AFTER THERE WAS something of a fresh feel to Ireland’s XV last weekend against Italy, Andy Farrell has reverted to a more familiar-looking selection for the trip to Twickenham.
Out go the relatively inexperienced Cormac Izuchukwu, Thomas Clarkson, and Sam Prendergast, all of whom drop out of the matchday 23 after starting against the Italians.
Nor is there room in the squad for the exciting Edwin Edogbo, who received a thunderous reception at the Aviva Stadium when he came off the bench for his debut last weekend. He gave away a penalty at the breakdown, but his power in the tackle was clear.
It’s a shame that Edogbo and Izuchukwu, who impressed at blindside flanker on his Six Nations debut, don’t get a chance to build on those experiences. Four-times capped Izuchukwu must feel hard done by having delivered an accurate, physical performance at number six.
Last weekend’s game was a brilliant contest and Italy have earned major respect with their growth, but a trip to Twickenham would have been a brilliant place to test Izuchuwku and Edogbo further.
Clarkson and Prendergast, who have more experience with 12 and 15 caps, respectively, have never played away to England in the Six Nations either, so they surely would have embraced the chance to be involved on Saturday.
Yet they miss out as Farrell recalls a few seasoned players to his selection for the clash with England.
This is a high-stakes game for Ireland. Win and they put themselves back into Six Nations contention, with home games against Wales and Scotland still to come. France are fancied to win the Grand Slam, of course, but Ireland need to be well positioned in case there are any surprises.
On top of that, this is the first game of a possible Triple Crown run for Ireland against the English, Welsh, and Scots.
Ireland’s Triple Crown success last year was dismissed in some quarters, but it would surely be more appreciated if they could win it this time around.
Cormac Izuchukwu misses out on the 23. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
But on the flip side, if Ireland lose on Saturday, the Triple Crown is gone, the championship is long gone, and they’d be in the unenviable position of scrambling to avoid finishing in the bottom half of the table.
Twickenham has rarely been a place where Ireland make many daring selections. The experienced heads are usually rolled out for fear of younger players having a mentally scarring afternoon.
With all that in mind, most of the selection decisions Farrell was facing this week have seen him lean towards greater experience.
It’s no surprise to see Tadhg Beirne back in the starting team, although he could have featured in the second row rather than at blindside flanker, where he replaces Izuchukwu.
Beirne is a big-game player and Farrell is asking the Munster captain to deliver again with the pressure on.
The same is true at openside, where Josh van der Flier returns after missing out on the matchday 23 against Italy. The Wicklow man was short of his best in the opening-round defeat to France in Paris but he is another figure Farrell has major faith in.
As we saw with James Lowe last weekend, being on the outside even for one game can help a player to bring lots of fire when they return.
Van der Flier’s return means Jack Conan is very unlucky to miss out on a start, given that skipper Caelan Doris goes back to his best position of number eight after starting at openside last weekend.
Conan was key for Ireland against Italy, while Doris had a strong game at openside. Indeed, the combination of Izuchukwu, Doris, and Conan worked well, with Ulster man Izuchukwu spearheading the lineout defence.
Nick Timoney also has to make do with a place on the bench again, having had a big impact as a replacement in the opening two games of this championship, as well as impressing last November.
Advertisement
Tadhg Beirne is back in the starting XV. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
As expected, the highly experienced Tadhg Furlong comes into the starting XV at tighthead, while 55-times capped Finlay Bealham is promoted to the bench as Clarkson misses out.
Bealham featured off the bench against France, having been sidelined with a knee injury before the Six Nations, and his set-piece nous may be useful off the Irish bench.
Over at loosehead, Jeremy Loughman keeps his starting place despite the encouraging impact by Tom O’Toole as a replacement last time out.
Dan Sheehan continues as the starting hooker, with Rónan Kelleher held in reserve. Sheehan has been short of his spectacular best recently, but Farrell is backing him to get closer to that world-class level in London.
Kelleher is regarded as the stronger scrummager and Sheehan has had issues in this area against South Africa and Italy, although the latter is possibly the more trusted lineout thrower.
The scrum will, of course, cause lots of concern for Irish supporters after Italy did serious damage there. Ireland will be hoping referee Andrea Piardi views their efforts favourably on Saturday.
Ireland will need power from Joe McCarthy in the second row. He has made a couple of mistakes in the last two games but his punch in contact last weekend was much improved and Farrell has virtually always picked him when available.
Playing alongside the in-form James Ryan, it’s certain that Farrell will be demanding that McCarthy is at his peak this weekend along with the likes of Beirne, Sheehan, van der Flier, Furlong, and Bealham.
In the Irish halfbacks, Jamison Gibson-Park was always likely to be at number nine, all the more so because of how he responded to being benched after his underperformance against France. Gibson-Park was much better last weekend, including in his defensive appetite and application.
