THE DISMAY WHICH greeted the possibility of Mack Hansen and James Lowe missing Ireland’s World Cup quarter-final said it all about how important they have become for Andy Farrell’s team.
In the end, both made it and were able to continue in their settled, proven back three combination with outstanding fullback Hugo Keenan.
That trio have been ever-present since Hansen burst onto the Test scene in the 2022 Six Nations, making a comfortable adaptation to the international game and working beautifully in sync with Lowe and Keenan.
With Keith Earls now retired and Andrew Conway’s hopes of forcing his way back into the frame ended by injury, Ireland boss Farrell would love to have more competition for his starting back three.
The multi-skilled Jimmy O’Brien was the only other back three player in the World Cup squad, with centre Garry Ringrose and scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park ending up on the wings in the pool game against Scotland.
So as Ireland move into their next chapter, Farrell would certainly welcome some of the other talented back three players in Irish rugby making a big play to be involved.
Leinster:
- Hugo Keenan [27]
- James Lowe [31]
- Jimmy O’Brien [26]
- Jordan Larmour [26]
- Tommy O’Brien [25]
- Rob Russell [24]
- Chris Cosgrave [22]
- Aitzol Arenzana-King [21]
- Henry McErlean [20]
- Andrew Osborne [20]
Two of Ireland’s first-choice back three are Leinster men, with Keenan an undisputed selection since the start of the 2021 Six Nations. He is arguably the best fullback in the world, with a remarkable consistency of excellence.
Left wing Lowe had a challenging start to Test rugby in 2020/21 but rebounded superbly to develop into a crucial figure for Ireland. The 31-year-old’s power, decision-making, and long left-footed kicking game are crucial, while his defence has improved hugely. Lowe has yet to return to action since the World Cup.
O’Brien is the other Leinster back three player who was at the World Cup, although an injury early on meant he wasn’t seen until he came off the bench in the quarter-final defeat to New Zealand. O’Brien, who turned 26 last month, did very well that night in Paris, so he will be aiming to kick on now with Ireland. He can play on both wings and at fullback, as well as outside centre.
Jordan Larmour has 30 caps for Ireland and is another versatile player but a torrid run of injuries in recent years saw him drop out of contention. The 26-year-old wasn’t in the wider group for the World Cup pre-season, while he is fighting for a first-choice spot at Leinster. Larmour has proven his class before and will be determined to muscle his way back in with Ireland.
We included Ciarán Frawley in our piece on Irish out-halves, but Leinster continue to use him at fullback, from where he scored the winning try last night against Connacht. Frawley’s rounded skills mean he can excel at number 15 as well as at 10 and in midfield. It might not be ideal for him, but it looks like Leinster will continue to lean on his versatility.
Jamie Osborne was in our piece on centres but he also started in the back three last night. The powerful left-footer has played plenty of his rugby on the wing or at fullback and it will be interesting to see where he settles. He’ll surely be keen to nail down one spot. Leinster centres Ringrose, Liam Turner, Charlie Ngatai, and Robbie Henshaw have all featured in the back three in the past too.
Wing Tommy O’Brien is another very unlucky player. The 25-year-old wing/centre would certainly have more than the 28 Leinster caps he has but for his injury travails, which continue with his current ankle issue.
Former Ireland U20 wing Rob Russell had a real breakthrough last season, scoring 10 tries in 13 URC appearances and has added a couple more early on in this campaign. The 24-year-old will surely be targeting a Champions Cup as his next step.
There’s more back three talent in the Leinster academy, including 22-year-old Chris Cosgrave, who has made seven senior appearances so far. His five starts have all been at fullback and he will hope for more opportunity there this season.
21-year-old Aitzol Arenzana-King has also made his senior debut and brings dazzling finishing to the party, as well as a big 6ft 3ins frame.
Fullback Henry McErlean and wing Andrew Osborne both impressed for the superb Ireland U20s side this year, marking themselves out as obvious talents.
