Easterby selects familiar Ireland squad for 2025 Guinness Men’s Six Nations

Easterby went with a recognised panel, with Jack Boyle, the Leinster prop, the only inclusion in the 36-man squad.

Here is a rundown of who else made the team, including training panellists.

The side will be captained by Caelan Doris once again.

Injured duo Dan Sheehan and James Lowe are expected to be fit for the start of the tournament next month, and both are also expected to link up with the squad in their training camp in Portugal on Sunday week.

Thomas Clarkson, Cormac Izuchukwu, Gus McCarthy, and Sam Prendergast also make the squad.

The likes of Hugh Cooney of Leinster, Ulster back row James McNabney, and Connacht duo Ben Murphy and Cathal Forde have been included as development players.

Leinster prop Jack Boyle is the only surprise inclusion in the selection. He was a development player for the November Series.

Simon Easterby, during his squad announcement, said: “The Guinness Six Nations is one of the most keenly contested competitions in the global calendar, and there’s great excitement across the playing group and coaching team for this year’s tournament. Personally, I’m hugely excited to work with a talented group, and speaking to the players, you can sense that they are up for the challenge.

“One of the highlights from the recent Autumn Nations Series was the emergence of a number of new internationals in Thomas Clarkson, Cormac Izuchukwu, Gus McCarthy, and Sam Prendergast. We are also delighted to welcome back a number of players who were unavailable for the recent Autumn Nations Series, and their return will further boost competition levels across the panel."

Easterby has also backed the development players to seize an opportunity during this Six Nations.

“While there is a good sense of continuity in selection, having those players back massively increases our competitiveness. It’s also a great opportunity for four young development players—James, Ben, Hugh, and Cathal—to continue their recent good run of form for their provinces and continue their development.

“The thing about the Six Nations is that you have to hit the ground running, and there’s no room for building or easing your way into the competition. Every match counts, and facing England at home in the first round sharpens everyone’s mind to what will be a big task ahead.”

Ireland's 2025 Six Nations fixtures are as follows:

They face England at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, on Saturday, February 1st, with a 4:45 pm kick-off.

They then take on Scotland at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, on Sunday, February 9th, at 3:00 pm.

After this, they play Wales at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff, on Saturday, February 22nd, at 2:15 pm, before hosting France at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, on Saturday, March 8th, at 2:15 pm.

They finish the tournament against Italy at Stadio Olimpico, Rome, on Saturday, March 15th, with a 2:15 pm kick-off.

The Guinness Men’s Six Nations is live on RTÉ and Virgin Media in the Republic of Ireland and BBC and ITV in the United Kingdom. There will also be radio coverage on RTÉ Radio 1 and BBC Radio.

Ireland Men’s Squad – Guinness Men’s Six Nations: