IRELAND KICKING COACH Richie Murphy says Joey Carbery ‘needs more exposure’ in the out-half position after making his comeback from injury, but there is still a chance he could play some part in the Six Nations campaign.
Carbery started his first game in two months last weekend and despite an encouraging performance for Leinster against Edinburgh, during which he scored two tries and operated for large parts at fullback, the 21-year-old was left out of Ireland’s squad for the visit of France.
But Murphy earlier revealed that the Irish management felt it would be in his best interest to stay with Leinster this week as oppose to joining up with Joe Schmidt’s panel at Carton House.
“Joey coming back to play is positive and we’re just feeling now that he needs to actually play and get some game time under his belt,” he said.
“Obviously he came on at 15 against Treviso and started at 10 at the weekend but reverted back to 15 within not that long. He needs a bit more exposure in that position with his goal kicking. Once he gets that he becomes a viable option again.”
Having kicked one from two off the tee on Friday before Ross Byrne took over the duties, there’s certainly a feeling that Carbery needs more practice in match situations if he is to move up Schmidt’s pecking order.
“He was in our thinking anyway but we felt the best thing for him was not to come into camp where he would end up doing Monday and Tuesday and possibly end up going back after that,” Murphy added.
“So it was felt the best thing for him was to stay where he was and get some game time under his belt.”
Carbery trained with Leinster on Monday and is expected to start Friday night’s Guinness Pro12 game against Dragons at Rodney Parade, but he needs game time at 10 as oppose to fullback.
There is also the possibility that the three-time capped international will not be needed for the games against Wales and England should Johnny Sexton return to full fitness and Paddy Jackson and Ian Keatley retain their places in the squad.
On the competition in the position, Murphy concluded: “It’s healthy, it’s healthy competition.
“Paddy has been brilliant. We have been very lucky that while Johnny has been out Paddy has been stepping in and filling that gap really well, since probably last summer. He has really stepped up to the mark and he’s improving all the time.
“He is still only 24 and Johnny was only getting capped for the first time at the age that Paddy is at now so he has worked really hard with Johnny off the pitch in order to help him drive things. It is starting to come to a stage where there are other options there.”
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