Timoney & Izuchukwu in Ireland squad for Boks tour

Ulster forwards Nick Timoney and Cormac Izuchukwu have been named in Ireland's squad for next month's two-Test series against South Africa, but injured scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park has been ruled out.

It is a first call-up for 24-year-old Izuchukwu, who can play in the second row and back row, following a series of strong displays for Ulster.

Izuchukwu is one of three uncapped players in the squad alongside Leinster pair Sam Prendergast and Jamie Osborne.

With 2021 British and Irish Lions tourist Jack Conan unavailable for personal reasons, back row Timoney is handed the chance to add to his three caps, the last of which came against Fiji in November 2022.

Ireland face the back-to-back World Cup winners in Pretoria on 6 July and Durban on 13 July.

The Irish have won the past three Tests against the Springboks, including a 13-8 success in last year's World Cup Pool B encounter in Paris. The Boks, however, claimed a 2-1 series win the last time Ireland visited South Africa in 2016.

South Africa, who replaced Ireland at the top of world rankings, have not played since beating New Zealand in the World Cup final but face Wales at Twickenham on Saturday.

More to follow.

Forwards: Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster) 20

Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht) 40

Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster) 50

Caelan Doris (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 41

Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 76

Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 129

Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 39

Cormac Izuchukwu (Ulster/Ballynahinch)*

Oli Jager (Munster) 1

Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster) 31

Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster) 10

Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)(captain) 105

Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 13

Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 64

Cian Prendergast (UCD/Connacht) 3

James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 62

Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster) 26

Nick Timoney (Banbridge/Ulster) 3

Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) 62

Backs:

Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 56

Caolin Blade (Galwegians/Connacht) 2

Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster) 14

Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster) 14

Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster) 4

Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 72

Jordan Larmour (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 32

James Lowe (Leinster) 31

Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster) 17

Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 116

Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster) 6

Jimmy O’Brien (Naas/Leinster) 8

Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster)*

Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)*

Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster) 58

Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster) 37

*denotes uncapped player

Saturday, 6 July: South Africa v Ireland, Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria, 16:00 BST

Saturday, 13 July: South Africa v Ireland, Kings Park Stadium, Durban, 16:00 BST