ANY HOPES FOR a calm travel day over to Ireland’s pre-Six Nations camp in Portugal were quickly shattered upon arriving at Dublin Airport this morning.
It was announced that the flight to Faro had been delayed by two hours due to a severe weather warning in the Algarve. Reports of trees being flattened by the fierce Portuguese wind followed. Warm-weather training camp, they said.
And it soon became clear that the disruption to Ireland’s plans for next week’s Six Nations opener against France was continuing apace. There’s never a dull moment in Irish rugby.
So it was that Bundee Aki was dropped from the Ireland squad even before today’s disciplinary hearing regarding his behaviour towards the match officials involved in Connacht’s defeat to Leinster had got underway.
The IRFU confirming the dropping of Aki and making a strong statement about not tolerating disrespect towards officials, as well as mentioning behaviour that is not up to the standards expected of an Irish player, did not bode well for Aki.
Usually, a team would wait for the outcome of a disciplinary hearing to make a decision on their place in the squad. And the ill signs were backed up by Aki being handed a four-game ban.
Aki was previously banned for misconduct towards a match official. Back in 2017, he got a three-match suspension for “behaviour to and remarks directed towards refereeIan Davies during and immediately after” Connacht played the Scarlets. The URC statement this evening alluded to his disciplinary record.
Aki could return at the end of the Six Nations but Ireland have moved on for now by calling uncapped Ulster centre Jude Postlethwaite into the squad in his place.
Aki during Connacht's defeat to Leinster last weekend. Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO
Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO
Stuart McCloskey was already favourite to start at inside centre against France before any of this, but Aki was fancied to fill Ireland’s number 23 if Andy Farrell and co. opted for a 5/3 bench split in Paris. Aki has excelled in that impact role before.
And following swiftly on the heels of the Aki news was confirmation of Ireland losing fullback Hugo Keenan before he even had a chance to make a comeback from injury.
Keenan hasn’t played since the Lions tour last summer, after which he underwent scheduled hip surgery, and it became increasingly clear that he was in a real race against time for this France clash because he hadn’t made a return for Leinster.
Even still, it was expected that Keenan had a strong chance of coming straight back into Ireland’s number 15 shirt. Cruelly, he suffered a thumb injury during Ireland’s first training session in Portugal yesterday afternoon.
He is heading home and Ireland have opted not to call up a replacement player for now, with Farrell having some intriguing options to choose from at fullback.
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Jacob Stockdale has been in cracking form for Ulster this season and seven of his 10 starts have been at fullback, from where he has offered power, ambitious counter-attacking, and some slick offloading as Richie Murphy’s men have impressed in contact.
29-year-old Stockdale, who is best known as a left wing, has had a tough time with Ireland in recent seasons. He missed out on 2023 World Cup selection and then his next two caps – against Fiji in November 2024 and against Georgia last summer – were cut short by injuries when he was playing well.
He has history at fullback under Farrell, albeit back in 2020 and 2021 when he started four games there for Ireland. Although he hasn’t been a first-choice player for Ireland since then, Stockdale has 40 caps.
24-year-old Jamie Osborne is a much less experienced player, but he has been much further up Ireland’s depth chart at fullback recently.
When Keenan missed the 2024 summer tour of South Africa, Farrell’s decision to give Osborne his debut at fullback – having played in midfield for Leinster all season – caused surprise but he handled the step up well, shining in the second Test in particular.
Ireland boss Andy Farrell. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Osborne, who played fullback as a teenager and with the Ireland U20s, got two more starts at number 15 for Farrell’s side last season against Fiji and Wales when Keenan was rotated out of the team.
And the Naas man started at fullback against New Zealand and Japan last November when Keenan was injured, before Osborne himself picked up a shoulder injury in the second half of the latter game.
That opened the door for Mack Hansen to get his first two Test starts at fullback for Ireland but he too suffered injury and his season appears to be over.
Osborne hasn’t played at all since the Japan game in November, but he is back in the Ireland squad and is part of the camp in Portugal, so he will be a contender for a start in Paris.
Given that he only turned 24 in November, he obviously has much less experience than others of coming straight back into Test rugby after an injury, which will naturally be a consideration for Farrell.
It may not be a straight shootout between Stockdale and Osborne, however, given that some of Ireland’s out-halves can also play at fullback.
Ciarán Frawley’s most recent five games for Leinster have come with the number 15 on his back and he has been playing well in this position, as well as at inside centre earlier this season.
His work at fullback has been pleasingly solid, with some typically nice touches in attack, robust defensive work, and accuracy in the kicking game. Frawley has been playing good rugby.
The Skerries man has started an international game at fullback, lining up there for Ireland against Wales in the 2024 Six Nations when Keenan was absent.
