As interim head coach Simon Easterby prepares to announce his Ireland squad on Wednesday, BBC Sport NI looks at his options ahead of the Six Nations.

Interim Ireland head coach Simon Easterby has named uncapped Leinster prop Jack Boyle in a 36-man squad for the Guinness Six Nations. The 22-year-old Boyle has been selected ahead of Ulster’s Tom O’Toole,

As expected, in what was his first Six Nations squad announcement as Ireland interim head coach, Simon Easterby stuck with the solid foundations laid by Andy Farrell rather than ripping up the script and making wholesale changes.

BBC Sport NI looks at some of the talking points from Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby's Six Nations squad.

Andy Farrell is sitting out the Guinness Six Nations in his temporary role at the helm of the 2025 British & Irish Lions.

Ireland's squad for this year's Six Nations tournament is due to be announced at around 2pm this afternoon. Simon Easterby will be the man tasked with picking the squad for the back-to-back defending champions, with Andy Farrell taking the reigns as British and Irish Lions boss ahead of a tour down under in the summer.

Simon Easterby stuck with the tried and tested in his first squad as interim coach of two-time defending Six Nations champions Ireland on Wednesday, naming just one uncapped player in a 36-man roster.