Six uncapped players in extended 34-man Ireland squad for All Blacks Test

Ireland coach Joe Schmidt has selected six uncapped players in a 34-man squad for Ireland's opening Test match in November against New Zealand at Soldier Field, Chicago on Saturday week.

Iain Henderson (shoulder) and Keith Earls (two week suspension) have been included but won't play against the All Blacks. They may not travel.

Leinster's Joey Carbery, Luke McGrath, Garry Ringrose and James Tracy, along with Munster pair of Billy Holland and John Ryan have yet to be capped. All six players have been rewarded on the basis of current form to complement talent.

Mike Ross, who played two of the three Tests against the Springboks during the summer, has been omitted. It was clarified that he's not injured. Tadhg Furlong missed Leinster's Champions Cup match against Montpellier with a hamstring strain but is named, while the squad contains two other tighthead props in Finlay Bealham and Munster's John Ryan.

There is no place for Ulster's Stuart Olding, presumably the hip flexor strain he suffered against the Exeter Chiefs last Saturday has ruled him out of contention. Quinn Roux, Ian Madigan, Tiernan O'Halloran, Dave Kilcoyne and Sean Reidy are among those who played in South Africa but haven't made the extended squad, some injured, some excluded on a selection basis.

There was no confirmation on what players would line out for the provinces in the Guinness Pro12 matches at the weekend, nor was it possible to determine whether the Ireland squad would train on Monday morning ahead of flying to Chicago that afternoon.

What has been established is that the squad will convene at Carton House on Sunday evening and that not all of the 34-players named will travel to America. The likelihood is that three players outside of what constitutes the match-day 23 will make the trip.

There is little doubt that a number of the six uncapped players will be given debuts the following Saturday, November 12th, against Canada at the Aviva stadium.

The squad was announced by press release in which Schmidt explained: “Selections were difficult as always, trying to balance form, fitness, experience, combinations plus assess those players returning from injury or those carrying minor knocks or strains.

“With more than half the squad likely to be involved in Pro12 action this weekend, plus the need to factor in the travel and fatigue from the Chicago fixture, there are also a number of players on standby who are likely to be involved during the first two weeks of the Guinness Series.”

Ireland squad: Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht); Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) captain; Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Leinster), Sean Cronin (St Mary's College/Leinster), Ultan Dillane (Corinthians/Connacht), Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster), Tadgh Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), Craig Gilroy (Ulster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster) vice captain, Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Robbie Henshaw (Leinster), Billy Holland (Cork Constitution/Munster), Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster), Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster), Kieran Marmion (Buccaneers/Connacht), Luke Marshall (Ulster), Jack McGrath (St Marys/Leinster), Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster), Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) , Sean O'Brien (UCD/Leinster), Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Jared Payne (Ulster), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Jonathan Sexton (St Mary's College/Leinster), CJ Stander (Munster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), James Tracy (UCD/Leinster), Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster).