ANDY FARRELL’S IRELAND have arrived in Sydney, with a boat trip across the harbour to Manly helping to keep them awake on their first day in Australia.
But there won’t be too much time for tourism as Ireland begin to get down to business.
In just over a week, we will know Farrell’s first match day 23 of the new Nations Championship.
Ireland open their campaign with a clash against Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies at a sold-out Allianz Stadium in Sydney on Saturday 4 July.
There will be many Irish supporters among the crowd of 42,500 people, but what kind of team might they see lining out in green?
Farrell will be excited about the return of first-choice fullback Hugo Keenan, who last played for Ireland in the 2025 Six Nations.
Keenan, who turned 30 last week, missed much of this season after having hip surgery in the wake of last summer’s Lions tour, but his form has been on an upward curve since returning for Leinster in March. His performance in the URC final against the Bulls suggested that Keenan is ready to make an impact at Test level once again.
Farrell would also have been pleased to see Ulster right wing Robert Baloucoune make his return from injury in the northern province’s Challenge Cup final defeat to Montpellier.
Baloucoune had been sidelined with an elbow injury since having an impressive breakthrough Six Nations for Ireland. Bedevilled by injuries in recent seasons, the 28-year-old finally made the kind of mark that Ireland have long believed he could.
Indeed, it’s not over the top to suggest that Baloucoune’s sheer speed, evasiveness and rugby instincts were a game-changer for Ireland. The way top-level rugby has gone, players like Baloucoune are even more valuable than ever.
He scored a stunning solo try for Ulster on that disappointing night against Montpellier, the kind of long-range individual effort that is beyond most Irish players.
On top of those attacking skills, Baloucoune is a strong defender and good in the air. It would be a surprise if he is not back in Ireland’s number 14 shirt next week.
Hugo Keenan hasn't played for Ireland since last year's Six Nations. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
The left wing seems like a greater conundrum for Farrell, with James Lowe’s time in Irish rugby now over and with Tommy O’Brien, who did well there twice during the Six Nations, having been ruled out of this tour through injury.
Ulster’s Jacob Stockdale is the most obvious pick for Farrell. The 30-year-old started two games in the number 11 shirt during the Six Nations and was generally the second-in-line after Lowe in recent times.
There are other options for Farrell. Leinster’s Jimmy O’Brien has been in strong form for this province, albeit missing out on selection for their biggest days in the URC final and Champions Cup quarters, semis and final. He was very unlucky not to be involved.
The versatile O’Brien made a long-awaited return for Ireland at fullback in last summer’s Tests against Georgia and Portugal, then came off the bench against Japan last November, but wasn’t involved in the Six Nations.
Jamie Osborne, who played at fullback for Ireland during this year’s Six Nations, has worn the number 11 shirt for Leinster on a few occasions and started a Test on the wing for Ireland against France in 2025. Like Stockdale, Osborne is a left-footed kicker, a skillset which Lowe provided at a high level.
Uncapped Ulster wing Zac Ward has been included in Farrell’s squad after O’Brien was ruled out, yet it would be a big leap to come straight into Test contention. Ward has had a riveting rise in 15s since coming into the pro game after his brilliance with the Ireland 7s, and he has genuine power, pace and a combativeness that underlines his past as a flanker. Yet there are understandably still rough edges to his game that he is working on.
Garry Ringrose is likely to remain Ireland’s main man at number 13, while Stuart McCloskey’s remarkable form will surely see him continue at inside centre.
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Bundee Aki has bounced back to his best form with Connacht, while Osborne is now even more of a contender in midfield with Keenan returning at 15.
Osborne has played in both centre positions for Ireland before and finished the season at number 12 with Leinster, keeping the experienced Robbie Henshaw out of the team on several occasions. Henshaw remains part of Farrell’s squad, and it will be intriguing to see how the Ireland boss uses his centres across the three games against Australia, Japan and New Zealand.
Jamison Gibson-Park remains pivotal for Ireland. Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
Jamison Gibson-Park remains pivotal to Farrell’s team at scrum-half, while the Ireland head coach will welcome the ongoing development of Nathan Doak, who made his Test debut during the Six Nations.
