Benson and McNabney earn first Ireland call-ups for November Nations Championship

Jamie Benson and James McNabney were named in Ireland’s squad for November’s Nations Championship matches in a selection published on 21 October 2026. The pair receive their first senior call-ups to the national team.

Benson, 24, joined Ulster from Harlequins in the off-season and is able to play at fly-half or centre. He is Irish-qualified through his Belfast-born mother and is a former England Under-20 international. Benson has featured at centre for the majority of his short Ulster career to date. McNabney, 23, operates in the back row and had been part of Ireland training squads previously before returning to action over the summer after a year out with an ACL injury.

Prop Andrew Porter, forward Ryan Baird and wings Mack Hansen and Tommy O'Brien have been recalled to the squad after missing the summer matches. Head coach Andy Farrell has named the squad while managing a lengthy injury list. Captain Caelan Doris is among those sidelined.

Fly-half Jack Crowley is missing through injury, and the squad announcement also omitted Jack Boyle, Harry Byrne, Jack Conan, Iain Henderson, Paddy McCarthy, Calvin Nash and Bryn Ward. Those absences contributed to the reshuffle in the back-line and forward options.

In Doris’s absence, Leinster team-mate Dan Sheehan will captain Ireland. Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park has been included despite not featuring for Leinster this season. Ulster duo Zac Ward and Cormac Izuchukwu were not selected, and Munster prop Jeremy Loughman also missed out.

Ireland’s November schedule begins with Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on Friday, 6 November, followed by Fiji travelling to Dublin on 14 November and a home match against world champions South Africa on 21 November, with finals weekend at the Allianz Stadium in London the following week. Ireland began their Nations Championship campaign with victories over Australia and Japan, while New Zealand won the third summer Test.

Forwards: Ryan Baird, Tadhg Beirne, Billy Bohan, Thomas Clarkson, Tadhg Furlong, Sam Illo, Sean Jansen, Ronan Kelleher, Joe McCarthy, James McNabney, Darragh Murray, Tom O'Toole, Andrew Porter, Cian Prendergast, James Ryan, Dan Sheehan (captain), Tom Stewart, Nick Timoney, Josh van der Flier.

Backs: Bundee Aki, Rob Baloucoune, Jamie Benson, Craig Casey, Nathan Doak, Ciaran Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park, Mack Hansen, Robbie Henshaw, Hugo Keenan, Stuart McCloskey, Jimmy O'Brien, Tommy O'Brien, Jamie Osborne, Sam Prendergast, Garry Ringrose, Jacob Stockdale.

Ireland’s next confirmed match is against Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on Friday, 6 November.