ANDY FARRELL WILL watch the URC final next Friday hoping to see Ireland’s Leinster contingent showing their class on a big occasion, but his fingers will also be crossed that there are no casualties from the clash with the Bulls.
While the Ireland head coach always embraces the challenges caused by injuries, he wants as strong a hand to choose from for next month’s Nations Championship games against Australia, Japan and New Zealand. There are already a few good players missing.
The Munster, Connacht and Ulster men who are in Farrell’s plans for the summer will gather early next week to begin preparations for the trip to Australia and New Zealand, while the Leinster players will keep their focus on the URC decider at Croke Park.
Farrell’s touring squad will be announced on Wednesday 17 June, and it’s likely to be a group of fewer than 35 players.
As ever, there will be a strong element of continuity in Farrell’s Ireland squad as they look to pick up off the back of their Triple Crown success in March.
The hope is that the Leinster players named next Wednesday will come through the URC final unscathed, with loosehead prop Andrew Porter already having emerged as a big worry after suffering a calf injury in last weekend’s semi-final win over the Stormers.
Porter’s body language as he limped off was concerning, and he is a major doubt for Leinster’s clash with the Bulls, as well as Ireland’s tour.
Leinster and Ireland captain Caelan Doris took a knock to the knee last weekend and was wearing a leg brace at the Leinster Rugby awards on Tuesday evening, but it’s hoped that he will recover quickly.
Leinster seemingly still hope to have Doris available for the URC final, and Ireland appear to be banking on having their skipper ready to go for their tour.
Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong missed the semi-final due to injuries but are expected to be back in the mix for Leinster next week. Tommy O’Brien wasn’t involved in the Stormers clash either, but he did complete the pre-game warm-up with Leinster.
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Andrew Porter was injured last weekend [file photo]. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
However, Munster out-half Jack Crowley is another big worry for Farrell, having missed the end of his province’s season with a thigh injury.
Crowley hasn’t played since 18 April due to what Munster boss Clayton McMillan described as an “obscure” injury, which has involved the out-half feeling fine most of the time before being hit with “a dead leg” sensation when he runs.
Ireland certainly won’t take any risks with Crowley if that issue hasn’t subsided. It would be very tough for the Munster man to miss out on the tour, given that he earned Ireland’s number 10 shirt during the Six Nations.
If Crowley is to be ruled out, Farrell could call on Sam Prendergast, Harry Byrne, and Ciarán Frawley as his three out-halves, although Ulster’s uncapped Jack Murphy made promising progress with his province this season.
Munster captain Tadhg Beirne is another man who has been sidelined recently, with a knee injury keeping him out of the end of his province’s season. However, there appears to be a degree of optimism that he could recover in time to feature for Ireland.
It has already been confirmed that Connacht’s Mack Hansen will not make a return from his foot injury this summer, with both province and national team keen to ensure he hits the ground running next season.
Farrell’s options in the back three will also be affected by the confirmation of James Lowe’s exit from Irish rugby. The 33-year-old is set for a move to Japanese club rugby next season, and it’s not expected that he will feature on the Irish tour before leaving.
Farrell would have been delighted to see Robert Baloucoune making his return from injury for Ulster in the Challenge Cup final, when the flying wing scored a sensational solo try.
Baloucoune made a major breakthrough in Ireland’s number 14 shirt during the Six Nations and already looks like an important player for Farrell, so his recovery from the elbow injury he suffered on the final day of the Six Nations is a boost.
Leinster’s Ryan Baird fractured his leg while playing for Ireland last November and though he made a return with his province in April, he suffered some sort of recurrence and hasn’t played again since. It’s not thought that he will feature with Ireland.
Robert Baloucoune is back from his elbow injury. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Ireland’s plans at loosehead will be interesting if Porter remains sidelined.
He missed the entire Six Nations this year due to a calf injury, with Porter’s two understudies also sidelined for that campaign: Jack Boyle with an Achilles rupture and Paddy McCarthy with a foot injury. Boyle and McCarthy are still out of action now – the latter after suffering a new foot injury – and will miss Ireland summer trip.
