John Cooney cut from Ireland’s Rugby World Cup squad

Finlay Bealham and Mike Haley also miss out as team depart for training camp in Portugal

John Cooney has been cut from Ireland’s Rugby World Cup squad. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho
John Cooney has been cut from Ireland’s Rugby World Cup squad. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho

John Cooney is out of Ireland's squad for the Rugby World Cup, with Joe Schmidt cutting another three players on Wednesday.

Ulster scrumhalf Cooney's departure leaves three number nines in the reckoning for Japan - Conor Murray, Kieran Marmion and Luke McGrath.

Schmidt's party has now been reduced to 40 members - 22 forwards, 18 backs - with prop Finlay Bealham and fullback Mike Haley also out of the squad.

Meanwhile the IRFU have confirmed the news Joey Carbery will be out for up to six weeks after he injured his ankle during the opening summer warm-up against Italy in Dublin.

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There were also concerns over Devin Toner and Rob Herring following the 26-16 win over the Azzurri at the Aviva, but they have recovered from ankle and back problems respectively.

Ireland’s next fixture before they depart for Japan is against England at Twickenham on Saturday August 24th.

The team head to Portugal for a warm weather training camp on Wednesday.

Ireland Squad (Warm Weather Training Camp, Portugal 2019)

Forwards (22)

Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) 117 caps

Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster) 6 caps

Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 14 caps

Sean Cronin (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 68 caps

Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 33 caps

Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 89 caps

Iain Henderson (Queen’s University/Ulster) 45 caps

Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 8 caps

Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 29 caps

Jean Kleyn (Munster) 1 cap

Jack McGrath (St Mary’s College/Ulster) 55 caps

Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Ulster) 28 caps

Tommy O’Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster) 13 caps

Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 57 caps

Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 15 caps

Rhys Ruddock (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 22 caps

James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 17 caps

John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 19 caps

Niall Scannell (Dolphin/Munster) 15 caps

CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster) 31 caps

Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 65 caps

Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) 17 caps

Backs (18)

Will Addison (Enniskillen/Ulster) 3 caps

Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 17 caps

Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster) 2 caps

Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Munster) 19 caps

Jack Carty (Buccaneers/Connacht) 4 caps

Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster) 13 caps

Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 77 caps

Chris Farrell (Young Munster/Munster) 6 caps

Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 37 caps

Dave Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster) 18 caps

Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 90 caps

Jordan Larmour (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 14 caps

Kieran Marmion (Galwegians/Connacht) 26 caps

Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster) 11 caps

Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 72 caps

Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster) 21 caps

Jonathan Sexton (St Marys College/Leinster) 83 caps

Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster) 19 caps