Leinster’s Ryan Baird included in Ireland training camp squad

Rob O'Hanrahan

The young lock has it all ahead of him.

At just twenty years old, and still an Academy player, Leinster’s Ryan Baird has a huge future ahead in blue and green. A barn-storming performance from the young lock against Glasgow in the RDS on Friday night, including a hat-trick, has seen him called into Ireland’s training camp this week. Baird re-joins the group for the “early part of the week”, according to the IRFU, having previously trained with the national squad in the preparatory camp in Portugal in late January.

Ireland may not have a game this weekend, and their tournament may already be over for the time being, but preparations for the game against France in Paris on Saturday week continue apace.

Head Coach Andy Farrell has assembled a 35-man squad for a training camp this week at the IRFU’s High Performance Centre at the Sport Ireland Campus , with a change in plans coming as a result of the cancellation of the Italian clash last week due to fears around the COVID-19 outbreak.

Connacht’s Ultan Dillane and Dave Heffernan join the group today having played in Connacht’s 29-19 win over the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth on Sunday in the Pro 14.

Ireland Squad, Camp 2nd-5th March

Backs: (15)

Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 26 caps

Billy Burns (Ulster) 0 caps

Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster) 6 caps

Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster) 21 caps

John Cooney (Terenure College/Ulster) 11 caps

Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 84 caps

Chris Farrell (Young Munster/Munster) 9 caps

Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 43 caps

Dave Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster) 19 caps

Jordan Larmour (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 24 caps