Two of the other men who have been vying for Ireland’s number 10 shirt have also spent time at fullback recently.
Sam Prendergast shifted there when Harry Byrne came off the bench for the closing quarter of Leinster’s win over La Rochelle this month, while the pair of them combined well again when Prendergast was introduced at fullback early in the second half of the victory away to Bayonne the weekend after. Indeed, Prendergast helped to change the momentum of that Bayonne clash in Leinster’s favour with some classy contributions.
Ciarán Frawley has been playing well for Leinster. Henry Simpson / INPHO
Henry Simpson / INPHO / INPHO
Meanwhile, Jack Crowley moved to fullback for the closing stages of both of Munster’s Champions Cup defeats to Toulon and Castres, with JJ Hanrahan sent on at out-half.
Crowley had a couple of nice touches and kicks from fullback in the last 15 minutes in Toulon before doing some eye-catching work there in a 23-minute spell against Castres. That game didn’t all go Crowley’s way, but his threat on the ball from fullback was clear and he is an excellent tackler.
Crowley has also played at fullback for Ireland before, moving there in a 2o23 World Cup warm-up game against Italy when Frawley came on at out-half. And the Munster man started at number 15 for his province back in October 2022 against Leinster.
Even before Keenan’s injury, one wondered whether Farrell would be tempted to get two of his out-halves on the pitch at the same time, whether it be Prendergast and Crowley, Byrne and Prendergast, or Byrne and Crowley, or one of that trio working with Frawley.
Now, Farrell could press forward with that dual playmaker tactic.
Keenan’s injury and Aki’s ban mean they join a long list of unavailable players for Ireland’s trip to France.
Andrew Porter, Paddy McCarthy, Jack Boyle, Mack Hansen, Jimmy O’Brien, Robbie Henshaw, Jordan Larmour, Calvin Nash, Ryan Baird, Tom Ahern, Shayne Bolton, and Jordan Larmour had already been ruled out of involvement due to injuries that will keep several of them out of the entire Six Nations.
When it rains, it pours.
On a slightly happier note, the wild weather had eased a little when the flight finally arrived in Faro. Yet there is more rain being forecast for the next few days. The many golfers onboard today’s flight probably won’t be too pleased with that.
Ireland will have their first media session tomorrow at the Campus in Quinta do Lago.
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Aki's ban, Farrell's big call at 15, and Ireland's disruption
ANY HOPES FOR a calm travel day over to Ireland’s pre-Six Nations camp in Portugal were quickly shattered upon arriving at Dublin Airport this morning.
It was announced that the flight to Faro had been delayed by two hours due to a severe weather warning in the Algarve. Reports of trees being flattened by the fierce Portuguese wind followed. Warm-weather training camp, they said.
And it soon became clear that the disruption to Ireland’s plans for next week’s Six Nations opener against France was continuing apace. There’s never a dull moment in Irish rugby.
So it was that Bundee Aki was dropped from the Ireland squad even before today’s disciplinary hearing regarding his behaviour towards the match officials involved in Connacht’s defeat to Leinster had got underway.
The IRFU confirming the dropping of Aki and making a strong statement about not tolerating disrespect towards officials, as well as mentioning behaviour that is not up to the standards expected of an Irish player, did not bode well for Aki.
Usually, a team would wait for the outcome of a disciplinary hearing to make a decision on their place in the squad. And the ill signs were backed up by Aki being handed a four-game ban.
Aki was previously banned for misconduct towards a match official. Back in 2017, he got a three-match suspension for “behaviour to and remarks directed towards referee Ian Davies during and immediately after” Connacht played the Scarlets. The URC statement this evening alluded to his disciplinary record.
Aki could return at the end of the Six Nations but Ireland have moved on for now by calling uncapped Ulster centre Jude Postlethwaite into the squad in his place.
Stuart McCloskey was already favourite to start at inside centre against France before any of this, but Aki was fancied to fill Ireland’s number 23 if Andy Farrell and co. opted for a 5/3 bench split in Paris. Aki has excelled in that impact role before.
And following swiftly on the heels of the Aki news was confirmation of Ireland losing fullback Hugo Keenan before he even had a chance to make a comeback from injury.
Keenan hasn’t played since the Lions tour last summer, after which he underwent scheduled hip surgery, and it became increasingly clear that he was in a real race against time for this France clash because he hadn’t made a return for Leinster.
Even still, it was expected that Keenan had a strong chance of coming straight back into Ireland’s number 15 shirt. Cruelly, he suffered a thumb injury during Ireland’s first training session in Portugal yesterday afternoon.
