WITH IRELAND’S SIX Nations opener against France on 2 February fast approaching, Andy Farrell has been dealt a significant blow with confirmation arriving this morning that Mack Hansen will be out for up to four months after surgery on a dislocated shoulder – news soon followed by an update that Leinster’s Jimmy O’Brien will also miss the tournament. Monday mornings, eh?
Hansen’s injury robs Farrell of one the most important and consistent members of his starting team.
After debuting at Test level in the 2022 Six Nations, Hansen quickly established himself as a key figure for Ireland.
The 25-year-old – who joined Connacht from the Brumbies in 2021 – is exactly the type of player Farrell likes to have in his system. An electrifying winger, Hansen has scored nine tries across his 21 caps for Ireland but the Connacht man provides so much more than an attacking threat. Hansen has thrived in the roving role Farrell asks of his wingers, with his positioning, defensive work and link-up play all outstanding attributes of his game.
Simply put, Hansen is one of the most exciting players around and his absence from this year’s Six Nations is a loss for both Ireland’s Grand Slam defence and the tournament as a spectacle.
O’Brien would have likely been the frontrunner for Hansen’s spot so the Leinster man’s neck injury is desperately unfortunate timing for the 27-year-old, who has established himself as a reliable back-three cover option for Farrell.
O’Brien featured just once at the World Cup but made a notable difference when he replaced Hansen for the final 25 minutes against New Zealand, providing energy and a running threat as Ireland chased the game.
Yet as Ireland look to move on from the disappointment of that World Cup quarter-final exit the injuries to Hansen and O’Brien also provide Farrell with an opportunity to properly asses his squad depth.
The Ireland head coach was already planning for life without inspirational out-half and captain, Johnny Sexton, and now he’ll also get a closer look at his back three options.
When fit, Hansen has been a nailed-on starter for Ireland and he’s played the full 80 minutes in 18 of his 20 Test starts.
Together with James Lowe and fullback Hugo Keenan, Hansen was part of a settled Ireland back three during the run into the 2023 World Cup.
The Canberra native has come off the bench just once for Ireland – against Romania at the World Cup – with Keith Earls taking his usual number 14 shirt that day.
With Lowe also in a race to get up to speed in time for the France game – having not played for Leinster since returning from the World Cup – that back three is now set for a shake-up. Farrell is set to name an extended training squad next week ahead of a pre-Six Nations training camp in Portugal.
A number of contenders will now be hoping for big performances across the upcoming back-to-back Champions Cup weekends to push themselves into the mix.
With Earls now retired, Calvin Nash might be the next man up.
The Munster winger was superb as Graham Rowntree’s side stormed to URC success last season and has carried that form into the current campaign. Nash was in the extended Ireland squad ahead of the World Cup and debuted against Italy in August.
His Munster teammate Shane Daly is also familiar with the Ireland set-up. Another versatile option, Daly was capped twice by Farrell in the 2020/21 season and while he hasn’t been selected since, he featured for Emerging Ireland and Ireland A in 2022 so has remained on the radar. While primarily used at fullback for Munster this season, Daly can also play on either wing.
Ulster’s Jacob Stockdale has been in Ireland camp recently, featuring in the warm-up games against Italy and Samoa before missing out on the final World Cup squad. Stockdale – who almost exclusively plays on the left wing – was a regular starter for Ireland before Hansen and Lowe arrived on the scene but those two August games last year stand as his only Test caps since 2021.
The 27-year-old has a superb strike rate of 19 tries in 37 caps and has crossed six times in 12 games for Ulster this season. Stockdale played a big role in Ulster’s recent URC win at Leinster and a couple of strong performances against Toulouse and Harlequins could push him back into contention.
Another Ulster player, Robert Baloucoune, has also been in and around the Ireland squad, and at his best, possesses the type of electric pace few in Ireland can match. The Ulster flyer lost momentum during an injury-hit 2022/23 season but has four caps to his name, including 80 minute performances against South Africa and Fiji in November 2022.
Leinster’s Jordan Larmour has plenty of international experience with 30 caps but has struggled for consistency after an unfortunate run with injuries in recent seasons. Farrell singled Larmour out for special praise ahead of last year’s Six Nations but the Leinster winger – who has played eight times this season – needs a strong run of form to bump himself back up the queue.
His Leinster teammate Tommy O’Brien has also impressed recently while Jamie Osborne has lined out on the wing for the province.
O’Brien’s absence means the Ireland head coach will also have to consider his options at fullback, where Keenan has hardly put a foot wrong and been an ever-present in the first 15. Simon Zebo is the form fullback in the country but was last capped in 2017. Jack Crowley can play at 15 but is set to be Ireland’s starting out-half, so Ciarán Frawley could come into Farrell’s thinking having played most of his rugby there for Leinster this season.
Farrell clearly isn’t short on options around the back three but Hansen, Lowe and Keenan have all performed at a level above the competition over the last few seasons.
Today’s unfortunate news on Hansen and O’Brien means the chasing pack will soon have a chance to try close that gap.