In their absence, Tom O’Toole emerged as one of the success stories of the Six Nations for Ireland, with the Ulster man switching over from tighthead and ending the campaign as the starter at loosehead prop. If Porter is ruled out, O’Toole seems likely to continue in the number one shirt.
The emergence of 20-year-old Billy Bohan with Connacht makes him a good bet to tour with Ireland. He was called up to the Six Nations squad after the injury to Boyle and is said to have impressed in camp. Bohan’s powerful form for Connacht ever since has underlined his potential.
Jeremy Loughman, who started the first three games of the Six Nations at loosehead, will likely be in the selection mix again, although his Munster team-mate Michael Milne was sidelined at the end of the province’s season.
Bohan will surely be among those hoping for an Ireland debut in July, and it will be interesting to see if Farrell finds room for any other relatively fresh faces.
Ulster scrum-half Nathan Doak and Munster lock Edwin Edogbo made their Test debuts during the Six Nations and would love another chance, while uncapped Munster back row Brian Gleeson was called into camp for the final week of the campaign.
Connacht number eight Sean Jansen is one man who has consistently put his hand up this season and seems to have the explosive power to make an impact at international level. The 27-year-old has already played for Ireland’s A and XV sides, so he has certainly been on Farrell’s radar.
This Ireland tour comes at the end of a long year of rugby, which has seen Farrell’s frontliners come off the Lions tour of Australia, go into the November Tests, play for their provinces, feature in the Six Nations, and then wrap up their provincial campaigns.
However, it doesn’t seem that Farrell will choose to leave a group of key figures at home to allow them to rest as the 2027 World Cup now looms.
It appears more likely that Farrell and Ireland will maintain confidence that the IRFU’s player management will allow those players to fire once again on this trip to Australia and New Zealand.
All will be revealed next week as the next chapter of Farrell’s journey with Ireland begins.
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Farrell prepares to name Ireland tour squad amid injury concerns
ANDY FARRELL WILL watch the URC final next Friday hoping to see Ireland’s Leinster contingent showing their class on a big occasion, but his fingers will also be crossed that there are no casualties from the clash with the Bulls.
While the Ireland head coach always embraces the challenges caused by injuries, he wants as strong a hand to choose from for next month’s Nations Championship games against Australia, Japan and New Zealand. There are already a few good players missing.
The Munster, Connacht and Ulster men who are in Farrell’s plans for the summer will gather early next week to begin preparations for the trip to Australia and New Zealand, while the Leinster players will keep their focus on the URC decider at Croke Park.
Farrell’s touring squad will be announced on Wednesday 17 June, and it’s likely to be a group of fewer than 35 players.
As ever, there will be a strong element of continuity in Farrell’s Ireland squad as they look to pick up off the back of their Triple Crown success in March.
The hope is that the Leinster players named next Wednesday will come through the URC final unscathed, with loosehead prop Andrew Porter already having emerged as a big worry after suffering a calf injury in last weekend’s semi-final win over the Stormers.
Porter’s body language as he limped off was concerning, and he is a major doubt for Leinster’s clash with the Bulls, as well as Ireland’s tour.
Leinster and Ireland captain Caelan Doris took a knock to the knee last weekend and was wearing a leg brace at the Leinster Rugby awards on Tuesday evening, but it’s hoped that he will recover quickly.
Leinster seemingly still hope to have Doris available for the URC final, and Ireland appear to be banking on having their skipper ready to go for their tour.
Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong missed the semi-final due to injuries but are expected to be back in the mix for Leinster next week. Tommy O’Brien wasn’t involved in the Stormers clash either, but he did complete the pre-game warm-up with Leinster.
However, Munster out-half Jack Crowley is another big worry for Farrell, having missed the end of his province’s season with a thigh injury.