He is heading home and Ireland have opted not to call up a replacement player for now, with Farrell having some intriguing options to choose from at fullback.
Jacob Stockdale has been in cracking form for Ulster this season and seven of his 10 starts have been at fullback, from where he has offered power, ambitious counter-attacking, and some slick offloading as Richie Murphy’s men have impressed in contact.
29-year-old Stockdale, who is best known as a left wing, has had a tough time with Ireland in recent seasons. He missed out on 2023 World Cup selection and then his next two caps – against Fiji in November 2024 and against Georgia last summer – were cut short by injuries when he was playing well.
He has history at fullback under Farrell, albeit back in 2020 and 2021 when he started four games there for Ireland. Although he hasn’t been a first-choice player for Ireland since then, Stockdale has 40 caps.
24-year-old Jamie Osborne is a much less experienced player, but he has been much further up Ireland’s depth chart at fullback recently.
When Keenan missed the 2024 summer tour of South Africa, Farrell’s decision to give Osborne his debut at fullback – having played in midfield for Leinster all season – caused surprise but he handled the step up well, shining in the second Test in particular.
Osborne, who played fullback as a teenager and with the Ireland U20s, got two more starts at number 15 for Farrell’s side last season against Fiji and Wales when Keenan was rotated out of the team.
And the Naas man started at fullback against New Zealand and Japan last November when Keenan was injured, before Osborne himself picked up a shoulder injury in the second half of the latter game.
That opened the door for Mack Hansen to get his first two Test starts at fullback for Ireland but he too suffered injury and his season appears to be over.
Osborne hasn’t played at all since the Japan game in November, but he is back in the Ireland squad and is part of the camp in Portugal, so he will be a contender for a start in Paris.
Given that he only turned 24 in November, he obviously has much less experience than others of coming straight back into Test rugby after an injury, which will naturally be a consideration for Farrell.
It may not be a straight shootout between Stockdale and Osborne, however, given that some of Ireland’s out-halves can also play at fullback.
Ciarán Frawley’s most recent five games for Leinster have come with the number 15 on his back and he has been playing well in this position, as well as at inside centre earlier this season.
His work at fullback has been pleasingly solid, with some typically nice touches in attack, robust defensive work, and accuracy in the kicking game. Frawley has been playing good rugby.
The Skerries man has started an international game at fullback, lining up there for Ireland against Wales in the 2024 Six Nations when Keenan was absent.
Two of the other men who have been vying for Ireland’s number 10 shirt have also spent time at fullback recently.
Sam Prendergast shifted there when Harry Byrne came off the bench for the closing quarter of Leinster’s win over La Rochelle this month, while the pair of them combined well again when Prendergast was introduced at fullback early in the second half of the victory away to Bayonne the weekend after. Indeed, Prendergast helped to change the momentum of that Bayonne clash in Leinster’s favour with some classy contributions.
Meanwhile, Jack Crowley moved to fullback for the closing stages of both of Munster’s Champions Cup defeats to Toulon and Castres, with JJ Hanrahan sent on at out-half.
Crowley had a couple of nice touches and kicks from fullback in the last 15 minutes in Toulon before doing some eye-catching work there in a 23-minute spell against Castres. That game didn’t all go Crowley’s way, but his threat on the ball from fullback was clear and he is an excellent tackler.
Crowley has also played at fullback for Ireland before, moving there in a 2o23 World Cup warm-up game against Italy when Frawley came on at out-half. And the Munster man started at number 15 for his province back in October 2022 against Leinster.
Even before Keenan’s injury, one wondered whether Farrell would be tempted to get two of his out-halves on the pitch at the same time, whether it be Prendergast and Crowley, Byrne and Prendergast, or Byrne and Crowley, or one of that trio working with Frawley.
Now, Farrell could press forward with that dual playmaker tactic.
Keenan’s injury and Aki’s ban mean they join a long list of unavailable players for Ireland’s trip to France.
Andrew Porter, Paddy McCarthy, Jack Boyle, Mack Hansen, Jimmy O’Brien, Robbie Henshaw, Jordan Larmour, Calvin Nash, Ryan Baird, Tom Ahern, Shayne Bolton, and Jordan Larmour had already been ruled out of involvement due to injuries that will keep several of them out of the entire Six Nations.
When it rains, it pours.
On a slightly happier note, the wild weather had eased a little when the flight finally arrived in Faro. Yet there is more rain being forecast for the next few days. The many golfers onboard today’s flight probably won’t be too pleased with that.
Ireland will have their first media session tomorrow at the Campus in Quinta do Lago.
There is much to discuss.
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andy farrell bundee aki Six Nations Hugo Keenan Ireland when it rains it pours