Charlie Tector, Chay Mullins and Mark Donnelly added to Emerging Ireland squad

Charlie Tector, Chay Mullins and Mark Donnelly have all been added to the Emerging Ireland squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa after head coach Simon Easterby was forced into a number of changes.

Leinster's Tommy O’Brien and Jack Boyle have both been ruled out of the tour, as has Connacht wing Shayne Bolton.

Versatile back O’Brien suffered a hamstring injury in the process of scoring a try in Friday's 33-31 win over Edinburgh, while Bolton had a knee laceration in the first half of Connacht’s 35-33 defeat to Munster.

Loosehead Boyle wasn’t in action for Leinster in the opening round of the BKT United Rugby Championship, although an ankle injury suffered by Michael Milne means he’s now likely to be needed by the province in the coming weeks.

Boyle is replaced by Munster prop Donnelly, who featured three times off the bench for Graham Rowntree's side last season.

O’Brien’s hamstring injury has opened the door for his provincial team-mate Tector, who scored a try in an impressive performance at The Hive on Friday. The 22-year-old previously starred at out-half for Ireland’s U20s in 2022, but the Kilkenny man appears to have found a new home in the centre.

Read more: Charlie Tector offers reminder of potential for Leinster in crucial year

Ex Ireland Sevens international Mullins comes into the squad for his fellow Connacht wing Bolton, and is now the third member of the squad who was also involved in the 2022 tour of Bloemfontein, along with Ulster’s Cormac Izuchukwu and Leinster’s James Culhane.

The Emerging Ireland squad will gather in Dublin on Wednesday to begin their training camp, before departing to Bloemfontein on Saturday, ahead of their first game of the Toyota Challenge against the Griquas on Wednesday 2 October.