James McNabney targets Ireland debut after first call-up following ACL comeback

A year ago, James McNabney was facing a long road back from a serious knee injury. Now the Ulster back row is preparing for his first senior Ireland camp, and he is targeting a Test debut this November.

The 23-year-old is one of two uncapped players in Andy Farrell’s 36-man squad for the Nations Championship home Tests against Argentina, Fiji and South Africa. He wants to use the opportunity to show the coaches “what I’m all about”, he told BBC Sport NI.

James McNabney’s road back from an ACL injury

McNabney had been on Ireland’s radar for some time. The Ballymena-born forward, a former Ireland Under-20 international and Ulster Young Player of the Year, was a training panellist during the 2025 Six Nations and was in line for the summer tour to Georgia and Portugal that year.

Instead, an anterior cruciate ligament injury ruled him out of the tour and the entire 2025-26 season. He returned to action over the summer, started Ulster’s United Rugby Championship opener against Edinburgh, and has come off the bench in each of the three league games since.

McNabney can play at blind-side flanker or number eight. He has been in Ireland camp before and enjoyed the experience, and he is hoping for more of the same this time.

A test at altitude against the Bulls

His latest outing came in Saturday’s 34-26 defeat to the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld, where he replaced Juarno Augustus in the 64th minute. Ulster trailed 21-0 before fighting back through two tries from Chay Mullins and scores from David McCann and Stuart McCloskey, but they fell just short of a losing bonus point.

McNabney described the heat, altitude and size of the Bulls pack as a useful test before joining up with Ireland. He admitted he wanted more than 20 minutes, but said a player has to take what he is given and make the most of it.

Nine Ulster players in Andy Farrell’s Ireland squad

McNabney is joined by fellow uncapped Ulster player Jamie Benson. The 24-year-old moved from Harlequins in the summer, played for England at Under-20 level, and is eligible for Ireland through his Belfast-born mother. He has mainly played centre for Ulster but can also cover out-half, an important option with Jack Crowley and Harry Byrne both injured.

The other Ulster players in the squad are Tom O’Toole, Tom Stewart, Nick Timoney, Nathan Doak, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale and Robert Baloucoune. That gives Ulster nine players in total, second only to Leinster.

Dan Sheehan captains the group. Leinster’s Andrew Porter and Ryan Baird, and Connacht wingers Mack Hansen and Tommy O’Brien, all return after injury.

Ireland’s Nations Championship fixtures

Ireland sit sixth of 12 sides in the Nations Championship after beating Australia and Japan and losing to New Zealand in the summer. All three November Tests are at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin:

• Ireland v Argentina – Friday 6 November, 8.10pm
• Ireland v Fiji – Saturday 14 November, 8.10pm
• Ireland v South Africa – Saturday 21 November, 4.40pm

A play-off game at Twickenham follows on the weekend of 27-29 November, according to The 42. England, who have named their own 36-man Nations Championship squad, open against Australia on 8 November.

What next for Ulster?

While McNabney heads into Ireland camp, Ulster stay in South Africa without their internationals. Richie Murphy’s side face the Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday (12.45pm UK time), still searching for a first URC win of the season after two defeats and two draws. They did get off the mark with victory over Zebre in the Challenge Cup the week before.

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