Following the announcement of Simon Easterby’s Ireland matchday squad to face England, we pick out our winners and losers.
Interim head coach Easterby has made some bold selection calls for his first game in charge, with Andy Farrell missing the Six Nations to prepare for the Lions tour.
Ireland head into their opening game at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin as one of the tournament favourites after winning the last two editions of the Championship and will fancy their chances against an England team that struggled in 2024.
Without further ado, here are our winners and losers from the team selected to tackle England.
Winners
Dan Sheehan
Dan Sheehan enjoyed a lively return from injury in the United Rugby Championship last week, captaining Leinster to an impressive victory over the Stormers and grabbing two tries in the process.
That hour-long cameo was the 26-year-old’s first game since sustaining an ACL injury against the Springboks in July last year and was enough evidence for Easterby and his coaching staff to know that he is good to go for the Six Nations.
Sheehan is without a doubt one of the best hookers in world rugby and interestingly takes a spot on the bench with Ronan Kelleher preferred for the starting berth.
Starting the impressive hooker would have allowed the coaching staff to control his minutes far more easily but they are seemingly confident that he will be able to complete any task put in front of him on Saturday.
Ryan Baird
Sheehan’s provincial teammate Ryan Baird is perhaps the most surprising selection call of the lot. There is no doubt about the Leinster forward’s ability whether it be in the second or back-row, particularly in regards to his insane athleticism.
However, he has not only usurped fellow rising star Cormac Izuchukwu for a spot in the team but also the likes of veteran flankers Peter O’Mahony and Jack Conan as well as lock Iain Henderson. Baird has regularly been used off the bench for Ireland in recent seasons but now gets the opportunity to shine in a big Six Nations encounter.
Iain Henderson
With the exception of his performance against Australia, Henderson’s recent catalogue of Ireland appearances have not been up to his usual high standards.
The Lions lock has undoubtedly slipped down the pecking order with the emergence of Joe McCarthy and the outstanding performances of James Ryan and Tadhg Beirne in the second-row. However, he gets the opportunity to prove himself once again on Saturday when he comes off the bench, particularly with England opting for a 6-2 split in favour of the forwards for the clash.
Jack Conan
Sticking with the bench and Conan also makes a welcomed return to the Ireland set-up in an incredibly competitive position.
Conan missed the July Tests against the Springboks due to personal reasons and then the Autumn Nations Series through injury.
The 32-year-old has reportedly turned down offers from abroad to remain in Ireland and with Leinster to fight for his Test spot and a possible World Cup appearance in 2025 and while he would have fancied a shot in the starting XV this weekend with McCarthy sidelined through injury, he will be pleased with an opportunity from the bench.
Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose
Ireland’s centre stocks are bursting at the seam at the moment and Easterby has deemed that Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose are best fit for the opening game with Robbie Henshaw and Jamie Osborne both overlooked.
Henshaw will now look to impress from the bench while Aki and Ringrose take centre stage from the opening minute and frankly, it is a huge shot of confidence for whichever pair got the nod because of the competition for places.
Thomas Clarkson
Tadhg Furlong’s absence has created yet another opportunity for Thomas Clarkson to make his mark on the Ireland squad.
It’s been a breakout few months for the tighthead prop who earned his first two caps for his country in November after a strong start to the URC campaign.
With Tom O’Toole missing the opening rounds of the Six Nations through suspension, he was always going to be in with a good shout of one of the tighthead prop roles and now it’s up to him to make the most of it.
Sam Prendergast
The talking point that has dominated Irish rugby in the last 12 months following the retirement of Johnny Sexton, perhaps even before then. Farrell shocked many when he gave Sam Prendergast the starting role against Australia last November and at the first opportunity, Easterby has done the same.
21-year-old Prendergast has certainly impressed in recent times for club and country and has the potential to not only be Ireland’s first-choice fly-half in the years to come but evidently right now too.
He has been in immaculate form for Leinster this season, which has been aided by the side’s strength up front, but he may not get it all his own way as he makes his Six Nations debut.
Losers
Jack Crowley
Sticking with the fly-half debate and Jack Crowley finds himself on the bench for Prendergast as was the case in the last two fixtures of 2024.
While Crowley steered Ireland to Six Nations success last year, the coaching staff aren’t convinced that he is the man for the starting role and perhaps his performances against South Africa and recent shifts with Munster have factored into that.
The 25-year-old’s placekicking has been abysmal this season with 29% success rate in the URC and while he has a much better 77.78% in the Champions Cup, it is still short of the benchmark of Test kickers generally set at 80%.
Test rugby is won by the small margins and placekicking is absolutely crucial and while Crowley has impressed with the ball in hand at times, his kicking for poles is letting him down.
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Joe McCarthy
At the time of writing the extent of McCarthy’s injury has not been specified but Ireland will collectively be holding their breath that the standout performer from 2024 will be only miss the match against England.
He has been a driving force in the team and Leinster’s success over the past 12 months and would be a real shame if he were to miss the entirety of their title defence.
McCarthy looked to have locked in a starting role in the engine room and his absence this week gives others the opportunity to stake their claim while it also denies him the chance to impress with a potential first British and Irish Lions call-up on the horizon.
Calvin Nash
Another victim of the incredible positional depth that Ireland have at their disposal. Calvin Nash was superb in the Six Nations last year with Mack Hansen sidelined but since the return of the Connacht star, he has yet to add to his cap tally.
Nash laid down a marker in his last appearance for Munster, scoring a brace in the victory over Northampton Saints, but that and his efforts in training camp is not enough for him to usurp one of James Lowe or Hansen.
Ciaran Frawley and Jamie Osborne
Copy and paste from above but Ciaran Frawley and Jamie Osborne can feel a tinge more disappointed considering the positional versatility the pair offer.
The ability to play multiple positions is a huge asset at the highest level, even more so with the 6-2 bench split, but Easterby has instead opted for Henshaw to cover the centres in a traditional replacement set-up.
Perhaps if the interim boss had opted for an additional forward on the bench, one of the two Leinster backs would get the nod but alas it is not to be.
Peter O’Mahony
International rugby continues to move forward at a rapid pace and a player, regardless of their stature, will eventually need to be replaced and that looks to be the case now for O’Mahony.
The legendary flanker captained Ireland this time last year but his injury woes and pressure from the younger players in the squad means that he is now very much in the twilight of his international career.
This is no shame in that, O’Mahony has been a magnificent servant for Irish Rugby and continues to be but right now the Ireland back-row stocks are well stocked and the Munsterman is surplus to requirements.
We may well see the brilliant lineout general and ferocious flanker later on in the Six Nations but best believe he will be doing his utmost in training to get his teammates ready for this weekend’s encounter.
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/ireland-team-winners-and-losers-simon-easterby-backs-immaculate-sam-prendergast-as-legendary-forward-falls-victim-to-incredible-positional-depth
