IRELAND HAVE PLAYED 22 Tests since the 2023 World Cup, with a total of 60 players capped in that time.
There have been 18 Ireland debuts in those last 22 games.
Andy Farrell’s men have 19, 20, or 21 internationals left until the 2027 World Cup, depending on how many warm-up matches they play before that tournament and whether they confirm an additional out-of-window Test in November 2026.
So this is a good time to take stock of the players Farrell has used in this World Cup cycle.
The five players who have played the most Test minutes under Farrell since the 2023 World Cup are Caelan Doris [1454 minutes], Tadhg Beirne [1422], James Lowe [1360], Josh van der Flier [1187], and Robbie Henshaw [1186].
We know that Farrell doesn’t believe there is a huge crop of uncapped players out there who can drastically improve his current squad, so it seems unlikely that he will bring too many new faces into the group in the next two years.
That said, the Ireland A, Ireland XV, and Emerging Ireland squads have been used by the Irish coaches to assess a wider pool of players, so there should be some of that group who kick on to the next level to feature under Farrell.
Loosehead prop
Gary Carr / INPHO
Gary Carr / INPHO / INPHO
1254 mins Andrew Porter [19 starts]
162 Cian Healy [0]
136 Jack Boyle [2]
99 Paddy McCarthy [1]
51 Michael Milne [0]
33 Tom O’Toole [0]
25 Jeremy Loughman [0]
29-year-old Andrew Porter has been an immensely important player across Farrell’s reign, racking up a huge number of minutes in the last World Cup cycle and continuing to do the same in this one. He has started all but one of the 20 frontline Ireland games since 2023, missing the Georgia and Portugal Tests because he was away with the Lions.
Cian Healy remained the second-choice at loosehead almost right up until his retirement after this year’s Six Nations.
Initially, Jack Boyle stepped up to fill Healy’s boots, but Paddy McCarthy broke through forcefully in this autumn window, even getting a first Test start against Australia.
It will be intriguing to see what happens next, with McCarthy’s early impression for Ireland hinting that he could have a similar rise to his older brother, Joe, who quickly became a first-choice player for Farrell. Porter, who was among the Irish players not at their best this autumn in the wake of the Lions tour, will be well up for the fight.
Munster’s Michael Milne, who won his first two caps on the summer tour this year, will continue to push for further recognition, while Farrell must be concerned that Porter, McCarthy, and Boyle are all vying for game time in Leinster.
Jeremy Loughman of Munster got a cap off the bench in the 2024 Six Nations, while Ireland experimented with Ulster tighthead Tom O’Toole at loosehead against Fiji in November 2024.
Hooker
Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
781 Dan Sheehan [12]
622 Rónan Kelleher [7]
240 Gus McCarthy [3]
66 Rob Herring [0]
51 Tom Stewart [0]
While Dan Sheehan was also among the senior Ireland players who didn’t quite scale the full heights of their ability, which is elite in his case, he remains one of the leading players in his position in the world.
Sheehan and second-choice hooker Rónan Kelleher, who is a powerful presence in close quarters, are both only 27 and will feel that their best rugby is ahead of them.
22-year-old Gus McCarthy has emerged as the third-in-line since November 2024 but, again, Farrell may be worried about him getting enough frontline minutes with Leinster, given that Sheehan and Kelleher also play for the province.
35-year-old Rob Herring, a consistent performer in recent seasons, won his most recent cap in the 2025 Six Nations but hasn’t been involved since, while his Ulster team-mate, Tom Stewart, returned to the set-up last summer after a long hiatus. Stewart also recently captained the Ireland XV against Spain.
Tighthead prop
Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
716 Finlay Bealham [9]
556 Tadhg Furlong [9]
366 Thomas Clarkson [4]
81 Tom O’Toole [0]
26 Oli Jager [0]
12 Jack Aungier [0]
Farrell must have been relieved to see the highly experienced Tadhg Furlong looking back to his best for the Lions last summer, and his run of fitness has continued through these autumn Tests.
Furlong turned 33 two weeks ago and the 2027 World Cup is a major goal for the Wexford man.
When Furlong was having his injury travails last season, 34-year-old Finlay Bealham was a pivotal figure for Ireland as he racked up starts and earned an injury call-up to the Lions tour as well.
Yet Leinster’s Thomas Clarkson has challenged the pecking order since his debut in November 2024 and he too ended up as part of Farrell’s Lions squad. 25-year-old Clarkson has said he still has lots to learn, but Ireland are pleased with his progress.
