THE IRFU WILL ring in the New Year safe in the knowledge Andy Farrell is signed up to take Ireland to the next World Cup but as the 2024 Six Nations approaches, there are some big decisions facing the Ireland head coach.
After living with the pain of Ireland’s latest World Cup quarter-final exit, Farrell will now look to build on what has been an excellent couple of years as the squad reassembles for a new season and a fresh start.
The provinces have a handful of important games to negotiate over the next month but by the end of January Farrell will have his Ireland squad working away at a training camp in Portugal before their Six Nations opener away to France on 2 February.
Ireland look well placed to kick on under Farrell but there are no guarantees in sport, and the Wigan native will have had plenty to ponder since New Zealand sent Ireland packing from France.
Here, we look at some of the key questions facing Farrell as Ireland gear up to go again in 2024:
Selecting Ireland’s new captain
The absence of Johnny Sexton leaves Farrell with a number of challenges, and the task of selecting Ireland’s next captain will be right near the top of his to-do list.
It’s easy to forget, but Farrell’s decision to name Sexton as Rory Best’s successor in 2020 was not universally popular. For a start, Sexton was 34 at the time, so there were naturally doubts as to whether he would last the full four-year cycle to the 2023 World Cup. Then there were the questions around Sexton’s temperament, which came to the fore when the out-half made his frustration clear after being substituted in the latter stages of a November 2020 defeat to France.
In the end, Farrell’s decision to make Sexton his captain proved an inspired one as the Leinster player grew into the role and continued to perform to an extremely high level right up to his retirement. A giant of Irish rugby, Sexton remained an inspiration and iconic figure to many of the Ireland players so it will be interesting to see what route Farrell takes in selecting his next captain.
Peter O’Mahony has stated he might need to consider his international future but if the Munster man isn’t ready to step away from Test rugby just yet, then he appears the most obvious choice. Like Sexton, O’Mahony brings a presence and experience few can match but at 34, he could find his own position under threat in a competitive back row.
Iain Henderson has plenty of captaincy experience while arguments could be made for Leinster co-captains Garry Ringrose and James Ryan to step up, but if Farrell wanted to take a different approach it could be the right time to back a younger squad member. At 25, Caelan Doris is already a key part of this Ireland squad – his importance to the group underlined by the fact he recently signed his first central contract with the IRFU.
Selecting a younger player as captain would also allow that person lead the team right through to the 2027 World Cup in Australia. That might appeal to Farrell, but so might the idea of handing O’Mahony the reins for a couple of years while others gather more leadership experience.
Farrell got it right in backing Sexton four years ago, so it will be fascinating to see where his thinking takes him this time around.
The out-half question
Another big decision created by Sexton’s retirement, although this one at least looks somewhat more straight-forward. The out-half pecking order has drastically changed over the last year with Jack Crowley emerging as the next man up and Ross Byrne playing his way back into Farrell’s plans. Joey Carbery was long viewed as the man to step into Sexton’s shoes but now finds himself on the fringes of the squad after a challenging year in which he missed out on selection for the Six Nations and World Cup.
Further down the depth chart, the Ireland coaches like Ciarán Frawley and he will hope to play his way back into the picture, but has ground to make up after some mixed displays for Leinster. The 26-year-old looked sharp when introduced early against Munster in November but struggled at times when handed a rare start at 10 against Sale Sharks.
Harry Byrne missed two kicks off the tee in testing conditions against Munster on St Stephen’s Day but will get more opportunites in the coming weeks and a strong run of form would surely bring him back into the mix. Connacht captain Jack Carty hasn’t given up on his own Ireland ambitions and JJ Hanrahan is an outside bet having performed well since moving to The Sportsground.
As it stands, Crowley looks in pole position to claim the 10 shirt for the Six Nations. The 23-year-old has taken to Test rugby with aplomb and has continued to impress since returning to Munster duty this year. With Ross Byrne currently sidelined with an arm injury, the jersey now looks his to lose, although the out-half depth chart has been anything but straight-forward in recent years.
Building greater squad depth
Building depth at out-half is crucial but Farrell will also look to other areas of his squad after settling on what became a rather familiar looking matchday 23 during Ireland’s run to the World Cup.
The back three of Hugo Keenan, James Lowe and Mack Hansen looks nailed on but with Lowe now 31 and Keith Earls retired, Farrell could do with some younger wingers closing the gap. Jimmy O’Brien has been a fine addition as a utility player and will perhaps eye a place on the wing as his long-term future. Ulster pair Robert Baloucoune and Jacob Stockdale need to deliver more consistently to enter that conversation while Shane Daly and Calvin Nash have become important players for Munster.
Ringrose, Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw will likely lead the way again in terms of minutes at centre but Stuart McCloskey had a strong 2023 and a host of younger talents such as Leinster’s Jamie Osborne and Connacht’s Cathal Forde will have ambitions of pushing through over the next couple of seasons, as will Munster’s Irish-qualified centre Antoine Frisch.
At 24, Craig Casey is at a point where he needs to close the gap on Jamison Gibson-Park (31) and Conor Murray (34). Casey has been a regular in Ireland squads but Connacht’s Caolin Blade and Ulster’s John Cooney having been delivering consistently for their provinces.
There is no lack of talent at hooker but more competition for first-choice props Andrew Porter and Tadhg Furlong would be welcome. Farrell’s loosehead options have looked a little light but Jack Boyle (21), Paddy McCarthy (20), Michael Milne (24) and Josh Wycherley (24) are all exciting prospects. Tighthead Oli Jager (28) could come into the mix after joining Munster from the Crusaders, impressing on his first start against Leinster last week.
In the second-row, 22-year-old Joe McCarthy is the rising star and the big Leinster lock already has plenty of international experience to his name.
The back row has been an area of strength but Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris have proved hard to displace in the Ireland starting team. Jack Conan and Ryan Baird have long proven their quality at Test level but Farrell will likely look to call more options into camp. Will Connors is enjoying a good spell with Leinster after his injury issues and Tom Ahern has shone since moving into the Munster back row, where John Hodnett continues to catch the eye.
The threats facing Ireland
Even coming out of another World Cup quarter-final defeat, Irish rugby looks to be in a good place. Many of Farrell’s squad are the right side of 30 and there is an exciting crop of young players spread across the provinces.
There is a general sense that on another day, Ireland would have got over the line against New Zealand so Farrell came home from France without any lasting damage to his name, so much so that the IRFU swiftly handed him a new four-year contract, ensuring Farrell – who was already contracted up to 2025 – is on board until the end of the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
It was naturally welcomed as good news but comes with some risk. Coaches tend to have a certain lifespan and while Farrell remains hugely popular with both his squad and the supporters, he will need to find ways of keeping things fresh for the players over the next four years.
There will be an element of transition this season as Ireland discover life post-Sexton. Attack coach Mike Catt is also moving on after the summer tour to South Africa, with Leinster’s Andrew Goodman the man tasked with building on Catt’s success in the role.
There are also areas of Ireland’s game which require close attention. The lineout proved costly during the World Cup and will continue to be targeted by opposition teams. Paul O’Connell needs to get this addressed and it will be one of the squad’s main areas of focus heading into a new season.
There is certainly no great fear about Ireland’s prospects heading into 2024 but if results were to take a dip during what will be a transitionary period, Farrell could start to feel some pressure. As he well knows, it all comes with the territory.
Another big season lies ahead.