FORMER Dorchester prop Harri O’Connor has received a call-up to the Wales squad for their Guinness Six Nations clash in Ireland on Saturday (2.15pm).

Head coach Warren Gatland has chosen Scarlets tighthead O’Connor for the trip to Dublin in what could be a baptism of fire against runaway title favourites Ireland.

O’Connor, 23, went on as a replacement during a non-cap 49-26 win for Wales over the Barbarians at Cardiff earlier this season, but he has yet to feature at Test level.

O’Connor becomes the second prop to join the squad after experienced Harlequins tighthead Dillon Lewis earlier this month.

READ MORE: Former Dorchester prop Harri O'Connor makes Wales debut

Bath prop Archie Griffin recently withdrew from the squad following a knee injury that he suffered on his Wales debut against England at Twickenham.

O’Connor is a former Dorchester youth player who went through the Bath academy and then joined the Welsh exiles programme at Scarlets Academy and moved into the first-team squad. His younger brother Sam also plays for Scarlets having spent time with Dorchester.

Dorchester last had one of its own on international duty in 1968 when Brian Keen, also a prop, played all four of England’s Five Nations matches.

So far in his professional career, O’Connor has played in the URC games in South Africa, and was previously called up to the senior Wales squad for the South Africa tour in 2023 but did not get any game time.

O’Connor joins fellow Scarlets Kemsley Mathias, Ryan Elias, Kieran Hardy, Gareth Davies, Ioan Lloyd, Joe Roberts and Sam Costelow at Wales’ training base at the Vale of Glamorgan.

Dorchester said: “Internationally the club is delighted to see the call-up of former player Harri O’Connor, now playing professionally for Scarlets, to the Wales squad for the Six Nations game against Ireland this Saturday.

“Underlining the quality of its junior section, with several players (have headed) into the professional game and representing their countries in both the ladies’ and men’s games.”

Elsewhere, one of Dorchester’s former young players, Henry Bartlett, was part of Bath Rugby’s winning Premiership Rugby Under-18 Academy side.

Bartlett was part of the team that beat Northampton Saints 34-33 in a dramatic finale, that saw the Somerset side score a drop goal and try in the dying stages to pinch the victory.