Clarkson’s emergence has pushed Ulster’s Tom O’Toole out of the senior squad, but the latter is only 27 and will be determined to add to his 17 caps.
Munster’s Oli Jager, who is currently sidelined with a head injury, won his single cap off the bench in the 2024 Six Nations, while Connacht’s Jack Aungier made his debut against Georgia last summer.
Second row
Joe McCarthy missed the November Tests. Dan Clohessy / INPHO
Dan Clohessy / INPHO / INPHO
1422 Tadhg Beirne [15 +4]
840 Joe McCarthy [13]
796 James Ryan [12]
196 Iain Henderson [0]
140 Darragh Murray [2]
98 Tom Ahern [1]
Not included in the list above are Ryan Baird, who has played in the second row plenty for Ireland but has become the starter at blindside flanker recently, and the dynamic Cormac Izuchukwu, another man who has started at lock and blindside for Ireland.
The established second row trio of Tadhg Beirne, Joe McCarthy, and James Ryan have continued to be the key men in this area, although Beirne has played lots of rugby at blindside for Ireland – four starts in this cycle – and the Lions. 33-year-old Beirne was just named in the World Rugby dream team for 2025.
24-year-old Joe McCarthy was missed by Ireland this month, with his size, power, ball-carrying, and scrummaging at tighthead lock offering something different to Farrell’s other lock options.
In that sense, the Ireland boss would like to have another similar player, which makes the uncapped Munster lock Edwin Edogbo an exciting prospect. The 22-year-old was due to link up with Ireland for their trip to Chicago at the start of the month, but was ruled out due to injury. He is likely to be called up again soon.
James Ryan’s autumn campaign ended disappointingly as he was sent off for a reckless breakdown clearout against the Springboks, but he will back himself to rebound and, at 29, must feel he has lots of top-class rugby ahead.
Ulster man Iain Henderson has continued to be part of Farrell’s set-up, but he hasn’t started a Test since the 2023 World Cup quarter-final. We know that the Ireland coaches value experience and Henderson has lots of it with 85 caps at the age of 33.
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Yet they would love to see younger locks continuing to push through. Connacht’s Darragh Murray is someone they rate. The 24-year-old started both of this year’s summer Tests and was called into the senior squad after playing for the Ireland XV against Spain.
Munster’s Tom Ahern, who can also play at blindside, was unfortunate to be dealing with a head injury during this autumn campaign, denying him a possible third cap in the game against Japan.
Back row
Ryan Baird took over at number six after Peter O'Mahony's retirement. Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
1454 Caelan Doris [18]
1187 Josh van der Flier [17]
848 Ryan Baird [8]
564 Peter O’Mahony [8]
525 Jack Conan [5]
206 Cian Prendergast [1]
132 Cormac Izuchukwu [1 + 1]
164 Nick Timoney [2]
80 Alex Kendellen [1]
65 Gavin Coombes [1]
44 Max Deegan [0]
Captain Caelan Doris’ return to full fitness and strong form was one of the big positives of this November window for Farrell and co.
The 27-year-old has been challenged by the Ireland boss to keep developing his leadership, but there’s no doubt that number eight Doris leads through his all-action performances.
Doris also showed again that he can fill in at number seven, with openside incumbent Josh van der Flier dealing with a hamstring injury before returning against South Africa. 32-year-old van der Flier has continued to rack up a high number of minutes under Farrell, with relatively little competition for his spot.
At blindside, Peter O’Mahony continued to be a big presence through to the end of the 2025 Six Nations, but his retirement has seen 26-year-old Baird take over at number six, where he has started all of Ireland’s last six Tests.
It had always seemed likely that the highly athletic Baird would become a more important figure for Ireland, with Farrell clearly backing him now. Unfortunately, Baird’s fractured leg makes him a doubt for the start of the Six Nations.
33-year-old Jack Conan wasn’t able to hit his best form in this window, having also been a Test starter for the Lions last summer, but he remains the highly valued back-up to Doris at number eight and also started a game at blindside in this year’s Six Nations.
Cian Prendergast, who can play across the back row, and Nick Timoney, who Ireland fancy as an openside, both made progress in these November Tests and they’ll hope to feature again in the 2026 Six Nations.
Openside Alex Kendellen made his debut last summer but was injured at the start of this season, while his Munster team-mate Gavin Coombes ended a long wait for his third cap at number eight against Georgia in July.
Leinster’s versatile Max Deegan played off the bench in both July Tests but like Coombes, he wasn’t involved for the Ireland XV against Spain recently.
