Following Simon Easterby’s announcement of the Ireland team to face Wales in Round Three of the Six Nations, we pick out our winners and losers.
A Warren Gatland-less Wales outfit will tackle the defending champions who have made seven changes from the team that dispatched Scotland last time out.
Still, Easterby has named an imposing team that will be firm favourites in Cardiff as they continue their charge to an unprecedented Six Nations three-peat.
Without further ado, here are our winners and losers from the Ireland team.
Winners
Dan Sheehan
Ireland were always going to make a change in the captaincy for this week after it was confirmed that Caelan Doris would not be available for selection.
Easterby was not short on options either with Peter O’Mahony and James Ryan in the squad, two players that have led their country in the past, as well as provincial skippers Cian Prendergast and Tadhg Beirne.
Garry Ringrose was also tipped for the role having captained Leinster too but ultimately it was his clubmate Dan Sheehan who got the nod.
It’s a bold choice from Easterby but he is able to make it confidently because of the quality of leadership around the hooker, who will become the 111th men’s player to captain Ireland.
Sheehan is undoubtedly one of the finest front-rowers in the world right now and has wasted no time in hitting his usual highs at the highest level despite missing a large chunk of the season after a horrid injury in South Africa.
The all-action hooker can seemingly do it all and it would not be a shock to see him thrive in the leadership role either. Representing one’s country is always a huge honour for players but leading the side is a step up and an accolade that Sheehan is more than deserving of.
Jack Boyle
Eventually, Ireland are going to have to bid Cian Healy farewell as the veteran prop is well into the twilight of his career and it looks as if Jack Boyle is being lined up as his successor.
Tom O’Toole has been tipped to become more versatile and play on both sides of the scrum and even featured at loosehead against Fiji last year. He has missed the opening two rounds of the Six Nations through suspension but despite being available for selection, he has not been called upon.
Instead, it is the Leinsterman that gets the nod having impressed so far this season with his province and is now in line to make his debut off the bench in the role that Healy has dominated in recent times.
At the age of 22, Boyle has a potentially long career at the highest level ahead of him and this could just be the start.
Jamie Osborne
Of the seven additions to the squad, it’s hard to argue against Jamie Osborne being the most deserving. The Leinster back was superb for Ireland in the two Tests against the Springboks as he shone at full-back despite playing most of his senior rugby in the centres.
However, he was always going to fall out of the team when Hugo Keenan returned from his stint with the sevens regardless of how Osborne performed. He did make two cameo appearances off the bench in the autumn and started at the back against Fiji only for his game to be cut short by injury.
Frankly, he did nothing to warrant his omission from the matchday squad it is simply just an acknowledgement of the depth that Ireland have at their disposal and a nod to Keenan’s quality. This weekend though, Osborne has the chance to really stake a claim for more minutes in the Test jersey going forward whether that is at full-back, in the centres or on the bench.
Gus McCarthy and Cian Prendergast
Cian Prendergast has been a consistent Ireland squad member in recent seasons but has just four caps to his name to show for it. But on Saturday he will not only get the opportunity to press for more minutes in a highly competitive role but also make his Six Nations debut.
The back-rower is certainly held in high regard by the coaching staff with attack coach Andrew Goodman even namechecking him as a potential captain for this weekend and while that was not to be this week, he does have the opportunity to really push himself up the pecking order.
Also making his Championship debut is hooker Gus McCarthy who is set to earn his third Test cap for his country after impressing in his first two appearances in November. The Leinster hooker has really made the most of his opportunities this season and will continue in that vein when he steps out onto the Principality pitch, even if it is the final knockings of the match.
Jack Conan
Another player who could well have had a ‘c’ next to his name on the teamsheet. Jack Conan has been sensational off the bench in the opening two rounds but like many of the other players in the squad has not been able to usurp the starter – Doris.
The Ireland captain’s absence will certainly be felt but it is worth remembering that in 2021, it was Conan who was the starting number eight for the British and Irish Lions tour and with a possible second tour on the horizon, the back-rower will be hellbent on making the most of his opportunity to impress.
Sam Prendergast
A third successive start in the Six Nations for the young pivot who has once again been preferred in the starting role despite the pressure from Jack Crowley.
