35-YEAR-OLD loosehead prop Cian Healy has been ruled out of the World Cup after his injury during Ireland’s warm-up win over Samoa last night. 

Healy is not part of Andy Farrell’s final 33-man squad, with Munster loosehead Jeremy Loughman making the group along with Andrew Porter and Dave Kilcoyne.

It’s a cruel blow for Healy, who had been set to play in his fourth World Cup, but will now have to watch on from home after picking up a serious injury in last night’s clash with Samoa in Bayonne.

Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey is one of those to be named in Farrell’s group, which is made up of an 18/15 split of forwards and backs.

31-year-old McCloskey will travel to his first World Cup as one of four centres in the Irish squad. Munster wing Keith Earls has also made the group.

Hookers Dan Sheehan and Rónan Kelleher have been named in the squad and are set to overcome foot and hamstring injuries, respectively, while loosehead prop Kilcoyne [hamstring] and number eight Jack Conan [foot] are also included after being sidelined in recent weeks.

38-year-old Johnny Sexton will captain the squad in his fourth World Cup.

The players from Ireland’s wider pre-season squad to miss out on selection are Tom Stewart, Cian Prendergast, Ciarán Frawley, and Jacob Stockdale.

Farrell has named three out-halves in Sexton, Ross Byrne, and Jack Crowley, as well as three scrum-halves in Jamison Gibson-Park, Conor Murray, and Craig Casey.

Ireland have opted for three looseheads, three tightheads, and three hookers too, giving them depth in each of those specialist positions.

Farrell has named four locks in James Ryan, Iain Henderson, Joe McCarthy, and Tadhg Beirne, who can play at blindside flanker too. Ryan Baird is also a lock/blindside hybrid.

The first-choice back row of Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier, and Caelan Doris are supplemented by Baird and Conan.

Earls and Jimmy O’Brien provide back three options along with the front-line trio of James Lowe, Mack Hansen, and Hugo Keenan, while McCloskey is one of four centres along with Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, and Garry Ringrose.

 Ireland’s 2023 World Cup squad:

Loosehead props: Andrew Porter, Jeremy Loughman, Dave Kilcoyne

Tighthead props: Tadhg Furlong, Finlay Bealham, Tom O’Toole

Hookers: Dan Sheehan, Rob Herring, Rónan Kelleher

Second rows: James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Iain Henderson, Joe McCarthy

Back rows: Josh van der Flier, Peter O’Mahony, Caelan Doris, Ryan Baird, Jack Conan, 

Scrum-halves: Jamison Gibson-Park, Conor Murray, Craig Casey 

Out-halves: Johnny Sexton (captain), Ross Byrne, Jack Crowley

Centres: Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, Garry Ringrose, Stuart McCloskey

Back threes: James Lowe, Mack Hansen, Hugo Keenan, Keith Earls, Jimmy O’Brien

Written by Murray Kinsella and posted on the42.ie