ireland squad Rassie's men will be targeting in Dublin.
Ireland's Nations Championship squad: who's in, who's out, and what it means for the Boks
Farrell's Nations Championship squad for the Ireland-Argentina-Fiji-South Africa home series features two uncapped Ulster players, a returning Hansen, and a back row reshuffled by injury — with Munster's representation at an eyebrow-raising low. Useful pre-match context ahead of the Boks' 21 November Aviva clash.
- Ireland
- Springboks
- Aviva Stadium
- Rassie Erasmus
- Rugby World Cup
So how deep is the Springbok squad?
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