INJURY DENIES ANDY Farrell the services of the excellent Jack Conan, yet the Ireland boss must feel that his squad for the second window of the Nations Championship is stronger than the one he brought to Australia and New Zealand in July.
Conan will be missed – he was injured while scoring a brilliant try for Leinster last weekend – all the more so given that his fellow number eight Caelan Doris is still sidelined with injury. Both of them are elite operators from the back of the scrum, while Conan also plays blindside and Doris has lined out on the openside.
Farrell would have enjoyed being able to welcome others like Jack Crowley and Paddy McCarthy back from injury too, but the Munster out-half and Leinster loosehead also remain out of action.
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And yet, the returning faces Farrell has been able to include add top-end quality to his Ireland squad.
Mack is back
Mack Hansen was limited to just two games for Ireland last season, one of which saw him deliver a three-try, player-of-the-match performance from fullback against Australia. The Connacht man is a world-class right wing, but it will be intriguing to see if he switches over to the left side now.
Farrell will certainly have been considering a starting back three of fullback Hugo Keenan, right wing Robert Baloucoune, and left wing Hansen. That combination looks balanced, combative and exciting on paper.
Regardless of where he plays, Hansen’s return is a major boost for Farrell, who has been a huge fan since the former Brumbies man arrived in Ireland in 2021. Hansen’s creativity and passing skills helped Ireland to become a less predictable team, while his work rate is something that Farrell often points to as the standard for others. With his foot injuries now behind him, Hansen has looked lively early on this season with Connacht.
Leinster’s Tommy O’Brien will have something to say about the possible starting back three listed above. O’Brien enjoyed a big breakthrough with Ireland last season, starting their four November Tests, then making a telling impression against England and Scotland in the Six Nations.
He has largely impressed on the right wing for Leinster, but those two standout Six Nations showings came on the left after injury to James Lowe, who is now out of the mix altogether. Indeed, O’Brien linked thrillingly with Baloucoune on a couple of occasions in those two championship games before he missed the July tour due to the calf injury he suffered in the URC final.
O’Brien is of a different profile to Hansen, yet his speed, defensive grit, and toughness in contact make him a weapon too.
Whatever way back three selection goes, the return of Hansen and O’Brien gives Farrell a far stronger hand to choose from, with the impressively in-form Jimmy O’Brien, Jamie Osborne, and Jacob Stockdale also in contention.
Porter’s power
As with Hansen, loosehead prop Andrew Porter hasn’t played for Ireland since the loss to South Africa in Dublin last November, so Farrell will have enjoyed seeing him making a potent start to this season with Leinster.
Calf issues blighted Porter’s 2025/26 campaign, but he has looked refreshed in recent weeks, helping Leinster to a dominant scrum performance against Clermont in the Champions Cup, having been strong at scrum time against Cardiff the weekend before.
Porter’s first appearance of this season came at tighthead when Leinster played the Lions in South Africa, so he is evidently continuing to work on his craft on that side of the scrum. But at his very best, he is one of the leading loosehead props in the game.
Ireland’s scrum had some very tough days last season, most notably in that South Africa game. So the visit of the Springboks to Dublin on 21 November already looms large as an important test.
While Porter has been out of Ireland action, Tom O’Toole has made the full-time switch from tighthead to loosehead prop. The Ulster man shone at loosehead during the Six Nations, then had some frustrating moments during the July window of the Nations Championship as scrum calls went against him.
Ireland are convinced that O’Toole will be a success on the loosehead side, and he brings major dynamism around the pitch. He and Porter are set to be the frontline looseheads, but 20-year-old Billy Bohan is the coming man in this area.
Bohan impressed on tour in July, making his debut off the bench against Japan, and continues to grow with Connacht. McCarthy and Jack Boyle will be back from injury to re-enter the loosehead depth chart, but Bohan’s emergence has been very welcome.
Munster’s Jeremy Loughman, who started three Six Nations games and toured in July, misses out on selection with Porter back and Bohan backed.
Over on the tighthead side, Sam Illo is once again selected ahead of the experienced Finlay Bealham, having made his debut in the summer game against Japan.
Baird on the blindside
Blindside flanker Ryan Baird is the other returning frontline figure, having also last worn the green jersey against South Africa over a year ago. He suffered a broken leg in that game, playing on through the pain, and then had a setback after making his comeback for Leinster in April of this year, ending his season at that point.
27-year-old Baird had just taken on first-choice status at blindside flanker for Ireland prior to that injury, so he will be determined to recover that position. Baird can also play in the second row, but he has featured far more at blindside for Ireland.
