Ireland Sevens star Ward 'a really exciting prospect'

Zac Ward impressed for Ireland at the Paris Olympics

Emerging Ireland head coach Simon Easterby believes Sevens star Zac Ward is a "really exciting prospect".

Ward, 25, has impressed for Ireland's Sevens team and was one of the stand out players at the Paris Olympics.

The 25-year-old wing has been on trial with Ulster as he transitions back into the 15s game, and his pre-season form put him in contention to be called into the Emerging Ireland squad for October's tour of South Africa.

"It's a really nice story. He has played incredibly well on the Sevens circuit, culminating in the Olympics," said Easterby, who will be Ireland's interim head coach when Andy Farrell takes charge of the British and Irish Lions in 2025.

"He's now transitioned back into 15s. He's worked with Ulster across pre-season since he has come back from the Sevens.

"He's really exciting and one we are looking forward to working with."

Emerging Ireland will play three matches in South Africa against the Pumas (2 October), Western Force (6 October) and the Cheetahs (9 October).

Ward is one of six Ulster players named in the squad along with Cormac Izuchukwu, Scott Wilson, Jude Postlethwaite, Jack Murphy and Harry Sheridan, who has signed a deal to remain in Belfast until 2027.

Izuchukwu, who can play at lock or in the back row, is one of two players who were involved in the last Emerging Ireland tour in 2022, along with Leinster's James Culhane.

Leinster fly-half Sam Prendergast and Izuchukwu toured South Africa with Farrell's senior squad in July, and Easterby says including them in the Emerging squad offers a chance for them to develop further.

"Izzy had a good bit of game time at the end of last season with Ulster but we want to grow his experience, possibly more at lock," Easterby added

"We want him to step up and lead, in terms of calling at line-outs and around the field.

"So for him it is a continuation of his development and progression."

Munster's Alex Kendellen has been named captain of the 33-man squad for the tour.

'Constant conversations' about players availability'

Any players selected for the tour will miss United Rugby Championship matches for their provinces, and Easterby accepts there is a trade-off between player development and club requirements.

The former Ireland flanker added there has been "constant conversations" with the provinces about the players selected for the tour.

“That is part of the process of trying to get the best players available to us to go and work with those in South Africa,” he said.

“On the whole it has been excellent. I’m not saying it’s a perfect scenario at all but hopefully come the end of it both sides win.

"Most importantly, we get the players for a period and they get to understand what we are about as a set-up and as an environment and the challenges of international rugby etc.

A number of players who were involved in the Emerging Ireland tour in 2022 have since established themselves in the senior set-up, including Jack Crowley, Ciaran Frawley, Calvin Nash and Joe McCarthy.

Easterby says he hopes the players who travel to South Africa will "make it difficult not to pick them" in upcoming senior squads.

"We know there is a medium to long-term outlook for this tour but certainly in the short-term we need to build depth in every position and there is no closed book," Easterby added.

"We need to make sure that we have the best players available to us in November and then the Six Nations.

"It is a great challenge for these players and an opportunity for them, and us, to see who can step up."

Ireland squad

Forwards: Jack Aungier (Connacht), Jack Boyle (Leinster), James Culhane (Leinster), Jordan Duggan (Connacht), Sean Edogbo (Munster), Ronan Foxe (Munster), Cormac Izuchukwu (Ulster), Sean Jansen (Connacht), Alex Kendellen (Munster)(captain), Gus McCarthy (Leinster), Darragh Murray (Connacht), Evan O'Connell (Munster), Conor O'Tighearnaigh (Leinster), Danny Sheahan (Munster), Harry Sheridan (Ulster), Stephen Smyth (Leinster), Alex Soroka (Leinster), Scott Wilson (Ulster)

Backs: Shayne Bolton (Connacht), Hugh Cooney (Leinster), Ethan Coughlan (Munster), Matthew Devine (Connacht), Cormac Foley (Leinster), Hugh Gavin (Connacht), Jack Murphy (Ulster), Tommy O'Brien (Leinster), Sean O'Brien (Munster), Ben O'Connor (Munster), Andrew Osborne (Leinster), Jude Postlethwaite (Ulster), Sam Prendergast (Leinster), Rob Russell (Leinster), Zac Ward (Ulster/Ireland Sevens).