IRELAND BOSS ANDY Farrell has named his matchday 23 for Saturday’s Six Nations showdown with England at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin [KO 5pm, Virgin Media].
With a Grand Slam on the line this weekend, Farrell’s starting XV shows three changes, while the bench has been reshuffled as a result.
Key duo fit
It was a major blow to lose Garry Ringrose, Iain Henderson, and Rónan Kelleher for this game – and cruel for those players – but Ireland have had good injury news this week too.
Number eight Caelan Doris and hooker Dan Sheehan are among the most in-form players in their position in the world, so their recovery from respective hip and shoulder injuries against Scotland last weekend is massive.
24-year-old Doris has continued to show his complete skillset for Ireland in this Six Nations by carrying, beating defenders, passing, offloading, tackling, jackaling, rucking, and lineout jumping to the highest standard. His combination of physical prowess, deft skill, and rugby intellect make him one of the best in the game.
Sheehan, meanwhile, has grown as a force ever since his Test debut in 2021. He is a savage athlete who is comfortable in wide channels and has the skills to fit into Ireland’s multi-layered attack shapes too. He can deliver a big bang in the tackle and his lineout throwing has been at 100% in this championship.
Gibson-Park nod at 9
Conor Murray has had a good Six Nations, but the impact Jamison Gibson-Park had off the bench last weekend at Murrayfield made Farrell’s decision at number nine this week relatively straightforward.
Prior to the hamstring injury he suffered the day before the opening Six Nations game against Wales, Gibson-Park had established himself as one of Ireland’s key men. He fits perfectly into the Farrell plan.
We saw again last weekend how his creativity and vision allow him to pick out wonderful passes, while his sheer pace is a major attribute in attack and defence. Gibson-Park’s improved kicking game was evident too with that hanging box kick for Mack Hansen to win back before the James Lowe try that Gibson-Park assisted with a smart floated pass.
Murray returns to the bench role he has performed well in for Ireland over the last couple of seasons and Farrell will be confident that he can help guide the team home to a Grand Slam. But Gibson-Park could be crucial in putting Ireland into a winning position.
Baird unleashed
Word from Ireland camp is that 23-year-old Baird has brought a refined maturity to his work during this campaign. It’s long been known that the lock/flanker hybrid is a freak athlete but now he’s bringing maximum intent and consistency to everything he does.
The results have been clear. Baird was outstanding off the Irish bench in Rome in round three, with Farrell making the argument that he could have been player of the match despite getting only 28 minutes at Stadio Olimpico.
Last weekend, Baird got on earlier than expected after Henderson’s injury. He was excellent again in that 56-minute outing. Funnily enough, it hasn’t been Baird’s explosive ball-carrying that has shone most during those two games.
He has still gone for 31 metres in eight carries but his seven passes and one offload have stood out more. Baird’s tip-on, tip-in, and sweep passes have been crucial to Mack Hansen’s second try against Italy and the right wing’s score against the Scots.
Baird’s lineout work has been sharp too, meaning Ireland forwards coach Paul O’Connell has been a happy man. Now, with Henderson and Tadhg Beirne missing, Baird is unleashed for just his third Test start in the second row.
Henshaw back at 13
Ringrose was badly missed against Italy when he had to sit that game out with a calf injury and now Ireland have to do without him for an even bigger fixture.
Last time around, Bundee Aki wore the number 13 jersey but didn’t look comfortable with the defensive demands of the role. Ireland’s shortcomings in defence were certainly not all on Aki but we know that it’s a very difficult position to defend in.
This Saturday, Robbie Henshaw will take up the mantle and he should be far happier there as Aki continues at inside centre. Whereas Aki had never started a game at 13 for Ireland before the Italy clash, Henshaw has plenty of experience there.
Henshaw has started 18 games at outside centre for Ireland, including the third Test against New Zealand last summer. Indeed, it was an Aki-Henshaw pairing in midfield for that great day so Farrell will have total faith in his centre pairing for this weekend.
The occasion makes it exciting for everyone but Henshaw will be buzzing because this is his first Ireland start since he lasted just four minutes against Fiji last autumn. He was forced off with a hamstring injury that day, then had wrist surgery, but is finally fully fit again. After a replacement appearance in Edinburgh, Henshaw will be raring to impact from the off against the English.
- This article was updated at 10.03am on 17 March to add the word ‘one’ to the eighth paragraph.