Scrum-half
Jamison Gibson-Park is a key figure at scrum-half. Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
1095 Jamison Gibson-Park [15]
461 Craig Casey [6]
221 Conor Murray [1]
40 Caolin Blade [0]
29 Ben Murphy [0]
Jamison Gibson-Park will turn 34 in February, but he doesn’t have as many top-end miles on the clock as some of his peers, so Farrell will be planning for him to continue being a key man until post-2027. It’s useful that Gibson-Park is a good enough rugby player to fill in anywhere else in the backline, as we saw again this month.
Conor Murray retired after this year’s Six Nations, having been a consistent, trusted performer for Farrell, meaning that Craig Casey is clearly now the second-in-line.
To be fair to Casey, he had pushed into that role before Murray stepped away and though the Munster would have liked more than one start this month, Farrell believes in him. 26-year-old Casey captained Ireland last summer, underlining how he is regarded.
24-year-old Ben Murphy won his first two caps off the bench on that trip to Georgia and Portugal, but it was his 31-year-old Connacht team-mate, Caolin Blade, who was selected as the third senior scrum-half this autumn. That spot in the Irish pecking order is one that remains in flux.
Out-half
Jack Crowley and Sam Prendergast. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
1073 Jack Crowley [13]
709 Sam Prendergast [9]
282 Ciarán Frawley [0 + 1]
33 Harry Byrne [0]
Either Jack Crowley or Sam Prendergast has started all of Ireland’s Tests since the 2023 World Cup.
Crowley was the first choice initially, as he played every single minute in Ireland’s 2024 Six Nations success, appearing to set himself up to be the main man at number 10 for the coming years.
However, Ciarán Frawley had a big role on the 2024 tour of South Africa, coming off the bench in both Tests and slotting two late drop goals against the Boks to help Ireland win the second in Durban.
Frawley looked set to challenge Crowley in November 2024, but that’s when Prendergast made his debut and took over as the starting out-half ahead of the 2025 Six Nations.
After a start each last summer, 25-year-old Crowley and 22-year-old Prendergast had two starts apiece in this autumn window, with the latter finishing the campaign as the number 10 against the Springboks.
Frawley’s only Ireland start so far has come at fullback. The other out-half to get game time in this cycle is Leinster man Harry Byrne, who came off the bench twice in the 2024 Six Nations at a time when he had been impressing for his province.
Byrne had a loan spell in Bristol in the second half of last season but is now back in Leinster vying for minutes with Prendergast and Frawley, who has made two starts at inside centre for the province this season.
Byrne wasn’t named in Ireland’s senior squad for the November Tests but played well for the Ireland XV and was name-checked by Farrell several times in the past month.
Centre
Garry Ringrose and Bundee Aki. Gary Carr / INPHO
Gary Carr / INPHO / INPHO
1186 Robbie Henshaw [16]
991 Bundee Aki [12]
684 Garry Ringrose [8]
355 Stuart McCloskey [5]
96 Tom Farrell [1]
80 Hugh Gavin [1]
The frontline quartet of Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, Garry Ringrose, and Stuart McCloskey remained in place for this November window, although the pecking order changed.
33-year-old McCloskey was picked as the starter at inside centre for the clashes with New Zealand and Australia, but was unlucky to be forced off in both games with a groin injury.
That opened the door for 35-year-old Bundee Aki to return to the starting XV for the Springboks game, which 32-year-old Robbie Henshaw missed due to the hamstring injury he suffered against Australia the week before.
With 30-year-old Garry Ringrose absent against the Wallabies, Henshaw started that game at outside centre, where he has featured nearly every time Ringrose has been ruled out.
It’s evident that Farrell is not swayed by players’ ages, but he will hope that his longstanding stalwarts have an uptick in form and fitness over the remainder of this season.
24-year-old Jamie Osborne has started one game for Ireland at outside centre but has been more extensively used in the back three. Osborne now faces four months on the sidelines after a shoulder injury against Japan.
21-year-old Hugh Gavin made his Ireland debut against Portugal last summer and is an exciting athlete, but he has been limited to just one start for Connacht this season so far and will hope to stand out for his province in the coming months.
Munster’s Tom Farrell earned his first two caps this month, having been called up due to injury concerns in midfield. It was a long time coming for Farrell, but he only turned 32 last month and will hope there are more chances ahead for him.