Crowley hasn’t played since 18 April due to what Munster boss Clayton McMillan described as an “obscure” injury, which has involved the out-half feeling fine most of the time before being hit with “a dead leg” sensation when he runs.
Ireland certainly won’t take any risks with Crowley if that issue hasn’t subsided. It would be very tough for the Munster man to miss out on the tour, given that he earned Ireland’s number 10 shirt during the Six Nations.
If Crowley is to be ruled out, Farrell could call on Sam Prendergast, Harry Byrne, and Ciarán Frawley as his three out-halves, although Ulster’s uncapped Jack Murphy made promising progress with his province this season.
Munster captain Tadhg Beirne is another man who has been sidelined recently, with a knee injury keeping him out of the end of his province’s season. However, there appears to be a degree of optimism that he could recover in time to feature for Ireland.
It has already been confirmed that Connacht’s Mack Hansen will not make a return from his foot injury this summer, with both province and national team keen to ensure he hits the ground running next season.
Farrell’s options in the back three will also be affected by the confirmation of James Lowe’s exit from Irish rugby. The 33-year-old is set for a move to Japanese club rugby next season, and it’s not expected that he will feature on the Irish tour before leaving.
Farrell would have been delighted to see Robert Baloucoune making his return from injury for Ulster in the Challenge Cup final, when the flying wing scored a sensational solo try.
Baloucoune made a major breakthrough in Ireland’s number 14 shirt during the Six Nations and already looks like an important player for Farrell, so his recovery from the elbow injury he suffered on the final day of the Six Nations is a boost.
Leinster’s Ryan Baird fractured his leg while playing for Ireland last November and though he made a return with his province in April, he suffered some sort of recurrence and hasn’t played again since. It’s not thought that he will feature with Ireland.
Ireland’s plans at loosehead will be interesting if Porter remains sidelined.
He missed the entire Six Nations this year due to a calf injury, with Porter’s two understudies also sidelined for that campaign: Jack Boyle with an Achilles rupture and Paddy McCarthy with a foot injury. Boyle and McCarthy are still out of action now – the latter after suffering a new foot injury – and will miss Ireland summer trip.
In their absence, Tom O’Toole emerged as one of the success stories of the Six Nations for Ireland, with the Ulster man switching over from tighthead and ending the campaign as the starter at loosehead prop. If Porter is ruled out, O’Toole seems likely to continue in the number one shirt.
The emergence of 20-year-old Billy Bohan with Connacht makes him a good bet to tour with Ireland. He was called up to the Six Nations squad after the injury to Boyle and is said to have impressed in camp. Bohan’s powerful form for Connacht ever since has underlined his potential.
Jeremy Loughman, who started the first three games of the Six Nations at loosehead, will likely be in the selection mix again, although his Munster team-mate Michael Milne was sidelined at the end of the province’s season.
Bohan will surely be among those hoping for an Ireland debut in July, and it will be interesting to see if Farrell finds room for any other relatively fresh faces.
Ulster scrum-half Nathan Doak and Munster lock Edwin Edogbo made their Test debuts during the Six Nations and would love another chance, while uncapped Munster back row Brian Gleeson was called into camp for the final week of the campaign.
Connacht number eight Sean Jansen is one man who has consistently put his hand up this season and seems to have the explosive power to make an impact at international level. The 27-year-old has already played for Ireland’s A and XV sides, so he has certainly been on Farrell’s radar.
This Ireland tour comes at the end of a long year of rugby, which has seen Farrell’s frontliners come off the Lions tour of Australia, go into the November Tests, play for their provinces, feature in the Six Nations, and then wrap up their provincial campaigns.
However, it doesn’t seem that Farrell will choose to leave a group of key figures at home to allow them to rest as the 2027 World Cup now looms.
It appears more likely that Farrell and Ireland will maintain confidence that the IRFU’s player management will allow those players to fire once again on this trip to Australia and New Zealand.
All will be revealed next week as the next chapter of Farrell’s journey with Ireland begins.
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andy farrell Ireland Options Squad Tour