Five uncapped players that should be included in Ireland's tour to Australia

With Ireland winning the Grand Slam, Leinster flying high in Europe, Ulster securing Champions Cup rugby next season and Munster reaching two semi-finals, it certainly has not been a bad year so far for Irish rugby. The World Cup is little over a year away and Ireland will definitely fancy their chances in Japan.

Schmidt has focused on building a squad for 2019, leaving out certain players over the past year, who have commitments overseas. However, there is rugby to be played beyond next year’s tournament and Ireland’s head coach would be mad to not have one eye on the future. We’ve come up with five uncapped youngsters that we believe should be part of Ireland’s future plans, and as a result should be considered for the Summer Tour to Australia.

Tadhg Beirne - Scarlets

The former Leinster-man has earned himself a trip home on the back of two stellar seasons for the Scarlets. The Munster-bound forward was a revelation at the Welsh regional side this year, winning their Player of the Season accolade and being nominated for European Rugby Player of the Year. He has carried like a number 8, turned over ball like a 7 and operated like a true 2^nd row in the lineout. He is an absolute menace to opposing teams in the loose, topping the turnover tables in both the PRO14 and Champions Cup by some margin. Not content with just poaching for ball, he is consistently one of his sides top tacklers as well. We haven’t even mentioned his ability to carry and get tries, one of which was nominated for Try of the Year. A long international career beckons for the young man, and what a partnership he and James Ryan could have in the years to come.

Ross Byrne - Leinster Rugby 

The former St. Michaels man has been Leo Cullen’s preferred choice at stand-off, when Johnny Sexton has been absent this season. Schmidt seems to prefer the option of Carbery as deputy to Ireland’s first choice out-half, but Sexton’s extensive injury history cannot be ignored. Should Ireland’s playmaker be unfortunate to suffer some injury woes again, it would be useful to have a Plan C in the back pocket. Byrne was Leinster's PRO14 top scorer this season, as well as topping the try-assists charts. His cross-field kick-pass has been a massive asset to the men in blue this year, and the prospect of linking up with Ireland’s Player of the Year, in Keith Earls, with that same move, is one that really whets the appetite.

Sam Arnold - Munster Rugby 

The former Ulster centre has really come into his own in the red of Munster this season. His performances against Leinster last weekend and against Toulon in the European quarter-final, stand-out in the memory as being world-class. Brian O’Driscoll has expressed his admiration for how the young man defends the 13 channel, and that was never more evident than up against the juggernauts of Basteraud and Nonu that day in Limerick. Given that Ireland have experienced a barrage of injuries in the centres in the past year, it would be wise to bring the youngster along, to give him some international experience, in advance of next season.

Max Deegan - Leinster Rugby 

Another former St. Michael’s past pupil, and another young star to come through the fantastic Leinster production line. His performances in recent months have resembled those of a far more experienced number 8, scoring 5 tries, securing two-game winning turnovers and picking up the MOTM award against Zebre. He arrives on the scene at just the right time, as Jamie Heaslip has vacated his role, moving on into retirement. The back-rower can fill a role at 7 or 8, which could well be needed, given the injury woes that Sean O’Brien, Jack Conan and Josh van der Flier have experienced this season. The prospect of Six Nations rugby and a World Cup would likely be daunting to a 21-year-old, so it may be wise to give him some experience sooner rather than later.

Calvin Nash - Munster Rugby 

At just 20-years-old, the winger is our youngest and probably our least likely inclusion in this list. However, he has been trusted to start for his province on a number of occasions, leading in to the business end of the season, and has performed up to standard every time. He has experience captaining the Irish U20s side in the past, showing that coaches within the Irish setup hold him in high regard. He has shown that he has a keen-eye for the try-line and a knack for beating defenders in recent weeks, dotting down against Southern Kings and Zebre this season. The All Blacks and England have led the way in previous years in terms of bringing apprentice players on tour, to give them experience with seasoned internationals. Marcus Smith, Jordie Barrett and Asafo Aumua have benefitted recently from this, and they are on track to become the next crop of world beaters. Schmidt traditionally hasn’t followed this same approach when picking squads, but there really is no reason not to give a future international experience in the setup. Nash could be one such player that is important for Ireland in the future.