Connacht inclusions in Ireland squad while Mayo man named captain for Autumn Nations Series

Wed, 23 Oct, 2024 - 14:34

Tom Byrne

The Ireland squad for the upcoming Autumn internationals against New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji and Australia has been announced by head coach Andy Farrell.

Among the inclusions are Connacht players Finlay Bealham, Dave Heffernan, Cian Prendergast, Bundee Aki and Mack Hansen, while Shayne Bolton is part of the training panellists list.

The major news is that Mayo man Caelan Doris will captain his country for the Autumn Nations Series in Dublin.

Speaking about the honour, Doris told the Irish Rugby website: "It is an enormous honour to be named Ireland captain and I am excited about leading the squad into battle over the coming weeks. I am very fortunate to have had so much support from my family and friends and many others along the way from Mayo to Blackrock and on to Leinster and Ireland. I am extremely proud to lead this squad and I know that there’s an experienced group of leaders who will work hard to achieve success in the weeks ahead. We have a special group of players and I am confident that there are bright days to come as we build up for four huge Tests at Aviva Stadium.”