Schmidt rests senior players for Chicago trip
JOE SCHMIDT left many of his senior players behind as he jetted out to Chicago with a 26-man squad yesterday morning. Ireland take on Italy at Soldier Field on Saturday with the head coach obviously keeping one eye on other assignments in the November series. Schmidt will avoid a busy week of travel for the likes of captain Rory Best and vicecaptains Johnny Sexton and Peter O’Mahony in advance of further contests against Argentina, New Zealand and the USA back home in Lansdowne Road. British and Irish Lions forwards Iain Henderson and Sean O’Brien, and full-back Rob Kearney have also been left out of the squad to meet the Italians. Meanwhile, Will Addison has moved a step closer to his Test debut by being named in a relatively inexperienced Ireland squad. Former England Under 20s star Addison could well make his senior international bow in Chicago on Saturday. Leinster playmaker Ross Byrne has also edged closer to his Test debut in making the Chicago squad with Munster’s Joey Carbery now a possibility to start at out-half. Addison left Sale for Ulster in the summer and has since
earned rave reviews for a string of fine performances with the northern province. Now the 26-year-old — who qualifies for Ireland through his Fermanagh-born mother — can push for his first Test cap, when Ireland return to the venue where they beat the All Blacks in 2016. Prop Cian Healy is also rested, so Jack McGrath and Dave Kilcoyne provide the loosehead options, while Tadhg Furlong and Andrew Porter will cover the other side of the front row. The versatile Finlay Bealham was also on the flight. However, among the 15 travelling forwards, eight played some part in the series-clinching 20-16 win over Australia in Sydney last summer. In the absence of Dan Leavy, O’Mahony and O’Brien, Josh van der Flier, Rhys Ruddock and Jack Conan are likely frontrunners for the back row with Jordi Murphy looking to break his way into the reckoning on the pitch, where he scored in that famous 40-29 victory over New Zealand, before suffering a serious knee injury. With Schmidt holding back Best, hookers Sean Cronin and Niall Scannell will share the duties. Schmidt’s decision to keep some senior players fresh for the Dublin encounters also means Ireland will have a new face as captain this weekend. IRELAND squad (v Italy): Forwards: F Bealham (Connacht), T Beirne (Munster) J Conan, S Cronin, T Furlong (Leinster), D Kilcoyne (Munster), J McGrath (Leinster), J Murphy (Ulster), A Porter (Leinster), Q Roux (Connacht), R Ruddock, James Ryan (Leinster), N Scannell (Munster), D Toner, J van der Flier (Leinster). Backs: W Addison (Ulster), B Aki (Connacht), R Byrne (Leinster), J Carbery, A Conway (Munster), J Cooney (Ulster), J Larmour, L McGrath, G Ringrose (Leinster), J Stockdale (Ulster), D Sweetnam (Munster).