Andy Farrell's 6 Nations Squad Announced: Key Absences for Porter and Henshaw

Andrew Porter and Robbie Henshaw will miss the start of Ireland's Guinness Six Nations campaign, after both players were left out of the 37-man squad by head coach Andy Farrell. The pair miss out due to injury, with Porter struggling with a calf issue, and Henshaw suffering a knee injury in Leinster's Investec Champions Cup win against Bayonne on Saturday. The IRFU have also confirmed that Leinster's Ryan Baird, Jimmy O'Brien, Jordan Larmour and Paddy McCarthy haven't been considered due to injury, as well as Ulster's Cormac Izuchukwu, Munster's Calvin Nash, and Connacht's Shayne Bolton and Mack Hansen. There are welcome returns for both Hugo Keenan and Jamie Osborne after lengthy injury lay-offs, while Tadhg Furlong, Tommy O'Brien, Tom Ahern and Finlay Bealham have all been named in the squad, despite picking up recent injuries. Farrell has included two uncapped players in his squad, with Munster lock Edwin Edogbo and Nathan Doak included in the group. Edogbo missed out on a place in the extended Ireland squad due to injury in November, but has been brought in to the full squad for the first time this year. In-form Ulster scrum-half Doak has also been drafted in, with the 24-year-old having previously been involved in senior squads without earning caps. With Porter and McCarthy out, Munster pair Michael Milne and Jeremy Loughman have been named at loosehead, where they will contest with Leinster's Jack Boyle. Ulster hooker Tom Stewart has been rewarded for his rich vein of form with a recall ahead of Leinster's Gus McCarthy. Harry Byrne is named as one of four out-halves in the squad, with Sam Prendergast, Jack Crowley and Ciarán Frawley all part of the group. With multiple wingers ruled out, Rob Baloucoune has also picked up a long-awaited recall, with the 28-year-old looking to win his first caps since November 2022. Connacht second row Darragh Murray and Ulster back row Bryn Ward will also join the squad in Portugal before linking up with the Ireland XV squad, ahead of their clash with England A. The Ireland squad will assemble in Dublin on Sunday before travelling to Quinta do Lago for a warm-weather training camp in advance of taking on France in their opening game in Paris on Thursday, 5 February. Ireland Six Nations squad: Forwards (20) Tom Ahern (Shannon/Munster) Finlay Bealham (Corinthians/Connacht) Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster) Jack Boyle (UCD/Leinster) Thomas Clarkson (Blackrock College/Leinster) Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) Caelan Doris (St. Mary's College/Leinster)(captain) Edwin Edogbo (UCC/Munster) Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) Rónan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster) Jeremy Loughman (Garryowen/Munster) Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster) Michael Milne (UCD/Munster) Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster) Cian Prendergast (UCD/Connacht) James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster) Tom Stewart (Ballynahinch/Ulster) Nick Timoney (Queen’s University/Ulster) Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) Backs (17) Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) Robert Baloucoune (Enniskillen/Ulster) Harry Byrne (Lansdowne/Leinster) Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster) Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster) Nathan Doak (Banbridge/Ulster) Tom Farrell (Lansdowne/Munster) Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster) Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster) Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster) James Lowe (Leinster) Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster) Tommy O’Brien (Blackrock College/Leinster) Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster) Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster) Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster) Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster) Follow every Ireland game in the Guinness Six Nations on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app, or listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1.