In his absence, Cian Prendergast, Cormac Izuchukwu, Tadhg Beirne and Conan have all worn the green number six shirt.
Prendergast and Beirne are part of this latest Ireland squad, although Izuchukwu misses out as Baird returns. There is a new contender in Ulster’s 23-year-old James McNabney, who is a big, powerful, mobile player and can also play number eight.
McNabney missed all of last season due to an ACL injury, having marked himself out as an almost locked-in senior international with two impressive Ireland U20s seasons in 2022 and 2023. The fact that this is a full call-up, rather than a ‘development player’ invitation, says it all as Farrell picks him ahead of the likes of Izuchukwu, Brian Gleeson and Max Deegan.
Connacht’s Sean Jansen, who made his debut against Japan in July and came off the bench against his native New Zealand a week later, is suddenly in pole position to start at number eight for Ireland against Argentina on Friday 6 November.
Nick Timoney has played plenty of rugby in the eight jersey for Ulster in the past, while McNabney is an option there, and Prendergast has lined out at the back of the scrum for Connacht, yet the sheer dynamism of Jansen will be difficult to overlook when Doris and Conan’s collision-winning ability is missing.
Benson the bolter
There isn’t much drama in this Irish selection, with Ulster’s Jamie Benson the second uncapped player alongside McNabney. Benson can play at inside centre and fullback, but his primary position is out-half. He takes over from the injured Harry Byrne as the third option at number 10 along with Sam Prendergast and Ciarán Frawley.
Benson played for his native England at U20 level and was in the England A squad as recently as November 2025, but Ulster and the IRFU were very happy to lure him to Irish rugby last summer. Some in English rugby circles were disappointed to see him get away.
His Ulster team-mate Jack Murphy might be disappointed not to get a call-up, and probably recognises the threat Benson poses to his number 10 shirt at provincial level. Still only 22, Murphy will back himself to rise to the challenge. Munster’s exciting 20-year-old Charlie O’Shea has made quick progress recently, and Ireland will be watching for further development.
For now, Farrell is cracking on with a squad that includes relatively recent Test debutants such as Bohan, Sam Illo, Darragh Murray, Jansen and Nathan Doak, as well as newcomers McNabney and Benson.
The team that takes on Argentina in just over two weeks is likely to have a familiar feel to it, but Farrell will feel that’s an advantage.
Losing Conan is a blow but Ireland welcome back some top players
INJURY DENIES ANDY Farrell the services of the excellent Jack Conan, yet the Ireland boss must feel that his squad for the second window of the Nations Championship is stronger than the one he brought to Australia and New Zealand in July.
Conan will be missed – he was injured while scoring a brilliant try for Leinster last weekend – all the more so given that his fellow number eight Caelan Doris is still sidelined with injury. Both of them are elite operators from the back of the scrum, while Conan also plays blindside and Doris has lined out on the openside.
Farrell would have enjoyed being able to welcome others like Jack Crowley and Paddy McCarthy back from injury too, but the Munster out-half and Leinster loosehead also remain out of action.
And yet, the returning faces Farrell has been able to include add top-end quality to his Ireland squad.
Mack is back
Mack Hansen was limited to just two games for Ireland last season, one of which saw him deliver a three-try, player-of-the-match performance from fullback against Australia. The Connacht man is a world-class right wing, but it will be intriguing to see if he switches over to the left side now.
Farrell will certainly have been considering a starting back three of fullback Hugo Keenan, right wing Robert Baloucoune, and left wing Hansen. That combination looks balanced, combative and exciting on paper.
Regardless of where he plays, Hansen’s return is a major boost for Farrell, who has been a huge fan since the former Brumbies man arrived in Ireland in 2021. Hansen’s creativity and passing skills helped Ireland to become a less predictable team, while his work rate is something that Farrell often points to as the standard for others. With his foot injuries now behind him, Hansen has looked lively early on this season with Connacht.
Leinster’s Tommy O’Brien will have something to say about the possible starting back three listed above. O’Brien enjoyed a big breakthrough with Ireland last season, starting their four November Tests, then making a telling impression against England and Scotland in the Six Nations.
He has largely impressed on the right wing for Leinster, but those two standout Six Nations showings came on the left after injury to James Lowe, who is now out of the mix altogether. Indeed, O’Brien linked thrillingly with Baloucoune on a couple of occasions in those two championship games before he missed the July tour due to the calf injury he suffered in the URC final.
O’Brien is of a different profile to Hansen, yet his speed, defensive grit, and toughness in contact make him a weapon too.
Whatever way back three selection goes, the return of Hansen and O’Brien gives Farrell a far stronger hand to choose from, with the impressively in-form Jimmy O’Brien, Jamie Osborne, and Jacob Stockdale also in contention.
