Murphy added to Ireland squad as Ahern injury cover
Connacht second row Josh Murphy has been called up to train with the Ireland squad as injury cover for Tom Ahern. In a squad update issued on Friday morning, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) said Munster's Ahern was dealing with "hamstring tightness". The uncapped Murphy will remain with the squad in Dublin before Wednesday's departure to Tbilisi ahead of Tests against Georgia on 5 July (18:00 BST) and Portugal in Lisbon on 12 July (19:00 BST). The 30-year-old, who can operate in the second and back rows, has played 39 times for Connacht after joining from Leinster in 2022. Having taken a year out of professional rugby in 2023-24, he returned last year and made 21 appearances - 17 of which were starts - for Connacht, scoring four tries. Murphy is one of six training panellists in interim head coach Paul O'Connell's squad, alongside Brian Gleeson, Diarmuid Kilgallen, Evan O'Connell (all Munster), Jude Postlethwaite and Zac Ward (both Ulster).
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