Time to impress in URC with Ireland places up for grabs

While there will still be one more round of games after this weekend in the BKT United Rugby Championship, this is the last opportunity to impress Ireland head coach Andy Farrell, who will name his squad for next month's four-Test November window on Wednesday.

With an extra game against Australia crammed into the month, Farrell’s squad size is likely to be the same, or even slightly bigger than the 35-player group he brought to South Africa in the summer, while there is also the possibility of a handful of additional 'training panelists’, a common supplement to squads in the last couple of seasons.

While some positions on the pitch look well-settled, there will be some big calls to be made for Farrell, in what will be his final window with the team before he takes a sabbatical ahead of next year’s British and Irish Lions series in Australia.

At hooker, an extensive injury list means the Ireland coach will almost certainly be bringing in an uncapped player, while some returning faces who missed the summer tour of South Africa will be hoping to force their way back in.

PROP

While Farrell selected six props for the tour of South Africa, only two of those were specialist looseheads in the form of Andrew Porter and Cian Healy. With two extra games coming up this month, and that position a priority area for long-term development, it’s almost certain the Irish coach will add at least one more loosie to his group.

Dave Kilcoyne has been a favourite of Farrell’s down the years, but the 35-year-old is still on the way back from long-term injury and yet to feature this season. His Munster team-mate Jeremy Loughman looks like being the next cab off the rank, and has performed consistently – both in tight and loose exchanges – for his