With Sean O’Brien unfortunately looking like he will miss Ireland’s 2014 Six Nations campaign, Joe Schmidt has been denied his most explosive player.
Filling the Leinster man’s shoes will be no easy task, but here are the men who may be asked to do exactly that. The next two rounds of Heineken Cup action may be decisive in this particular selection decision, but who would you like to see in Ireland’s number seven jersey this spring?
Chris Henry
The Ulster man had a strong 30-minute performance against Samoa in the November internationals, before a hamstring injury ended his involvement. Schmidt is a fan of Henry’s breakdown fight and the 29-year-old has been superb for Ulster for a number of years now. Returns from injury against Munster this weekend and is certainly in strong contention for Ireland if he proves his fitness.
Tommy O’Donnell
The Tipperary native may come head-to-head with Henry on Friday night at Ravenhill, and what a battle that would be. O’Donnell has improved at an incredible rate over the last two seasons and continues to show signs of getting better. Returned from a knee injury in excellent form and has developed the welcome habit of making big plays with the majority of his touches.
Shane Jennings
A proven favourite of Schmidt’s during his time with Leinster, the 32-year-old is an intelligent linking openside. Jennings is also a leader for his province, and Ireland might look to his experience to steady the ship. Despite his continuing good form, the selection of the former Leicester Tigers man would be seen as a retrogressive move by Schmidt, although winning is his primary aim.
Sean Dougall
While O’Donnell was restricted to watching from the sidelines, it was Dougall who kept the fire lit in Munster’s number seven shirt. The Ulster academy product has visibly bulked up this season and that extra power had added another dimension to his existing skillset. A fetcher, line-out option and sharp support runner, Dougall is still only 24 but he is enjoying a growing reputation.
Back row shuffle
A fifth option for Schmidt would be to shift Peter O’Mahony into the openside role, and bring another player in on the blindside. The Kiwi coach is all about balance in his back row, so the loss of O’Brien means he may be tempted to add another strong ball carrier to the team. Rhys Ruddock and Jordi Murphy could both perform that duty, while Kevin McLaughlin provides something different again.
