FOR THE MOST part, there has been a settled, familiar look to the Ireland team for some time now, and it’s not too often a position feels up for grabs.
While Andy Farrell has picked on form for today’s meeting with New Zealand in Chicago, we’ve become used to seeing the same names on the team sheet. Jamison Gibson-Park, James Lowe, Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Dan Sheehan, Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne, Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris are among those who tend to start every game when fit.
Since Johnny Sexton retired, there’s been change at 10, with Jack Crowley initially the main man before Sam Prendergast overtook the Munster player, a battle that has flipped again heading into this November series.
Centre has been one to watch too, as Bundee Aki, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw and Stuart McCloskey jostle for a jersey. Injuries have often dictated the swing here while McCloskey has tended to be fourth option behind Farrell’s favoured trio, although the powerful Ulster man gets a deserved starting spot in one of the more unexpected calls today.
The other intriguing calls came in the back row. Would Caelan Doris start, and who would be named at blindside?
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Farrell has opted to start Doris on the bench following his long lay off, but when he’s back to full fitness the Ireland captain will be the first name on the team sheet. At openside, Josh van der Flier remains the clear first choice, but blindside is a position that looks less certain – and one which could remain fluid over the coming months and years now that Peter O’Mahony has retired. O’Mahony remained an important player for Ireland right into the final months of his career – in his last window as an international player, O’Mahony started the Six Nations outings against Scotland, Wales and France.
With O’Mahony now out of the picture, Ryan Baird, Tom Ahern, Cian Prendergast, Cormac Izuchukwu and Tadhg Beirne are among those who could fill the slot.
Baird had been favourite to start at six today and won the vote, and the Leinster man must feel this is a significant window for him as he aims to put together a sustained run of form for Ireland.
Baird started both summer Tests at six. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
He was Ireland’s starting blindside in both summer Tests against Georgia and Portugal, after three of his four outings in the 2025 Six Nations came off the bench – Baird starting the opener against England.
At his best, Baird is a dynamic and powerful option in the back row, but needs to reach those heights on a more consistent basis to be a Test match regular. Now 26, Baird wins his 30th cap today but opportunities in the starting side have been sporadic. Just 10 of Baird’s caps have come in the starting team, with his previous six starts at six (after three in the second row) spread out across the last three seasons.
With the competition heating up around him, this November window feels like a big one for Baird to finally make the jersey his own. This time last year, the November internationals passed him by – forced off with a head injury just two minutes after coming on against Argentina, and missing the games against Fiji and Australia. It was a slow return to play, and form, but Baird finished the season playing some excellent rugby. Athletically, the 6’6″ flanker ticks all the boxes for the position and while his lineout work has been solid, it’s going to be tested at Soldier Field.
This isn’t the first time Baird has looked on the cusp of taking the next step in his career, and Farrell has plenty of options available in the position,
If Joe McCarthy had been fit to join James Ryan in the Ireland second row, then perhaps Tadhg Beirne would have been backed at six in Chicago.
Beirne is in outstanding form. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Beirne can move between the second and back rows, and while he played most of his rugby at lock last season, the Munster captain delivered an all-time performance with six on his back in the recent URC win against Leinster, and was the outstanding player on the Lions tour, where he started all three Tests at six. Twelve months ago, Beirne started three games at six in November (v New Zealand, Argentina and Australia), with Cormac Izuchukwu coming into the back row for the win over Fiji.
Jack Conan was excellent in Australia for Farrell’s Lions, and while he lined out at number eight across the three Tests, he’s well able to do a job at six, starting four games there for club and country last season.
Cian Prendergast will also feel he can have a say. The Connacht man was desperately unlucky to be forced out of two Ireland matchday squads over the past year through illness. Prendergast was initially named on the bench as back row cover against Wales, and had been handed the same role for the Georgia game in July. He did play at number eight in the summer game against Portugal, marking his second start across four caps (he started at number eight in a World Cup warm-up v England in August 2023). The 25-year-old can play across the back row but plays most of his rugby at blindside.
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Cian Prendergast played most of his rugby at six last season. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Tom Ahern is a fresher face in the back row conversation. Injuries delayed his arrival on the Test scene but the Munster man debuted in the summer, coming off the bench against Georgia and starting in the second row against Portugal. The 25-year-old is still fighting to make himself a key man at Munster, where he continues to move between the second and back rows.
Cormac Izuchukwu, who misses this Test window through injury, is in a similar boat. The Ulster man started at lock against Georgia before being forced off (replaced by Ahern) and was a substitute against Portugal.
As with Ahern, injuries have been a frustrating part of Izuchukwu’s story. He was primarily used at six in the early part of last season before settling into an extended run of games at lock. In two outings for the province this season, he’s started once at lock, one at flanker, before being ruled out of the November games.
It will be fascinating to see how Farrell uses his blindside options over the coming weeks. If Baird delivers today, the jersey will surely be his when Australia and South Africa come to Dublin later this month, and this could be the moment he finally emerges as O’Mahony’s long-term successor. If not, the debate remains open and Farrell has an ideal opportunity to let someone else audition against Japan next week.