Craig Casey is well established as part of this Irish set-up and captained last summer’s tour when many frontliners were away on Lions duty, so he is held in high regard. But more competition in the shape of Doak can only be a good thing.
Jack Crowley is the incumbent at out-half but misses this tour due to injury, so Farrell will pick from Sam Prendergast, Ciarán Frawley, and Harry Byrne in this position.
Prendergast’s strong finish to the season in helping Leinster to their URC title seemingly leaves him well-positioned to come back into Ireland’s number 10 shirt after a tough Six Nations campaign that saw him drop out of the match day 23 after starting the first two rounds.
That same happened in Leinster as Byrne and Frawley were preferred for most of the province’s Champions Cup knock-out games, but Prendergast was impressive in the URC run-in.
Frawley’s versatility – and his sustained form this season – makes him as strong a bench option as ever, but he will hope Farrell gives him a starting chance now that he is moving to Connacht to play at out-half more often.
Byrne will be hoping for his first cap since the 2024 Six Nations. Byrne was part of this year’s squad for the championship but wasn’t used in a match. He had a good season with Leinster and was their starter in the Champions Cup before Prendergast returned for the URC run-in.
With Andrew Porter missing at loosehead prop once again, Ulster’s Tom O’Toole looks set to continue his emergence for Ireland in this slot.
Having played nearly all of his pro rugby at tighthead, 27-year-old O’Toole took to loosehead impressively during the Six Nations. The fact that Ulster have just signed two new tighthead props ahead of next season suggests that this may be a road he continues down.
Jeremy Loughman stepped up with three starts in Ireland’s opening three games of the championship before getting injured, so he is also still a strong contender to feature for Ireland.
One of the most interesting players in the squad is 20-year-old Billy Bohan, who was part of the wider squad earlier this year and tours, hoping to get his first cap. The Connacht man has done very well at scrum time in his first season at pro level, while he hits hard in contact around the pitch.
Hooker Dan Sheehan captains Ireland in the injury-enforced absence of Caelan Doris, while Rónan Kelleher has been in very strong form recently and started Leinster’s URC final ahead of Sheehan.
Dan Sheehan captains Ireland. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
They should provide real strength again, while Ulster’s Tom Stewart will be aiming to continue the revival of his Test career. Again, the Japan game looks like an obvious target.
Tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong served a reminder of his enduring quality in the URC final, justifying his selection, and he is a key part of Farrell’s plans too. Similarly, Thomas Clarkson is now a trusted operator for the Ireland head coach.
The joker in the pack is uncapped Sam Illo, who burst into brilliant form for Connacht in the second half of the season. 25-year-old Illo is a big man who can move at sometimes startling speed, while his scrummaging has shone too. He nudges past Finlay Bealham into the squad, having done the same in Connacht’s pecking order.
There will be plenty of strength for Farrell in the second row, with Joe McCarthy having a stormer of a season for Leinster and James Ryan as influential as ever.
Connacht man Darragh Murray is the other out-and-out lock in the Ireland group, and he’ll be eager to build on his strong cameo off the bench in their most recent game against Scotland. The Roscommon man bagged a try in that Triple Crown clincher.
There was relief for Farrell in being able to include Tadhg Beirne, when it looked like a knee injury for Munster might rule him out. Beirne is a serious weapon in Test rugby, whether used in the second row or at blindside flanker.
The trio of McCarthy, Ryan, and Beirne seem certain to be involved against Australia if they’re all fit.
Cormac Izuchukwu is another man who can play at lock or blindside and will be coming into this campaign with additional enthusiasm after injury stunted his Six Nations involvement after a start at number six against Italy.
The make-up of the Irish back row will be interesting across this window. A trio of Cian Prendergast, Josh van der Flier, and Jack Conan would make sense against the Wallabies first up.
Doris’ all-around skillset will be missed, but Conan has delivered for Ireland time and time again at number eight. The uncapped Sean Jansen moves up the pecking order in this position, and the Connacht man’s power is well worth a closer look.
