Former England prop Brookes gets Ireland XV call-up

Former England prop Kieran Brookes has been called up for an Ireland XV fixture against Fiji A next month.The game for Ireland's second string will be played in Cork on Friday, 20 November, one day before Andy Farrell's senior side take on back-to-back world champions South Africa in Dublin. Tight-head Brookes has won 16 caps for England but last played Test rugby in 2016, leaving him free to switch his international allegiance under World Rugby laws that require only a 36-month stand-down period. The 36-year-old has been impressive since joining Munster during the summer and is eligible for Ireland selection thanks to grandparents born in Belfast and Dublin.Brookes made his England debut against New Zealand under Stuart Lancaster in 2014 and appeared three times at the World Cup the following year.While all his international appearances came as a player for either Newcastle or Northampton Saints, his switch from Wasps to Toulon in 2021 rendered him unavailable for England selection under RFU [Rugby Football Union] policy.The IRFU [Ireland Rugby Football Union] have similar selection rules surrounding home-based players so would not have pursued a reunion with Brookes, who represented Ireland at underage level, until he was playing with a provincial side. Brookes is not the only former England international in the 28-man panel with his Munster team-mate Dan Kelly, who was capped once by England in 2021, also included.The group will be led by Ulster attack coach Mark Sexton with Leinster fly-half Joey Carbery set to wear a green jersey for the first time in four years.The 30-year-old, who re-joined Leinster from Bordeaux-Begles this summer, won 37 caps during his first spell in Irish rugby and was part of the squad that won a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2018.Forwards: Tom Ahern (Munster), Jack Aungier (Munster), Paul Boyle (Connacht), Kieran Brookes (Munster), Will Connors (Connacht), Eoin de Buitlear (Connacht), Edwin Edogbo (Munster), Sean Edogbo (Munster), Brian Gleeson (Munster), Cormac Izuchukwu (Ulster), Gus McCarthy (Leinster), David McCann (Ulster), Michael Milne (Munster), Conor O'Tighearnaigh (Leinster), Scott Penny (Leinster), Alex Usanov (Leinster).Backs: Joey Carbery (Leinster), Matthew Devine (Ulster), Cathal Forde (Connacht), Fintan Gunne (Connacht), James Hume (Ulster), Dan Kelly (Munster), Shay McCarthy (Munster), Ethan McIlroy (Ulster), Jack Murphy (Ulster), Daniel Ryan (Connacht), Finnt Treacy (Connacht), Harry West (Connacht).