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Baird gets another shot to make statement in Ireland 6 jersey
FOR THE MOST part, there has been a settled, familiar look to the Ireland team for some time now, and it’s not too often a position feels up for grabs.
While Andy Farrell has picked on form for today’s meeting with New Zealand in Chicago, we’ve become used to seeing the same names on the team sheet. Jamison Gibson-Park, James Lowe, Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Dan Sheehan, Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne, Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris are among those who tend to start every game when fit.
Since Johnny Sexton retired, there’s been change at 10, with Jack Crowley initially the main man before Sam Prendergast overtook the Munster player, a battle that has flipped again heading into this November series.
Centre has been one to watch too, as Bundee Aki, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw and Stuart McCloskey jostle for a jersey. Injuries have often dictated the swing here while McCloskey has tended to be fourth option behind Farrell’s favoured trio, although the powerful Ulster man gets a deserved starting spot in one of the more unexpected calls today.
The other intriguing calls came in the back row. Would Caelan Doris start, and who would be named at blindside?
Farrell has opted to start Doris on the bench following his long lay off, but when he’s back to full fitness the Ireland captain will be the first name on the team sheet. At openside, Josh van der Flier remains the clear first choice, but blindside is a position that looks less certain – and one which could remain fluid over the coming months and years now that Peter O’Mahony has retired. O’Mahony remained an important player for Ireland right into the final months of his career – in his last window as an international player, O’Mahony started the Six Nations outings against Scotland, Wales and France.
With O’Mahony now out of the picture, Ryan Baird, Tom Ahern, Cian Prendergast, Cormac Izuchukwu and Tadhg Beirne are among those who could fill the slot.
Baird had been favourite to start at six today and won the vote, and the Leinster man must feel this is a significant window for him as he aims to put together a sustained run of form for Ireland.
He was Ireland’s starting blindside in both summer Tests against Georgia and Portugal, after three of his four outings in the 2025 Six Nations came off the bench – Baird starting the opener against England.
At his best, Baird is a dynamic and powerful option in the back row, but needs to reach those heights on a more consistent basis to be a Test match regular. Now 26, Baird wins his 30th cap today but opportunities in the starting side have been sporadic. Just 10 of Baird’s caps have come in the starting team, with his previous six starts at six (after three in the second row) spread out across the last three seasons.
With the competition heating up around him, this November window feels like a big one for Baird to finally make the jersey his own. This time last year, the November internationals passed him by – forced off with a head injury just two minutes after coming on against Argentina, and missing the games against Fiji and Australia. It was a slow return to play, and form, but Baird finished the season playing some excellent rugby. Athletically, the 6’6″ flanker ticks all the boxes for the position and while his lineout work has been solid, it’s going to be tested at Soldier Field.
This isn’t the first time Baird has looked on the cusp of taking the next step in his career, and Farrell has plenty of options available in the position,
If Joe McCarthy had been fit to join James Ryan in the Ireland second row, then perhaps Tadhg Beirne would have been backed at six in Chicago.
Beirne can move between the second and back rows, and while he played most of his rugby at lock last season, the Munster captain delivered an all-time performance with six on his back in the recent URC win against Leinster, and was the outstanding player on the Lions tour, where he started all three Tests at six. Twelve months ago, Beirne started three games at six in November (v New Zealand, Argentina and Australia), with Cormac Izuchukwu coming into the back row for the win over Fiji.
Jack Conan was excellent in Australia for Farrell’s Lions, and while he lined out at number eight across the three Tests, he’s well able to do a job at six, starting four games there for club and country last season.
Cian Prendergast will also feel he can have a say. The Connacht man was desperately unlucky to be forced out of two Ireland matchday squads over the past year through illness. Prendergast was initially named on the bench as back row cover against Wales, and had been handed the same role for the Georgia game in July. He did play at number eight in the summer game against Portugal, marking his second start across four caps (he started at number eight in a World Cup warm-up v England in August 2023). The 25-year-old can play across the back row but plays most of his rugby at blindside.
Tom Ahern is a fresher face in the back row conversation. Injuries delayed his arrival on the Test scene but the Munster man debuted in the summer, coming off the bench against Georgia and starting in the second row against Portugal. The 25-year-old is still fighting to make himself a key man at Munster, where he continues to move between the second and back rows.
Cormac Izuchukwu, who misses this Test window through injury, is in a similar boat. The Ulster man started at lock against Georgia before being forced off (replaced by Ahern) and was a substitute against Portugal.
As with Ahern, injuries have been a frustrating part of Izuchukwu’s story. He was primarily used at six in the early part of last season before settling into an extended run of games at lock. In two outings for the province this season, he’s started once at lock, one at flanker, before being ruled out of the November games.
It will be fascinating to see how Farrell uses his blindside options over the coming weeks. If Baird delivers today, the jersey will surely be his when Australia and South Africa come to Dublin later this month, and this could be the moment he finally emerges as O’Mahony’s long-term successor. If not, the debate remains open and Farrell has an ideal opportunity to let someone else audition against Japan next week.
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