Van der Flier is the incumbent at number seven and a longstanding key man under Farrell, although Ulster’s Nick Timoney has been able to apply more pressure than ever there.
Prendergast started the first game of the Six Nations against France but only featured once more in the campaign, coming off the bench against England after Conan was ruled out of that game due to illness.
Cian Prendergast will hope for a return to the starting XV. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
So that championship didn’t unfold the way Prendergast would have wanted, yet his form for Connacht ever since has been compelling. His leadership skills are developing rapidly, while his relentless impact around the pitch is matched by superb lineout skills.
Beirne remains an option to start at number six and did so once during the Six Nations, while Izuchukwu is worthy of another look at blindside. There is even scope for Conan to play at blindside, opening up the number eight shirt.
The final figure in the back row group is 21-year-old Ulster man Bryn Ward, who was called up ahead of Munster’s Brian Gleeson after the injury to Doris last weekend.
Ward is a bull of an athlete and fully backs himself, although he is yet to break into Ulster’s first-choice back row. He provides real power at either number eight or seven.
Yet while there are a few less experienced players in this Ireland group hoping to make an impact on tour, it’s expected that Farrell’s team to face the Wallabies will be locked and loaded with all of his frontliners.
Ireland’s 36-man squad for Nations Championship tour:
Props: Tom O’Toole, Jeremy Loughman, Billy Bohan, Tadhg Furlong, Thomas Clarkson, Sam Illo
Hookers: Dan Sheehan (captain), Rónan Kelleher, Tom Stewart
Locks: James Ryan, Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne, Darragh Murray
Back rows: Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan, Cian Prendergast, Nick Timoney, Cormac Izuchukwu, Sean Jansen, Bryn Ward
Halfbacks: Jamison Gibson-Park, Craig Casey, Nathan Doak, Sam Prendergast, Ciarán Frawley, Harry Byrne
Centres: Stuart McCloskey, Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, Garry Ringrose
Back threes: Rob Baloucoune, Hugo Keenan, Jamie Osborne, Jacob Stockdale, Jimmy O’Brien, Zac Ward.
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Ireland arrive in Sydney as Farrell considers team for Wallabies clash
ANDY FARRELL’S IRELAND have arrived in Sydney, with a boat trip across the harbour to Manly helping to keep them awake on their first day in Australia.
But there won’t be too much time for tourism as Ireland begin to get down to business.
In just over a week, we will know Farrell’s first match day 23 of the new Nations Championship.
Ireland open their campaign with a clash against Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies at a sold-out Allianz Stadium in Sydney on Saturday 4 July.
There will be many Irish supporters among the crowd of 42,500 people, but what kind of team might they see lining out in green?
Farrell will be excited about the return of first-choice fullback Hugo Keenan, who last played for Ireland in the 2025 Six Nations.
Keenan, who turned 30 last week, missed much of this season after having hip surgery in the wake of last summer’s Lions tour, but his form has been on an upward curve since returning for Leinster in March. His performance in the URC final against the Bulls suggested that Keenan is ready to make an impact at Test level once again.
Farrell would also have been pleased to see Ulster right wing Robert Baloucoune make his return from injury in the northern province’s Challenge Cup final defeat to Montpellier.
Baloucoune had been sidelined with an elbow injury since having an impressive breakthrough Six Nations for Ireland. Bedevilled by injuries in recent seasons, the 28-year-old finally made the kind of mark that Ireland have long believed he could.
Indeed, it’s not over the top to suggest that Baloucoune’s sheer speed, evasiveness and rugby instincts were a game-changer for Ireland. The way top-level rugby has gone, players like Baloucoune are even more valuable than ever.
He scored a stunning solo try for Ulster on that disappointing night against Montpellier, the kind of long-range individual effort that is beyond most Irish players.
On top of those attacking skills, Baloucoune is a strong defender and good in the air. It would be a surprise if he is not back in Ireland’s number 14 shirt next week.
The left wing seems like a greater conundrum for Farrell, with James Lowe’s time in Irish rugby now over and with Tommy O’Brien, who did well there twice during the Six Nations, having been ruled out of this tour through injury.