Back three
Tommy O'Brien has broken through on the right wing. Gary Carr / INPHO
Gary Carr / INPHO / INPHO
1360 James Lowe [17]
775 Hugo Keenan [10]
674 Mack Hansen [9]
630 Calvin Nash [9]
580 Jamie Osborne [7 + 1]
404 Tommy O’Brien [6]
175 Jimmy O’Brien [2]
155 Jacob Stockdale [3]
84 Jordan Larmour [1]
80 Shayne Bolton [1]
Left wing James Lowe has remained one of the key personnel in Farrell’s set-up since the 2023 World Cup, starting and finishing 17 of their 22 Tests, which obviously included the two he was absent for while on Lions duty last summer.
Lowe is a durable player who Farrell continues to value but the other two longstanding back three incumbents, Hugo Keenan and Mack Hansen, have missed a fair bit of rugby for Ireland in this World Cup cycle.
Keenan was away on Olympics duty when Ireland went to South Africa in 2024, then he missed this autumn window due to a hip injury. The world-class fullback is expected back for the 2026 Six Nations.
Hansen returned from a foot injury to make his first two Test starts at number 15 in recent weeks but re-injured his foot, which first caused him woe on the Lions tour, and is set for another spell on the sidelines, having also suffered a finger injury.
Hansen missed the 2024 Six Nations and that year’s tour of South Africa, meaning he has had a frustrating couple of years, but Farrell is a huge fan of his quality on the right wing and now at fullback.
Munster right wing Calvin Nash started every game in the 2024 Six Nations and South Africa tour, but a mixture of injury, Hansen being back, and Tommy O’Brien emerging has held him back since. Nash missed out this autumn due to injury.
Tommy O’Brien has started all of Ireland’s last six Tests on the right wing, making a strong impression and scoring five tries along the way. Exposure to Tests against South Africa, Australia, and South Africa – albeit short-lived due to a head injury – will be beneficial for the 27-year-old as he makes up for the time lost to injuries in recent years.
Jamie Osborne has played at fullback, on the left wing, and in both midfield positions for Ireland in his 10-cap Test career, making six of his eight starts in the number 15 shirt.
Jacob Stockdale, who is still 29, appears to be Ireland’s second-choice left wing behind Lowe, but he has been unlucky in getting injured on two of his last three starts in the green jersey, preventing him from putting more pressure on the incumbent.
Connacht wing Shayne Bolton, who can play on the left or right, made his debut against Portugal in July and was with Farrell’s senior squad for a few weeks of this November campaign. The powerful 25-year-old will hope to kick on in the coming seasons.
Jimmy O’Brien got two starts at fullback last summer but was initially left out of this autumn squad before an injury call-up and another cap off the bench against Japan. Overall, it has been a frustrating time for him since the 2023 World Cup quarter-final.
Leinster’s Jordan Larmour made two appearances in the 2024 Six Nations, including a start at fullback in the championship-clinching win against Scotland, but hasn’t featured since.
As mentioned before, Ciarán Frawley started a game at fullback for Ireland in the 2024 Six Nations, while Jack Crowley has played there on a couple of occasions, including last weekend against South Africa.
Emerging, A, and XV
Munster's Edwin Edogbo is highly rated by the Irish coaches.. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Emerging Ireland went on a tour to South Africa in October 2024, while the Ireland A team took on their English counterparts in February 2025, before an Ireland XV team beat Spain this month.
Farrell has spoken effusively about the benefits of these developmental international games, so it’s worth noting who he and his assistants have picked. If there are to be more newcomers ahead of the World Cup, it seems likely they will come from this group.
Anyone who has already been capped by Farrell and mentioned above has been omitted below.
Loosehead: Mark Donnelly, Jordan Duggan, Alex Usanov
Hooker: Diarmuid Barron, Lee Barron, John McKee, Stephen Smyth, Danny Sheahan
Tighthead: Ronan Foxe, Scott Wilson, Sam Illo
Second row: Evan O’Connell, Diarmuid Mangan, Conor O’Tighearnaigh, Harry Sheridan, Fineen Wycherley
Back row: Brian Gleeson, Sean Jansen, James Culhane, Paul Boyle, Seán Edogbo, Alex Soroka, David McCann, Ruadhán Quinn
Centre: Dan Kelly, Hugh Cooney, Cathal Forde, Sean O’Brien, Jude Postlethwaite, Charlie Tector
Back three: Zac Ward, Robert Baloucoune, Shane Daly, Chay Mullins, Ben O’Connor, Andrew Osborne, Rob Russell, Michael Lowry
Munster number eight Brian Gleeson was due to train with Ireland in Chicago ahead of their clash with New Zealand but was ruled out due to a cruelly-timed elbow injury when impressing against Leinster at Croke Park in October.
