Massive Munster presence and a few surprise calls in Ireland’s Six Nations squad

The announcement was expected on Friday.

Then it was Sunday. Now it is Monday and we finally know the 40 men on whom Joe Schmidt will be relying as he aims to add a third Six Nations championship to his haul. Schmidt announced his extended squad for the upcoming tournament at 10am today and there were a few surprises. Schmidt will be forced to sweat on the fitness of out-half Johnny Sexton, who was forced out of Leinster's Champions Cup draw with Castres at the weekend, but Ronan O'Gara is reliably informed that Sexton will be back in time for the tournament opener against Scotland in Murrayfield on February 4. Ulster's Paddy Jackson will be ready to deputise if Sexton comes up short in his race for fitness, while Schmidt has faith in Sexton returning as he has not opted to call up a third out-and-out out-half. In uncapped news, there are places in the squad for Munster brothers Niall and Rory Scannell, with both men rewarded for their breakthrough heroics for the province with their first call-ups to the international stage while Andrew Conway has too been given a show of faith. "It has been good to watch the players over the past two months and great to see many of them doing so well," Schmidt said. https://twitter.com/IrishRugby/status/823469675078189060 "As always there were some difficult decisions but we feel that the group is a good mix with a number of key players having good experience and a number of newer players having gained valuable experience and confidence during the summer tour to South Africa and the recent Guinness Series." There are 13 Munster men in the selection, which is the province's biggest representation since 2010. England remain odds on to claim successive Six Nations champions while Ireland find themselves second favourites to lift the trophy come March. Forwards (22) Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht) 6 caps Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) (c) 100 caps Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 1 cap Ultan Dillane (Corinthians/Connacht) 8 caps Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 11 caps Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 62 caps Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster) (vc) 91 caps Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 28 caps Billy Holland (Cork Constitution/Munster) 1 cap Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 17 caps Dan Leavy (UCD/Leinster) 1 cap Jack McGrath (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 36 caps Sean O'Brien (UCD/Leinster) 44 caps Tommy O'Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster) 12 caps Peter O'Mahony (Cork Con/Munster) 37 caps Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster) 43 caps John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 1 cap Niall Scannell (Dolphin/Munster) * CJ Stander (Munster) 10 caps Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 42 caps James Tracy (UCD/Leinster) 1 cap Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) 5 caps Backs (18) Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 67 caps Andrew Conway (Munster) * Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 54 caps Craig Gilroy (Bangor/Ulster) 9 caps Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 24 caps Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster) 19 caps Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 72 caps Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht) 9 caps Luke Marshall (Ballymena/Ulster) 9 caps Stuart McCloskey (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 1 cap Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster) 1 cap Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 53 caps Tiernan O'Halloran (Buccaneers/Connacht) 3 caps Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster) 3 caps Rory Scannell (Dolphin/Munster) * Jonathan Sexton (St Mary's College/Leinster) 63 caps Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster) 69 caps Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster) 28 caps