Ulster’s Jacob Stockdale is the most obvious pick for Farrell. The 30-year-old started two games in the number 11 shirt during the Six Nations and was generally the second-in-line after Lowe in recent times.
There are other options for Farrell. Leinster’s Jimmy O’Brien has been in strong form for this province, albeit missing out on selection for their biggest days in the URC final and Champions Cup quarters, semis and final. He was very unlucky not to be involved.
The versatile O’Brien made a long-awaited return for Ireland at fullback in last summer’s Tests against Georgia and Portugal, then came off the bench against Japan last November, but wasn’t involved in the Six Nations.
Jamie Osborne, who played at fullback for Ireland during this year’s Six Nations, has worn the number 11 shirt for Leinster on a few occasions and started a Test on the wing for Ireland against France in 2025. Like Stockdale, Osborne is a left-footed kicker, a skillset which Lowe provided at a high level.
Uncapped Ulster wing Zac Ward has been included in Farrell’s squad after O’Brien was ruled out, yet it would be a big leap to come straight into Test contention. Ward has had a riveting rise in 15s since coming into the pro game after his brilliance with the Ireland 7s, and he has genuine power, pace and a combativeness that underlines his past as a flanker. Yet there are understandably still rough edges to his game that he is working on.
Garry Ringrose is likely to remain Ireland’s main man at number 13, while Stuart McCloskey’s remarkable form will surely see him continue at inside centre.
Bundee Aki has bounced back to his best form with Connacht, while Osborne is now even more of a contender in midfield with Keenan returning at 15.
Osborne has played in both centre positions for Ireland before and finished the season at number 12 with Leinster, keeping the experienced Robbie Henshaw out of the team on several occasions. Henshaw remains part of Farrell’s squad, and it will be intriguing to see how the Ireland boss uses his centres across the three games against Australia, Japan and New Zealand.
Jamison Gibson-Park remains pivotal to Farrell’s team at scrum-half, while the Ireland head coach will welcome the ongoing development of Nathan Doak, who made his Test debut during the Six Nations.
Craig Casey is well established as part of this Irish set-up and captained last summer’s tour when many frontliners were away on Lions duty, so he is held in high regard. But more competition in the shape of Doak can only be a good thing.
Jack Crowley is the incumbent at out-half but misses this tour due to injury, so Farrell will pick from Sam Prendergast, Ciarán Frawley, and Harry Byrne in this position.
Prendergast’s strong finish to the season in helping Leinster to their URC title seemingly leaves him well-positioned to come back into Ireland’s number 10 shirt after a tough Six Nations campaign that saw him drop out of the match day 23 after starting the first two rounds.
That same happened in Leinster as Byrne and Frawley were preferred for most of the province’s Champions Cup knock-out games, but Prendergast was impressive in the URC run-in.
Frawley’s versatility – and his sustained form this season – makes him as strong a bench option as ever, but he will hope Farrell gives him a starting chance now that he is moving to Connacht to play at out-half more often.
Byrne will be hoping for his first cap since the 2024 Six Nations. Byrne was part of this year’s squad for the championship but wasn’t used in a match. He had a good season with Leinster and was their starter in the Champions Cup before Prendergast returned for the URC run-in.
With Andrew Porter missing at loosehead prop once again, Ulster’s Tom O’Toole looks set to continue his emergence for Ireland in this slot.
Having played nearly all of his pro rugby at tighthead, 27-year-old O’Toole took to loosehead impressively during the Six Nations. The fact that Ulster have just signed two new tighthead props ahead of next season suggests that this may be a road he continues down.
Jeremy Loughman stepped up with three starts in Ireland’s opening three games of the championship before getting injured, so he is also still a strong contender to feature for Ireland.
One of the most interesting players in the squad is 20-year-old Billy Bohan, who was part of the wider squad earlier this year and tours, hoping to get his first cap. The Connacht man has done very well at scrum time in his first season at pro level, while he hits hard in contact around the pitch.