Jack Crowley returns to Ireland’s number 10 shirt after his own eye-catching impact off the bench in the win over Italy. The way in which he immediately steered Ireland to the delightful Robert Baloucoune try in the first passage after his introduction was seriously impressive.
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Crowley finished with a line-kicking error, but Farrell will hope to see lots of confidence and poise in the out-half’s play against England. He is sure to come under plenty of pressure from the English, but at the age of 26 and with 32 caps to his name, Crowley will believe this is his time to take control.
Prendergast misses out on the matchday 23 altogether and it seemed clear last weekend that his confidence isn’t as high as it has been in the past. The 23-year-old has had some excellent games for Ireland, most notably in steering them to the Triple Crown last year, but there have been tough lessons along the way too.
Though he’s out of the squad this weekend, the Kildare man will continue to be part of the picture for Ireland.
Ciarán Frawley, who hasn’t played since the November 2024 win over Fiji, is back in the number 22 shirt and eager to make up for lost time.
The Skerries man was flying in the summer of 2024 when his drop goals sank the Springboks, but his anticipated challenge of Crowley for the number 10 shirt evaporated that autumn as Prendergast broke through.
Frawley made some errors when he came off the bench against New Zealand that autumn, but he is an athletic player who has been in strong form for Leinster this season, playing at inside centre and then fullback.
His versatility may have helped him earn this recall, although it is notable that Farrell has gone with a 5/3 bench this weekend.
Tommy O’Brien comes into the matchday squad and it’s an interesting selection, given that both O’Brien and number 14 Robert Baloucoune are right wings. O’Brien does have some history as a centre and on the left wing, but he normally plays out on the right.
Perhaps there is concern over Garry Ringrose’s knee, which he hurt against Italy last weekend, but even then, Jamie Osborne could shift to outside centre and Frawley could slot in at fullback.
Ireland reverting to 5/3 may be a hint that there is someone in the starting back three who they’re not sure can play the full 80 minutes, although O’Brien’s combativeness, work rate, pace, and power will be welcome for what should be a ferocious test.
He is perhaps the most forward-like of Ireland’s backs, so it’s not too far off a 6/2 bench split when you consider how O’Brien can physically impact a game.
Now we wait to see if this Ireland 23 is good enough to upset the English in Twickers.
- This article was updated at 6.33pm to correct an error stating that Finlay Bealham hadn’t played in the Six Nations. He came off the bench against France.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
14 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Farrell recalls the experienced big guns for trip to Twickenham
AFTER THERE WAS something of a fresh feel to Ireland’s XV last weekend against Italy, Andy Farrell has reverted to a more familiar-looking selection for the trip to Twickenham.
Out go the relatively inexperienced Cormac Izuchukwu, Thomas Clarkson, and Sam Prendergast, all of whom drop out of the matchday 23 after starting against the Italians.
Nor is there room in the squad for the exciting Edwin Edogbo, who received a thunderous reception at the Aviva Stadium when he came off the bench for his debut last weekend. He gave away a penalty at the breakdown, but his power in the tackle was clear.
It’s a shame that Edogbo and Izuchukwu, who impressed at blindside flanker on his Six Nations debut, don’t get a chance to build on those experiences. Four-times capped Izuchukwu must feel hard done by having delivered an accurate, physical performance at number six.
Last weekend’s game was a brilliant contest and Italy have earned major respect with their growth, but a trip to Twickenham would have been a brilliant place to test Izuchuwku and Edogbo further.
Clarkson and Prendergast, who have more experience with 12 and 15 caps, respectively, have never played away to England in the Six Nations either, so they surely would have embraced the chance to be involved on Saturday.
Yet they miss out as Farrell recalls a few seasoned players to his selection for the clash with England.
This is a high-stakes game for Ireland. Win and they put themselves back into Six Nations contention, with home games against Wales and Scotland still to come. France are fancied to win the Grand Slam, of course, but Ireland need to be well positioned in case there are any surprises.
On top of that, this is the first game of a possible Triple Crown run for Ireland against the English, Welsh, and Scots.
Ireland’s Triple Crown success last year was dismissed in some quarters, but it would surely be more appreciated if they could win it this time around.
But on the flip side, if Ireland lose on Saturday, the Triple Crown is gone, the championship is long gone, and they’d be in the unenviable position of scrambling to avoid finishing in the bottom half of the table.
Twickenham has rarely been a place where Ireland make many daring selections. The experienced heads are usually rolled out for fear of younger players having a mentally scarring afternoon.
With all that in mind, most of the selection decisions Farrell was facing this week have seen him lean towards greater experience.
It’s no surprise to see Tadhg Beirne back in the starting team, although he could have featured in the second row rather than at blindside flanker, where he replaces Izuchukwu.
Beirne is a big-game player and Farrell is asking the Munster captain to deliver again with the pressure on.