Like his Munster team-mate, Edwin Edogbo, he looks like someone with the athleticism to make an impact for Ireland. Munster man Evan O’Connell is a different type of lock than Edogbo, but his lineout skills make him one to keep an eye on.
Gleeson has previously trained with Ireland, as has powerful, aggressive Leinster lock Diarmuid Mangan. Explosive Ulster back row James McNabney was due to be part of the Ireland set-up last summer but was ruled out due to an ACL injury. He looks like another potent athlete.
Munster openside John Hodnett hasn’t featured for the development Irish teams in this cycle, but he trained with Farrell’s senior squad during this year’s Six Nations.
Leinster centre Hugh Cooney and Connacht midfielder Cathal Forde were named as development players under Farrell for this year’s Six Nations, while Munster’s Dan Kelly has made a strong start to life in Irish rugby. Ulster man Jude Postlethwaite was a training panellist before last summer’s tour and is another big, agile man in midfield.
The Irish coaches have looked at lots of different scrum-halves and that battle for third place in the senior pecking order is live, while Ulster wing Robert Baloucoune’s return to form has put Farrell on notice. 28-year-old Baloucoune already has four Ireland caps and possesses the kind of pace and dynamism that can change games.
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Who has Andy Farrell relied on most in this World Cup cycle?
IRELAND HAVE PLAYED 22 Tests since the 2023 World Cup, with a total of 60 players capped in that time.
There have been 18 Ireland debuts in those last 22 games.
Andy Farrell’s men have 19, 20, or 21 internationals left until the 2027 World Cup, depending on how many warm-up matches they play before that tournament and whether they confirm an additional out-of-window Test in November 2026.
So this is a good time to take stock of the players Farrell has used in this World Cup cycle.
The five players who have played the most Test minutes under Farrell since the 2023 World Cup are Caelan Doris [1454 minutes], Tadhg Beirne [1422], James Lowe [1360], Josh van der Flier [1187], and Robbie Henshaw [1186].
We know that Farrell doesn’t believe there is a huge crop of uncapped players out there who can drastically improve his current squad, so it seems unlikely that he will bring too many new faces into the group in the next two years.
That said, the Ireland A, Ireland XV, and Emerging Ireland squads have been used by the Irish coaches to assess a wider pool of players, so there should be some of that group who kick on to the next level to feature under Farrell.
Loosehead prop
29-year-old Andrew Porter has been an immensely important player across Farrell’s reign, racking up a huge number of minutes in the last World Cup cycle and continuing to do the same in this one. He has started all but one of the 20 frontline Ireland games since 2023, missing the Georgia and Portugal Tests because he was away with the Lions.
Cian Healy remained the second-choice at loosehead almost right up until his retirement after this year’s Six Nations.
Initially, Jack Boyle stepped up to fill Healy’s boots, but Paddy McCarthy broke through forcefully in this autumn window, even getting a first Test start against Australia.
It will be intriguing to see what happens next, with McCarthy’s early impression for Ireland hinting that he could have a similar rise to his older brother, Joe, who quickly became a first-choice player for Farrell. Porter, who was among the Irish players not at their best this autumn in the wake of the Lions tour, will be well up for the fight.
Munster’s Michael Milne, who won his first two caps on the summer tour this year, will continue to push for further recognition, while Farrell must be concerned that Porter, McCarthy, and Boyle are all vying for game time in Leinster.
Jeremy Loughman of Munster got a cap off the bench in the 2024 Six Nations, while Ireland experimented with Ulster tighthead Tom O’Toole at loosehead against Fiji in November 2024.
Hooker
While Dan Sheehan was also among the senior Ireland players who didn’t quite scale the full heights of their ability, which is elite in his case, he remains one of the leading players in his position in the world.
Sheehan and second-choice hooker Rónan Kelleher, who is a powerful presence in close quarters, are both only 27 and will feel that their best rugby is ahead of them.
22-year-old Gus McCarthy has emerged as the third-in-line since November 2024 but, again, Farrell may be worried about him getting enough frontline minutes with Leinster, given that Sheehan and Kelleher also play for the province.
35-year-old Rob Herring, a consistent performer in recent seasons, won his most recent cap in the 2025 Six Nations but hasn’t been involved since, while his Ulster team-mate, Tom Stewart, returned to the set-up last summer after a long hiatus. Stewart also recently captained the Ireland XV against Spain.