Porter’s power
As with Hansen, loosehead prop Andrew Porter hasn’t played for Ireland since the loss to South Africa in Dublin last November, so Farrell will have enjoyed seeing him making a potent start to this season with Leinster.
Calf issues blighted Porter’s 2025/26 campaign, but he has looked refreshed in recent weeks, helping Leinster to a dominant scrum performance against Clermont in the Champions Cup, having been strong at scrum time against Cardiff the weekend before.
Porter’s first appearance of this season came at tighthead when Leinster played the Lions in South Africa, so he is evidently continuing to work on his craft on that side of the scrum. But at his very best, he is one of the leading loosehead props in the game.
Ireland’s scrum had some very tough days last season, most notably in that South Africa game. So the visit of the Springboks to Dublin on 21 November already looms large as an important test.
While Porter has been out of Ireland action, Tom O’Toole has made the full-time switch from tighthead to loosehead prop. The Ulster man shone at loosehead during the Six Nations, then had some frustrating moments during the July window of the Nations Championship as scrum calls went against him.
Ireland are convinced that O’Toole will be a success on the loosehead side, and he brings major dynamism around the pitch. He and Porter are set to be the frontline looseheads, but 20-year-old Billy Bohan is the coming man in this area.
Bohan impressed on tour in July, making his debut off the bench against Japan, and continues to grow with Connacht. McCarthy and Jack Boyle will be back from injury to re-enter the loosehead depth chart, but Bohan’s emergence has been very welcome.
Munster’s Jeremy Loughman, who started three Six Nations games and toured in July, misses out on selection with Porter back and Bohan backed.
Over on the tighthead side, Sam Illo is once again selected ahead of the experienced Finlay Bealham, having made his debut in the summer game against Japan.
Baird on the blindside
Blindside flanker Ryan Baird is the other returning frontline figure, having also last worn the green jersey against South Africa over a year ago. He suffered a broken leg in that game, playing on through the pain, and then had a setback after making his comeback for Leinster in April of this year, ending his season at that point.
27-year-old Baird had just taken on first-choice status at blindside flanker for Ireland prior to that injury, so he will be determined to recover that position. Baird can also play in the second row, but he has featured far more at blindside for Ireland.
In his absence, Cian Prendergast, Cormac Izuchukwu, Tadhg Beirne and Conan have all worn the green number six shirt.
Prendergast and Beirne are part of this latest Ireland squad, although Izuchukwu misses out as Baird returns. There is a new contender in Ulster’s 23-year-old James McNabney, who is a big, powerful, mobile player and can also play number eight.
McNabney missed all of last season due to an ACL injury, having marked himself out as an almost locked-in senior international with two impressive Ireland U20s seasons in 2022 and 2023. The fact that this is a full call-up, rather than a ‘development player’ invitation, says it all as Farrell picks him ahead of the likes of Izuchukwu, Brian Gleeson and Max Deegan.
Connacht’s Sean Jansen, who made his debut against Japan in July and came off the bench against his native New Zealand a week later, is suddenly in pole position to start at number eight for Ireland against Argentina on Friday 6 November.
Nick Timoney has played plenty of rugby in the eight jersey for Ulster in the past, while McNabney is an option there, and Prendergast has lined out at the back of the scrum for Connacht, yet the sheer dynamism of Jansen will be difficult to overlook when Doris and Conan’s collision-winning ability is missing.
Benson the bolter
There isn’t much drama in this Irish selection, with Ulster’s Jamie Benson the second uncapped player alongside McNabney. Benson can play at inside centre and fullback, but his primary position is out-half. He takes over from the injured Harry Byrne as the third option at number 10 along with Sam Prendergast and Ciarán Frawley.
Benson played for his native England at U20 level and was in the England A squad as recently as November 2025, but Ulster and the IRFU were very happy to lure him to Irish rugby last summer. Some in English rugby circles were disappointed to see him get away.
His Ulster team-mate Jack Murphy might be disappointed not to get a call-up, and probably recognises the threat Benson poses to his number 10 shirt at provincial level. Still only 22, Murphy will back himself to rise to the challenge. Munster’s exciting 20-year-old Charlie O’Shea has made quick progress recently, and Ireland will be watching for further development.
For now, Farrell is cracking on with a squad that includes relatively recent Test debutants such as Bohan, Sam Illo, Darragh Murray, Jansen and Nathan Doak, as well as newcomers McNabney and Benson.
The team that takes on Argentina in just over two weeks is likely to have a familiar feel to it, but Farrell will feel that’s an advantage.
Boost Ireland October Rugby