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Jacob Stockdale: Nobody 'trotting around at 50%'

Jacob Stockdale has scored 14 tries in 19 games for Ireland
Jacob Stockdale has scored 14 tries in 19 games for Ireland

Jacob Stockdale admits that players cannot fully shake off concerns about picking up costly injuries as Ireland begin a four-game World Cup warm-up series.

Joe Schmidt's side face Italy on Saturday at the Aviva Stadium (live on RTÉ2) before a trip to face England at Twickenham on 24 August.

That is then followed by away and home ties with Wales on 31 August and 7 September.

Scotland provide the opposition for the opening World Cup game in Yokohama on 22 September.

The Ulster winger is assured of a place in the 31-man squad after a brilliant breakthrough season in 2018.

The 23-year old has scored 14 tries in 19 international games.

Geordan Murphy (2003) and David Wallace (2011) both missed out on the showpiece tournament after suffering injuries in warm-up games. 

"There is that worry of injury going into a World Cup warm-up game when realistically you are looking ahead to that World Cup and saying I want to make sure I’m there," Stockdale told RTÉ Sport.

"But at the same time it’s your last opportunity to make sure you are playing your best rugby going into the World Cup.

"I don’t think anybody is going to be trotting around at 50%, they are going to be giving it everything they have.

"I have no doubt that the coaches and the medical staff will make sure that they look after us enough that we can go out and put in a 100% performance in those warm-up games."

A 45-man training squad has been in pre-season training over the last five weeks and the IRFU today confirmed that Connacht lock Ultan Dillane and Munster centre Rory Scannell have returned to their respective provinces. 

The team for the game against Conor O'Shea's Italy will be named on Thursday afternoon. 

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IRELAND Guinness Summer Series Squad v Italy

Forwards (23)

Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht) 9 caps

Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) 117 caps

Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster) 5 caps

Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 14 caps

Sean Cronin (St Mary's College/Leinster) 68 caps

Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 33 caps

Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 88 caps

Iain Henderson (Queens University/Ulster) 44 caps

Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 7 caps

Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 29 caps

Jean Kleyn (Munster) 0 caps

Jack McGrath (St Marys College/Leinster) 54 caps

Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Ulster) 27 caps

Tommy O’Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster) 12 caps

Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 57 caps

Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 14 caps

Rhys Ruddock (Lansdowne/Leinster) 21 caps

James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 17 caps

John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 18 caps

Niall Scannell (Dolphin/Munster) 14 caps

CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster) 31 caps

Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 64 caps

Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) 17 caps

Backs (20)

Will Addison (Enniskillen/Ulster) 3 caps

Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 17 caps

Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster) 2 caps

Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Munster) 18 caps

Jack Carty (Buccaneers/Connacht) 3 caps

Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster) 12 caps

John Cooney (Terenure College/Ulster) 8 caps

Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 77 caps

Chris Farrell (Young Munster/Munster) 5 caps

Mike Haley (Munster) 0 caps

Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 37 caps

Dave Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster) 17 caps

Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 90 caps

Jordan Larmour (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 13 caps

Kieran Marmion (Galwegians/Connacht) 25 caps

Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster) 10 caps

Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 72 caps

Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster) 20 caps

Jonathan Sexton (St Marys College/Leinster) 83 caps

Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster) 19 caps

Follow Ireland v Italy (2pm) via our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and the News Now app. Watch live coverage on RTÉ2 from 1.30pm and listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport.

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