Tighthead prop
Farrell must have been relieved to see the highly experienced Tadhg Furlong looking back to his best for the Lions last summer, and his run of fitness has continued through these autumn Tests.
Furlong turned 33 two weeks ago and the 2027 World Cup is a major goal for the Wexford man.
When Furlong was having his injury travails last season, 34-year-old Finlay Bealham was a pivotal figure for Ireland as he racked up starts and earned an injury call-up to the Lions tour as well.
Yet Leinster’s Thomas Clarkson has challenged the pecking order since his debut in November 2024 and he too ended up as part of Farrell’s Lions squad. 25-year-old Clarkson has said he still has lots to learn, but Ireland are pleased with his progress.
Clarkson’s emergence has pushed Ulster’s Tom O’Toole out of the senior squad, but the latter is only 27 and will be determined to add to his 17 caps.
Munster’s Oli Jager, who is currently sidelined with a head injury, won his single cap off the bench in the 2024 Six Nations, while Connacht’s Jack Aungier made his debut against Georgia last summer.
Second row
Not included in the list above are Ryan Baird, who has played in the second row plenty for Ireland but has become the starter at blindside flanker recently, and the dynamic Cormac Izuchukwu, another man who has started at lock and blindside for Ireland.
The established second row trio of Tadhg Beirne, Joe McCarthy, and James Ryan have continued to be the key men in this area, although Beirne has played lots of rugby at blindside for Ireland – four starts in this cycle – and the Lions. 33-year-old Beirne was just named in the World Rugby dream team for 2025.
24-year-old Joe McCarthy was missed by Ireland this month, with his size, power, ball-carrying, and scrummaging at tighthead lock offering something different to Farrell’s other lock options.
In that sense, the Ireland boss would like to have another similar player, which makes the uncapped Munster lock Edwin Edogbo an exciting prospect. The 22-year-old was due to link up with Ireland for their trip to Chicago at the start of the month, but was ruled out due to injury. He is likely to be called up again soon.
James Ryan’s autumn campaign ended disappointingly as he was sent off for a reckless breakdown clearout against the Springboks, but he will back himself to rebound and, at 29, must feel he has lots of top-class rugby ahead.
Ulster man Iain Henderson has continued to be part of Farrell’s set-up, but he hasn’t started a Test since the 2023 World Cup quarter-final. We know that the Ireland coaches value experience and Henderson has lots of it with 85 caps at the age of 33.
Yet they would love to see younger locks continuing to push through. Connacht’s Darragh Murray is someone they rate. The 24-year-old started both of this year’s summer Tests and was called into the senior squad after playing for the Ireland XV against Spain.
Munster’s Tom Ahern, who can also play at blindside, was unfortunate to be dealing with a head injury during this autumn campaign, denying him a possible third cap in the game against Japan.
Back row
Captain Caelan Doris’ return to full fitness and strong form was one of the big positives of this November window for Farrell and co.
The 27-year-old has been challenged by the Ireland boss to keep developing his leadership, but there’s no doubt that number eight Doris leads through his all-action performances.
Doris also showed again that he can fill in at number seven, with openside incumbent Josh van der Flier dealing with a hamstring injury before returning against South Africa. 32-year-old van der Flier has continued to rack up a high number of minutes under Farrell, with relatively little competition for his spot.
At blindside, Peter O’Mahony continued to be a big presence through to the end of the 2025 Six Nations, but his retirement has seen 26-year-old Baird take over at number six, where he has started all of Ireland’s last six Tests.
It had always seemed likely that the highly athletic Baird would become a more important figure for Ireland, with Farrell clearly backing him now. Unfortunately, Baird’s fractured leg makes him a doubt for the start of the Six Nations.
33-year-old Jack Conan wasn’t able to hit his best form in this window, having also been a Test starter for the Lions last summer, but he remains the highly valued back-up to Doris at number eight and also started a game at blindside in this year’s Six Nations.
Cian Prendergast, who can play across the back row, and Nick Timoney, who Ireland fancy as an openside, both made progress in these November Tests and they’ll hope to feature again in the 2026 Six Nations.
Openside Alex Kendellen made his debut last summer but was injured at the start of this season, while his Munster team-mate Gavin Coombes ended a long wait for his third cap at number eight against Georgia in July.
Leinster’s versatile Max Deegan played off the bench in both July Tests but like Coombes, he wasn’t involved for the Ireland XV against Spain recently.