Connacht:
- Mack Hansen [25]
- Byron Ralston [23]
- Tiernan O’Halloran [32]
- Diarmuid Kilgallen [23]
- Andrew Smith [23]
- Oran McNulty [23]
- Liam McNamara [26]
- Chay Mullins [21]
- Josh O’Connor [22]
- Shane Mallon [21]
-
James Nicholson [20]
Hansen has been nothing short of a sensation since pitching up in Connacht in 2021. He’s Ireland’s first-choice right wing and continues to improve with every Test. Proactive on both sides of the ball, Hansen is Connacht and Ireland’s jack in the box.
He has largely been used on the wing by Connacht but has also started games at fullback, moving there last night due to a first-half injury to Tiernan O’Halloran, but has to play at number 15 for Ireland. Nonetheless, Hansen’s game-reading ability and passing skills have been useful for Farrell’s side.
Argentina wing Santiago Cordero was the big-name signing in Connacht ahead of this season but he suffered a serious knee injury just after joining and will be sidelined for months to come.
Ex-Australia 7s international John Porch has been a first-team regular at wing and fullback since joining in 2019 and he has been exploring the possibility of qualifying for Ireland next year, having lived here for five years. It’s still unclear whether he will be eligible, but he has been good for Connacht.
Byron Ralston, who arrived last season, is definitely Irish-qualified through his family and had a strong first campaign with the province in 2022/23. Capable of playing out wide or in the number 13 shirt, which he wore against Leinster last night, Ralston is a powerful presence.
23-year-old wing Diarmuid Kilgallen broke through on the wing for Connacht last season but somehow remains a little under the radar, even after a prolific start to the current campaign. Kildare man Kilgallen came through Connacht’s academy and continues to improve.
32-year-old fullback O’Halloran made his Connacht debut in 2009 but continues to hold down the number 15 shirt now, having bounced back after a couple of quieter seasons. With more than 200 appearances for Connacht, as well as six Ireland caps, his experience is positive for the group.
Wing/fullback Andrew Smith joined from Leinster at the start of this season, having shone for the Ireland 7s side in recent years. The 23-year-old is a hard worker and possesses acrobatic finishing skills. He was on the Emerging Ireland tour in 2022.
Oran McNulty, the 23-year-old fullback, will hope to add to his 14 senior caps this season, while the versatile Irish-qualified Liam McNamara, another Ireland 7s international, adds further to Connacht’s depth.
Senior squad centres Shayne Bolton and Shane Jennings also play on the wing, while academy midfielder Hugh Gavin could possibly push through out wide as well.
There are other back three players in the Connacht academy. Former Ireland U20s star Chay Mullins – who was on the Emerging Ireland tour last year – is with the Ireland 7s squad, while there are three more Ireland U20s graduates there in Josh O’Connor, Shane Mallon [who can play centre], and James Nicholson, the last of whom was a starter for this year’s excellent U20s side.
Ulster:
- Jacob Stockdale [27]
- Robert Baloucoune [26]
- Will Addison [31]
- Mike Lowry [25]
- Ethan McIlroy [23]
- Aaron Sexton [23]
- Ben Moxham [22]
- Shea O’Brien [24]
- Rory Telfer [20]
- Ethan Graham [19]
- Lukas Kenny [19]
- Ben McFarlane [19]
As with their midfield stocks, Ulster have plenty of choice in the back three. 27-year-old left wing Jacob Stockdale has previously been a star first-choice player for Ireland but has just one cap for his country since 2021. He was involved in the World Cup pre-season but missed out on the final squad.
Right wing Robert Baloucoune wasn’t part of that wider World Cup preparation group after a frustrating 2022/23 season in which injuries contributed to him losing momentum. A supreme athlete who makes good defensive decisions, the four-times-capped Enniskillen flyer must now battle back into the mix.
Unlucky fullback Will Addison is back from a long-term leg injury and while he has shown understandable rust, there have also been glimpses of his intelligent, languid, incisive qualities. 31-year-old Addison has five Ireland caps and made a run at the 2019 World Cup squad, but hasn’t featured for Farrell’s side since 2021.