Hooker Dan Sheehan captains Ireland in the injury-enforced absence of Caelan Doris, while Rónan Kelleher has been in very strong form recently and started Leinster’s URC final ahead of Sheehan.
They should provide real strength again, while Ulster’s Tom Stewart will be aiming to continue the revival of his Test career. Again, the Japan game looks like an obvious target.
Tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong served a reminder of his enduring quality in the URC final, justifying his selection, and he is a key part of Farrell’s plans too. Similarly, Thomas Clarkson is now a trusted operator for the Ireland head coach.
The joker in the pack is uncapped Sam Illo, who burst into brilliant form for Connacht in the second half of the season. 25-year-old Illo is a big man who can move at sometimes startling speed, while his scrummaging has shone too. He nudges past Finlay Bealham into the squad, having done the same in Connacht’s pecking order.
There will be plenty of strength for Farrell in the second row, with Joe McCarthy having a stormer of a season for Leinster and James Ryan as influential as ever.
Connacht man Darragh Murray is the other out-and-out lock in the Ireland group, and he’ll be eager to build on his strong cameo off the bench in their most recent game against Scotland. The Roscommon man bagged a try in that Triple Crown clincher.
There was relief for Farrell in being able to include Tadhg Beirne, when it looked like a knee injury for Munster might rule him out. Beirne is a serious weapon in Test rugby, whether used in the second row or at blindside flanker.
The trio of McCarthy, Ryan, and Beirne seem certain to be involved against Australia if they’re all fit.
Cormac Izuchukwu is another man who can play at lock or blindside and will be coming into this campaign with additional enthusiasm after injury stunted his Six Nations involvement after a start at number six against Italy.
The make-up of the Irish back row will be interesting across this window. A trio of Cian Prendergast, Josh van der Flier, and Jack Conan would make sense against the Wallabies first up.
Doris’ all-around skillset will be missed, but Conan has delivered for Ireland time and time again at number eight. The uncapped Sean Jansen moves up the pecking order in this position, and the Connacht man’s power is well worth a closer look.
Van der Flier is the incumbent at number seven and a longstanding key man under Farrell, although Ulster’s Nick Timoney has been able to apply more pressure than ever there.
Prendergast started the first game of the Six Nations against France but only featured once more in the campaign, coming off the bench against England after Conan was ruled out of that game due to illness.
So that championship didn’t unfold the way Prendergast would have wanted, yet his form for Connacht ever since has been compelling. His leadership skills are developing rapidly, while his relentless impact around the pitch is matched by superb lineout skills.
Beirne remains an option to start at number six and did so once during the Six Nations, while Izuchukwu is worthy of another look at blindside. There is even scope for Conan to play at blindside, opening up the number eight shirt.
The final figure in the back row group is 21-year-old Ulster man Bryn Ward, who was called up ahead of Munster’s Brian Gleeson after the injury to Doris last weekend.
Ward is a bull of an athlete and fully backs himself, although he is yet to break into Ulster’s first-choice back row. He provides real power at either number eight or seven.
Yet while there are a few less experienced players in this Ireland group hoping to make an impact on tour, it’s expected that Farrell’s team to face the Wallabies will be locked and loaded with all of his frontliners.
Ireland’s 36-man squad for Nations Championship tour:
Props: Tom O’Toole, Jeremy Loughman, Billy Bohan, Tadhg Furlong, Thomas Clarkson, Sam Illo
Hookers: Dan Sheehan (captain), Rónan Kelleher, Tom Stewart
Locks: James Ryan, Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne, Darragh Murray
Back rows: Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan, Cian Prendergast, Nick Timoney, Cormac Izuchukwu, Sean Jansen, Bryn Ward
Halfbacks: Jamison Gibson-Park, Craig Casey, Nathan Doak, Sam Prendergast, Ciarán Frawley, Harry Byrne
Centres: Stuart McCloskey, Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, Garry Ringrose
Back threes: Rob Baloucoune, Hugo Keenan, Jamie Osborne, Jacob Stockdale, Jimmy O’Brien, Zac Ward.
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andy farrell First Test Ireland Nations Championship Options Selection Wallabies