Sam Prendergast did not have his best day out in Round One but there was a significant improvement in the round two victory over Scotland. The talent is undeniable despite his age, 22, and getting a third straight start in rugby’s greatest championship will do his development and confidence the world of good.
Joe McCarthy
After missing the opening fortnight of the Six Nations through an injury sustained in training, Joe McCarthy returns and slots right back into the starting pack.
His grunt and aggression in the tight exchanges is a huge boost for an already powerful pack that has hardly taken a step backwards this tournament.
The 23-year-old all but made the starting jersey his own last year but will be wary of the quality in the position with the excellent Ryan on the bench.
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Losers
Caelan Doris
A seriously impressive run of consecutive Test matches has come to an end. Doris earned his 49th cap for his country in the win over Scotland last time out which was his 42nd successive start in the green jumper.
It’s a mightily impressive record for the 26-year-old who has been nothing shy of spectacular since making his Test debut in 2020 with his rise eventually leading to the captaincy.
Perhaps the one shining light is that if he is fit for the next round of action, he will earn his 50th cap for Ireland on home soil in what could be the title-deciding match against France. Only time will tell.
Tadhg Furlong
Three rounds in and Ireland are still without their first-choice tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong who has not pulled on the green jersey since the second Test match against the Springboks last July.
His continued absence has forced the coaching staff to explore their options beyond the experienced front-row forward with Finlay Bealham doing a solid job but for the player himself, he must be itching to get back onto the park.
Honestly, his chances of making the British and Irish Lions tour are still rather good but surely head coach Andy Farrell would have wanted to see him in action during the Six Nations.
Ryan Baird
A victim of the squad depth as Ryan Baird has gone from starting the opening match of the Championship to bench the Round Two fixture to being dropped for the third.
The athletic Leinster forward hasn’t been hugely impressive but has not let the side down either and with such stiff competition, the coaches have given Cian Prendergast the opportunity to impress.
Calvin Nash
Thrown into the starting XV last time out following the withdrawal of Mack Hansen ahead of the clash with Scotland, Calvin Nash enjoyed a strong 65-minute shift.
He shone in Hansen’s absence last year but when the Connacht flyer returned, he dropped out of the squad and the same has occurred this time around.
It’s simply hard luck for the Munsterman who can’t have done too much more.
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Ronan Kelleher
Ronan Kelleher has been simply excellent for Ireland in the opening two Tests of the year, a theme that has continued from 2024 when he did the same in Sheehan’s absence. He has been consistently strong off the bench for Ireland in recent seasons but got his chance in the starting XV again and performed to an incredibly high standard.
However, injury has struck and denied him the opportunity of three straight starts. With McCarthy shining last year, Kelleher will hope that he has done enough to return to the matchday squad once fit again.
Rob Herring
Sticking with the hookers and Rob Herring just can’t catch a break. He has never let Ireland down when given the chance but those chances are coming along less frequently of late.
The 34-year-old has seemingly been usurped in the pecking order by McCarthy and Kelleher as the main contenders to Sheehan.
The Ulster star could absolutely still do a job for the men in green but right now, his services are not required as the coaching team look more long-term.
Called up just for training
With all the injuries in the squad, Easterby picked up the phone and brought in the likes of Gavin Coombes, John Hodnett, Diarmuid Mangan, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale and Nick Timoney.
All of which were required to just carry tackle bags during the build to the clash in Cardiff. The sextet have all made strong claims for a deserved call-up but have not been heard. Particularly in the case of Timoney, Stockdale, Hodnett and Coombes.
Caolin Blade
While the coaching team look to the future in positions like fly-half and hooker, the same cannot be said of scrum-half as Conor Murray remains on the bench to provide back-up to the brilliant Jamison Gibson-Park.
Ireland clear favourite heading into the match and could roll the dice with a few alternations to the starting XV and bench but the scrum-half combination remains intact.
Sure 25-year-old Craig Casey will be parachuted back into the mix when fully fit again but the meeting with Wales could have been a prime time to give Caolin Blade another shot. It’s worth noting that he too is in his 30s but we saw last year that it does not take much for injuries to rack up in one position. Perhaps even a Test debut off the bench for a player like Nathan Doak was in order but alas it was not to be.
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/ireland-team-winners-and-losers-as-sensational-star-is-rewarded-with-several-victims-of-insane-depth