Scrum-half
Jamison Gibson-Park will turn 34 in February, but he doesn’t have as many top-end miles on the clock as some of his peers, so Farrell will be planning for him to continue being a key man until post-2027. It’s useful that Gibson-Park is a good enough rugby player to fill in anywhere else in the backline, as we saw again this month.
Conor Murray retired after this year’s Six Nations, having been a consistent, trusted performer for Farrell, meaning that Craig Casey is clearly now the second-in-line.
To be fair to Casey, he had pushed into that role before Murray stepped away and though the Munster would have liked more than one start this month, Farrell believes in him. 26-year-old Casey captained Ireland last summer, underlining how he is regarded.
24-year-old Ben Murphy won his first two caps off the bench on that trip to Georgia and Portugal, but it was his 31-year-old Connacht team-mate, Caolin Blade, who was selected as the third senior scrum-half this autumn. That spot in the Irish pecking order is one that remains in flux.
Out-half
Either Jack Crowley or Sam Prendergast has started all of Ireland’s Tests since the 2023 World Cup.
Crowley was the first choice initially, as he played every single minute in Ireland’s 2024 Six Nations success, appearing to set himself up to be the main man at number 10 for the coming years.
However, Ciarán Frawley had a big role on the 2024 tour of South Africa, coming off the bench in both Tests and slotting two late drop goals against the Boks to help Ireland win the second in Durban.
Frawley looked set to challenge Crowley in November 2024, but that’s when Prendergast made his debut and took over as the starting out-half ahead of the 2025 Six Nations.
After a start each last summer, 25-year-old Crowley and 22-year-old Prendergast had two starts apiece in this autumn window, with the latter finishing the campaign as the number 10 against the Springboks.
Frawley’s only Ireland start so far has come at fullback. The other out-half to get game time in this cycle is Leinster man Harry Byrne, who came off the bench twice in the 2024 Six Nations at a time when he had been impressing for his province.
Byrne had a loan spell in Bristol in the second half of last season but is now back in Leinster vying for minutes with Prendergast and Frawley, who has made two starts at inside centre for the province this season.
Byrne wasn’t named in Ireland’s senior squad for the November Tests but played well for the Ireland XV and was name-checked by Farrell several times in the past month.
Centre
The frontline quartet of Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, Garry Ringrose, and Stuart McCloskey remained in place for this November window, although the pecking order changed.
33-year-old McCloskey was picked as the starter at inside centre for the clashes with New Zealand and Australia, but was unlucky to be forced off in both games with a groin injury.
That opened the door for 35-year-old Bundee Aki to return to the starting XV for the Springboks game, which 32-year-old Robbie Henshaw missed due to the hamstring injury he suffered against Australia the week before.
With 30-year-old Garry Ringrose absent against the Wallabies, Henshaw started that game at outside centre, where he has featured nearly every time Ringrose has been ruled out.
It’s evident that Farrell is not swayed by players’ ages, but he will hope that his longstanding stalwarts have an uptick in form and fitness over the remainder of this season.
24-year-old Jamie Osborne has started one game for Ireland at outside centre but has been more extensively used in the back three. Osborne now faces four months on the sidelines after a shoulder injury against Japan.
21-year-old Hugh Gavin made his Ireland debut against Portugal last summer and is an exciting athlete, but he has been limited to just one start for Connacht this season so far and will hope to stand out for his province in the coming months.
Munster’s Tom Farrell earned his first two caps this month, having been called up due to injury concerns in midfield. It was a long time coming for Farrell, but he only turned 32 last month and will hope there are more chances ahead for him.
Back three
Left wing James Lowe has remained one of the key personnel in Farrell’s set-up since the 2023 World Cup, starting and finishing 17 of their 22 Tests, which obviously included the two he was absent for while on Lions duty last summer.
Lowe is a durable player who Farrell continues to value but the other two longstanding back three incumbents, Hugo Keenan and Mack Hansen, have missed a fair bit of rugby for Ireland in this World Cup cycle.
Keenan was away on Olympics duty when Ireland went to South Africa in 2024, then he missed this autumn window due to a hip injury. The world-class fullback is expected back for the 2026 Six Nations.
Hansen returned from a foot injury to make his first two Test starts at number 15 in recent weeks but re-injured his foot, which first caused him woe on the Lions tour, and is set for another spell on the sidelines, having also suffered a finger injury.
Hansen missed the 2024 Six Nations and that year’s tour of South Africa, meaning he has had a frustrating couple of years, but Farrell is a huge fan of his quality on the right wing and now at fullback.
Munster right wing Calvin Nash started every game in the 2024 Six Nations and South Africa tour, but a mixture of injury, Hansen being back, and Tommy O’Brien emerging has held him back since. Nash missed out this autumn due to injury.
