Assiratti and Woodman called up for Ireland clash

Dragons back row Ryan Woodman and Cardiff prop Keiron Assiratti have been called up to the Wales squad ahead of Friday’s Guinness Six Nations clash with Ireland in Dublin.

Woodman, 22, earns a first senior call-up after making 43 appearances for the Gwent region. He joins fellow Dragons Aaron Wainwright and Ben Carter in the squad as he looks to win his first international cap.

Assiratti, who has already featured 19 times for Wales, has also been drafted into the forwards pack as the team prepare for round four of the championship.

Wales head to Dublin seeking to halt a run of 14 consecutive Six Nations defeats, stretching back to 2023. Their most recent outing ended in a narrow 26-23 loss to Scotland in Cardiff, despite a much-improved performance.

Ireland, meanwhile, have been boosted by the return of several key players. Connacht centre Bundee Aki is available again following suspension, while Leinster full-back Jimmy O’Brien has rejoined the squad. Robbie Henshaw is also expected to return early in the week.

However, Leinster fly-half Harry Byrne has been ruled out due to concussion after failing a head injury assessment during Ireland’s recent win over England.

Andy Farrell’s side will be looking to build on their emphatic 42-21 victory at Twickenham when they host Wales on March 6.