The same is true at openside, where Josh van der Flier returns after missing out on the matchday 23 against Italy. The Wicklow man was short of his best in the opening-round defeat to France in Paris but he is another figure Farrell has major faith in.
As we saw with James Lowe last weekend, being on the outside even for one game can help a player to bring lots of fire when they return.
Van der Flier’s return means Jack Conan is very unlucky to miss out on a start, given that skipper Caelan Doris goes back to his best position of number eight after starting at openside last weekend.
Conan was key for Ireland against Italy, while Doris had a strong game at openside. Indeed, the combination of Izuchukwu, Doris, and Conan worked well, with Ulster man Izuchukwu spearheading the lineout defence.
Nick Timoney also has to make do with a place on the bench again, having had a big impact as a replacement in the opening two games of this championship, as well as impressing last November.
As expected, the highly experienced Tadhg Furlong comes into the starting XV at tighthead, while 55-times capped Finlay Bealham is promoted to the bench as Clarkson misses out.
Bealham featured off the bench against France, having been sidelined with a knee injury before the Six Nations, and his set-piece nous may be useful off the Irish bench.
Over at loosehead, Jeremy Loughman keeps his starting place despite the encouraging impact by Tom O’Toole as a replacement last time out.
Dan Sheehan continues as the starting hooker, with Rónan Kelleher held in reserve. Sheehan has been short of his spectacular best recently, but Farrell is backing him to get closer to that world-class level in London.
Kelleher is regarded as the stronger scrummager and Sheehan has had issues in this area against South Africa and Italy, although the latter is possibly the more trusted lineout thrower.
The scrum will, of course, cause lots of concern for Irish supporters after Italy did serious damage there. Ireland will be hoping referee Andrea Piardi views their efforts favourably on Saturday.
Ireland will need power from Joe McCarthy in the second row. He has made a couple of mistakes in the last two games but his punch in contact last weekend was much improved and Farrell has virtually always picked him when available.
Playing alongside the in-form James Ryan, it’s certain that Farrell will be demanding that McCarthy is at his peak this weekend along with the likes of Beirne, Sheehan, van der Flier, Furlong, and Bealham.
In the Irish halfbacks, Jamison Gibson-Park was always likely to be at number nine, all the more so because of how he responded to being benched after his underperformance against France. Gibson-Park was much better last weekend, including in his defensive appetite and application.
Jack Crowley returns to Ireland’s number 10 shirt after his own eye-catching impact off the bench in the win over Italy. The way in which he immediately steered Ireland to the delightful Robert Baloucoune try in the first passage after his introduction was seriously impressive.
Crowley finished with a line-kicking error, but Farrell will hope to see lots of confidence and poise in the out-half’s play against England. He is sure to come under plenty of pressure from the English, but at the age of 26 and with 32 caps to his name, Crowley will believe this is his time to take control.
Prendergast misses out on the matchday 23 altogether and it seemed clear last weekend that his confidence isn’t as high as it has been in the past. The 23-year-old has had some excellent games for Ireland, most notably in steering them to the Triple Crown last year, but there have been tough lessons along the way too.
Though he’s out of the squad this weekend, the Kildare man will continue to be part of the picture for Ireland.
Ciarán Frawley, who hasn’t played since the November 2024 win over Fiji, is back in the number 22 shirt and eager to make up for lost time.
The Skerries man was flying in the summer of 2024 when his drop goals sank the Springboks, but his anticipated challenge of Crowley for the number 10 shirt evaporated that autumn as Prendergast broke through.
Frawley made some errors when he came off the bench against New Zealand that autumn, but he is an athletic player who has been in strong form for Leinster this season, playing at inside centre and then fullback.
His versatility may have helped him earn this recall, although it is notable that Farrell has gone with a 5/3 bench this weekend.
Tommy O’Brien comes into the matchday squad and it’s an interesting selection, given that both O’Brien and number 14 Robert Baloucoune are right wings. O’Brien does have some history as a centre and on the left wing, but he normally plays out on the right.
Perhaps there is concern over Garry Ringrose’s knee, which he hurt against Italy last weekend, but even then, Jamie Osborne could shift to outside centre and Frawley could slot in at fullback.
Ireland reverting to 5/3 may be a hint that there is someone in the starting back three who they’re not sure can play the full 80 minutes, although O’Brien’s combativeness, work rate, pace, and power will be welcome for what should be a ferocious test.
He is perhaps the most forward-like of Ireland’s backs, so it’s not too far off a 6/2 bench split when you consider how O’Brien can physically impact a game.
Now we wait to see if this Ireland 23 is good enough to upset the English in Twickers.
- This article was updated at 6.33pm to correct an error stating that Finlay Bealham hadn’t played in the Six Nations. He came off the bench against France.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
andy farrell England Ireland Selection