His fellow fullback Mike Lowry won his first cap against Italy in the 2022 Six Nations, scoring two tries, and toured New Zealand with Farrell’s men that summer but hasn’t been involved since. He’s currently sidelined by a hip injury but is still just 25 and will back his game-breaking skills to help him make a dent again in the future.
23-year-old Ethan McIlroy is also out at the moment after a nasty facial injury against Munster a few weeks ago but has become a trusted operator on the wing or at fullback for Dan McFarland’s side. He was included on the Emerging Ireland tour last year.
Senior squad centre Stewart Moore is another strong option at fullback, where he made four starts last season, while emerging centre Jude Postlethwaite can also play on the wing and out-half Jake Flannery has history as a fullback.
Wing Aaron Sexton, 23, is perhaps the fastest man in Irish rugby and it’s always a thrill when he gets possession in space but he hasn’t been able to push past the other Ulster wings to get many starts. He’ll be aiming for Champions Cup exposure as his next step.
22-year-old Ben Moxham is a big, powerful presence on the wing or in midfield at 6ft 3ins and over 100kg. He has racked up 31 appearances for the province, having previously played for the Ireland U20s and Ireland 7s.
Ulster have more depth with fullback Shea O’Brien, who joined the province after impressing in the All-Ireland League with City of Armagh. The 24-year-old has yet to get a senior debut for Ulster.
In the Ulster academy, there is further talent in Rory Telfer, who was with the Ireland U20s this year, and a trio who are in their first year out of school - Ethan Graham, Lukas Kenny, and Ben McFarlane. All three are exciting prospects.
Munster:
- Calvin Nash [26]
- Shane Daly [26]
- Mike Haley [29]
- Simon Zebo [33]
- Patrick Campbell [21]
- Liam Coombes [26]
- Colm Hogan [26]
- Shay McCarthy [21]
- Ben O’Connor [19]
The recent retirements of Earls and Conway mean it’s a new era in the Munster back three, even if 33-year-old Simon Zebo showed he still has something to offer with a rare start at fullback against Leinster last weekend.
Zebo hasn’t worked his way back into the Ireland mix since returning from Paris in 2021 but he’ll hope for a few more chances in big games with Munster this season.
26-year-old wing Calvin Nash was excellent as Munster won the URC last season, defending with his usual levels of aggression and adapting intuitively to the expansive style of attack. That brought him into the Ireland picture and he made his debut in the World Cup warm-ups before missing out on selection for the tournament.
As a key figure with Munster, he’ll be pushing his claim again in the coming months, while his fellow 26-year-old Shane Daly will also be eager to force his way into the reckoning under Farrell.
An excellent defender, Daly can play at fullback, on the wing, or at outside centre, and he won two Ireland caps in the 2020/21 season but hasn’t featured since. However, he played for Emerging Ireland and Ireland A last season so is clearly still on the radar.
Fullback Mike Haley, who is sidelined with a hip injury at present, seemingly hasn’t been in the Ireland picture despite his consistent quality for Munster. He won his only Ireland cap in 2019 before the World Cup. When he recovers from surgery and gets back in action, he will hope to make his point.
21-year-old Pa Campbell is also injured at the moment but has shown great potential early on in his Munster career, with four tries in his first 12 appearances. Capable of playing on the wing or at fullback, he could have a bright future.
Wing Liam Coombes, who can also play at number 13, has had bad luck with injuries, while Munster recently brought fullback/wing Colm Hogan in as short-term cover in their back three.
It has been interesting to see former Connacht and Exeter centre Sean O’Brien used on the wing early this season by Munster. His first three starts for the province have all been on the wing and that could continue given how well Alex Nankivell and Antoine Frisch are playing in midfield.
Academy wing Shay McCarthy has enjoyed plenty of exposure in the early stages of this campaign, while 19-year-old Ben O’Connor also recently made his debut and now looks set to star for the Ireland U20s.
Munster have called on out-halves Jack Crowley and Joey Carbery, who’s out injured for the coming months, at fullback in the past. Indeed, some Munster fans would love to see Carbery used more in the number 15 shirt when he’s back from his latest injury.
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For earlier articles in this series, click the links below.
