ALTHOUGH THERE IS a dash of adventure with the selection of Cian Prendergast at number eight, there is no mistaking that the Ireland team for this weekend’s clash with England is close to first-choice.
Johnny Sexton is still missing through suspension, the talismanic Caelan Doris rotates onto the bench, while Robbie Henshaw puts his feet up after starting against Italy two weekends ago. Apart from that trio – there’s still debate about Henshaw or Bundee Aki at 12 – Ireland boss Andy Farrell has pretty much gone full tilt.
It’s important to do so because the World Cup is now just three weeks away. Ireland’s first pool game against a poor Romania team is likely to be akin to another warm-up game and it would be a surprise if Farrell doesn’t send a largely second-string side out against ‘The Oaks’ in Bordeaux.
If that is the case, it means Farrell really needs his front-liners to get back up to speed against England on Saturday and versus Samoa a week later in Bayonne.
So while there’s a chance for Prendergast to impress on his first Test start, Farrell hasn’t messed around with his selection for this weekend. There’s also the fact that Ireland feel they need to put things right against England. Farrell’s men beat the English to claim their Grand Slam in Dublin in March but Ireland weren’t great that day. Even while you’d have to expect rust as many players feature for the first time this season, Ireland are putting pressure on themselves to perform.
Despite the strong sense of familiarity, Ireland’s matchday 23 is also interesting because of the potential hints at how Farrell’s final 33-man World Cup squad selection could go.
Would the Ireland boss really give Prendergast such an important role if he wasn’t going to the World Cup? The Connacht man has apparently impressed during pre-season training and Ireland like the flexibility he offers.
Prendergast made his Ireland debut in the second row when he came off the bench for 30 minutes against Fiji last November, while he’s best known as a blindside flanker with Connacht. Number six is where he played twice for the Ireland midweek team in New Zealand last summer, then for Ireland A against the All Blacks XV in the autumn.
Prendergast then came off the bench at openside flanker against Italy two weekends ago, and now he’s set for his first Test start at number eight against England. He made four starts for Connacht at the back of the scrum last season and Ireland are clearly happy he can play across the back row.
There are bigger back row players around but Prendergast offers plenty of punch with his 6ft 4ins, 112kg frame and has worked hard on his discipline. He is a remarkably determined individual and Farrell has been keen on him for a while now.
Meanwhile, would Keith Earls be involved again if he wasn’t part of the plans for France? Clearly, it’s important to Farrell that Earls will hit the 100-cap mark in Dublin this weekend, but he has never been one to just hand out caps. Farrell showered Earls with praise today.
Of the 38 players remaining in Ireland’s training squad, only the suspended Sexton and hooker Rónan Kelleher won’t have played any warm-up minutes after this weekend. Sexton will have to wait until the World Cup for his comeback.
There is injury concern for Kelleher, meaning Rob Herring is the back-up hooker against England after starting in the Italy game. Kelleher’s issue also explains why Farrell has opted to keep four hookers in camp, with 22-year-old Tom Stewart still in the mix.
Meanwhile, once-capped Munster loosehead prop Jeremy Loughman comes straight into the matchday 23 after Dave Kilcoyne picked up an injury issue in training. Like Stewart, Loughman will hope the door to World Cup inclusion has opened.
Number eight Jack Conan is on the comeback trail after his foot injury against Italy, so Farrell will be hoping there are no fresh injury worries to arise from the England clash. It is a fraught time for every head coach and every player in that regard.
Those thoughts have to be pushed to the back of minds, however, because the World Cup is looming so large. While the Southern Hemisphere sides had the benefit of the Rugby Championship to prepare, having jumped in from Super Rugby, recent months in this neck of the woods have been different once again.
There was summer break – short, admittedly – and a return for pre-season. As the warm-up games in Ireland, Wales, England, France, and Scotland have shown, there is lots of rust to shake off.
But Farrell will demand something close to the usual levels we have come to expect from his strongest Ireland teams. He continues to openly discuss their intention of going all the way in the World Cup.
No one wants to peak too early and errors must be expected on Saturday as many players get their first run-out. Still, up against an England side that looks physically powerful but lacks long-term form, a reminder of Ireland’s credentials would be welcome.
