Ireland call up uncapped Benson and McNabney for Nations Championship
The Ulster pair are in a 36-player squad for November as Dan Sheehan takes the captaincy with Caelan Doris injured.
Ireland named uncapped Ulster players Jamie Benson and James McNabney in a 36-player squad on October 21 for its November Nations Championship matches. Dan Sheehan will captain the side while Caelan Doris is injured, and Jack Conan is ruled out of the four-game window with a shoulder injury.
Conan sustained the injury during Leinster’s 48-23 European Champions Cup win away to Clermont Auvergne the previous weekend, RTÉ Sport reported. The absences leave Ireland without two established forwards as head coach Andy Farrell prepares for home matches against Argentina, Fiji and South Africa, followed by the competition’s Finals Weekend in London.
Why Benson and McNabney earned Ireland call-ups
Benson moved from Harlequins to Ulster in the summer and has made four appearances for the province this season, playing at centre and out-half, according to RTÉ. The former England junior international can also cover full-back. His selection gives Farrell a backline option who has played several positions despite limited senior time with his new club.
McNabney, 23, missed the entire 2025/26 season with an ACL injury and has previously joined Ireland squads as a training panellist, RTÉ reported. Farrell said Benson had attended an Ireland camp in the summer and McNabney had joined an alignment camp on August 31. The call-ups follow earlier contact with the national setup for both players.
Farrell told RTÉ it was ‘always great to give people a chance for the first time’. He said he was excited to bring in the pair while continuing to develop players who had received opportunities over the previous 18 months.
Injuries and Ireland’s November schedule
Harry Byrne, Jack Crowley and Bryn Ward are also missing through injury, RTÉ reported. Reuters identified Iain Henderson, Paddy McCarthy and Calvin Nash as further injured absentees. Andrew Porter, Ryan Baird and Tommy O’Brien return to the squad after missing the July away fixtures against Australia, Japan and New Zealand.
RTÉ counted 17 Leinster players, nine from Ulster, eight from Connacht and two from Munster in the squad. The two Munster representatives are Tadhg Beirne and Craig Casey. Ulster’s contingent now includes the two uncapped players alongside more experienced international options.
Ireland play Argentina in Dublin on November 6, Fiji on November 14 and South Africa at Aviva Stadium on November 21, according to RTÉ. The Finals Weekend follows a week later at the Allianz Stadium in London, also known as Twickenham.
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Sources and context
- Two uncapped players named in Ireland squad for Nations ChampionshipChannel News Asia; Reuters reporting, by Mark Gleeson, edited by Christian Radnedge
- Ireland call-ups for uncapped pair McNabney and BensonRTÉ Sport; Neil Treacy
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.