Tommy O’Brien has started all of Ireland’s last six Tests on the right wing, making a strong impression and scoring five tries along the way. Exposure to Tests against South Africa, Australia, and South Africa – albeit short-lived due to a head injury – will be beneficial for the 27-year-old as he makes up for the time lost to injuries in recent years.
Jamie Osborne has played at fullback, on the left wing, and in both midfield positions for Ireland in his 10-cap Test career, making six of his eight starts in the number 15 shirt.
Jacob Stockdale, who is still 29, appears to be Ireland’s second-choice left wing behind Lowe, but he has been unlucky in getting injured on two of his last three starts in the green jersey, preventing him from putting more pressure on the incumbent.
Connacht wing Shayne Bolton, who can play on the left or right, made his debut against Portugal in July and was with Farrell’s senior squad for a few weeks of this November campaign. The powerful 25-year-old will hope to kick on in the coming seasons.
Jimmy O’Brien got two starts at fullback last summer but was initially left out of this autumn squad before an injury call-up and another cap off the bench against Japan. Overall, it has been a frustrating time for him since the 2023 World Cup quarter-final.
Leinster’s Jordan Larmour made two appearances in the 2024 Six Nations, including a start at fullback in the championship-clinching win against Scotland, but hasn’t featured since.
As mentioned before, Ciarán Frawley started a game at fullback for Ireland in the 2024 Six Nations, while Jack Crowley has played there on a couple of occasions, including last weekend against South Africa.
Emerging, A, and XV
Emerging Ireland went on a tour to South Africa in October 2024, while the Ireland A team took on their English counterparts in February 2025, before an Ireland XV team beat Spain this month.
Farrell has spoken effusively about the benefits of these developmental international games, so it’s worth noting who he and his assistants have picked. If there are to be more newcomers ahead of the World Cup, it seems likely they will come from this group.
Anyone who has already been capped by Farrell and mentioned above has been omitted below.
Loosehead: Mark Donnelly, Jordan Duggan, Alex Usanov
Hooker: Diarmuid Barron, Lee Barron, John McKee, Stephen Smyth, Danny Sheahan
Tighthead: Ronan Foxe, Scott Wilson, Sam Illo
Second row: Evan O’Connell, Diarmuid Mangan, Conor O’Tighearnaigh, Harry Sheridan, Fineen Wycherley
Back row: Brian Gleeson, Sean Jansen, James Culhane, Paul Boyle, Seán Edogbo, Alex Soroka, David McCann, Ruadhán Quinn
Scrum-half: Nathan Doak, Ethan Coughlan, Matthew Devine, Fintan Gunne, Cormac Foley
Out-half: Jack Murphy
Centre: Dan Kelly, Hugh Cooney, Cathal Forde, Sean O’Brien, Jude Postlethwaite, Charlie Tector
Back three: Zac Ward, Robert Baloucoune, Shane Daly, Chay Mullins, Ben O’Connor, Andrew Osborne, Rob Russell, Michael Lowry
Munster number eight Brian Gleeson was due to train with Ireland in Chicago ahead of their clash with New Zealand but was ruled out due to a cruelly-timed elbow injury when impressing against Leinster at Croke Park in October.
Like his Munster team-mate, Edwin Edogbo, he looks like someone with the athleticism to make an impact for Ireland. Munster man Evan O’Connell is a different type of lock than Edogbo, but his lineout skills make him one to keep an eye on.
Gleeson has previously trained with Ireland, as has powerful, aggressive Leinster lock Diarmuid Mangan. Explosive Ulster back row James McNabney was due to be part of the Ireland set-up last summer but was ruled out due to an ACL injury. He looks like another potent athlete.
Munster openside John Hodnett hasn’t featured for the development Irish teams in this cycle, but he trained with Farrell’s senior squad during this year’s Six Nations.
Leinster centre Hugh Cooney and Connacht midfielder Cathal Forde were named as development players under Farrell for this year’s Six Nations, while Munster’s Dan Kelly has made a strong start to life in Irish rugby. Ulster man Jude Postlethwaite was a training panellist before last summer’s tour and is another big, agile man in midfield.
The Irish coaches have looked at lots of different scrum-halves and that battle for third place in the senior pecking order is live, while Ulster wing Robert Baloucoune’s return to form has put Farrell on notice. 28-year-old Baloucoune already has four Ireland caps and possesses the kind of pace and dynamism that can change games.
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