Schmidt nudges Chris Farrell onto centre stage

Joe Schmidt has praised Chris Farrell’s all-round game and form in confirming the Munster centre is at the head of the queue to replace Robbie Henshaw in Ireland’s midfield to face Wales in Dublin on February 24.

Henshaw has been ruled out of the remaining three games of the NatWest Six Nations Championship after injuring his right shoulder as he scored his second try of last Saturday’s big win over Italy at Aviva Stadium.

With Jared Payne out of action since last summer’s British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand when he experienced a series of migraines and Garry Ringrose only set to return to Leinster duty in the next fortnight, Farrell appears best placed to fill the vacuum at outside centre, reforming a midfield partnership with Bundee Aki which was first forged last November when the pair started against Argentina.

Farrell, 24, who earned his Test debut the previous week against Fiji when he partnered Stuart McCloskey, partnered Aki in the Ireland backline during yesterday’s open training session at Buccaneers RFC in Athlone, after which head coach Schmidt spoke of the 6ft 4ins, 17st Ulsterman’s strengths.

“I do think Chris would have his nose in front because he’s been with us the whole time and Garry hasn’t,” the Ireland boss said.

“As much as Garry has had more Test match experience and was outstanding in Japan and the USA and was super for us previous to that, Chris has got the current game form with us.

"He kind of found his feet a bit against Fiji, I thought he was really good against Argentina and I think he showed there’s a bit more to Chris Farrell than a bludgeon - nice soft skills and a tight pass, he’s got a good length in his pass.

“He’s actually got pretty good kicking skills and I thought his defensive acumen on the day against an Argentinian team with the likes of Tuculet coming into the back line, just outside that midfield area, where he’s kind of in the midfield and then looking to get out to those sort of guys, I thought he closed the space down really well.

"They’d be probably some of the things that we’d volunteer as the strengths we see with Chris.”

Farrell, who joined Munster last summer from Grenoble after three years of Top 14 rugby in France, has also earned the admiration of fellow Ireland back Fergus McFadden, who echoed Schmidt’s view that there was more to the player than just his physical frame.

Jonathan Sexton poses for photos with fans at Buccaneers RFC, Galway yesterday. Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland

“I think on paper, Chris coming over to Munster, I just thought, because I really hadn’t seen much of him playing, a really big guy, probably really physical, up and down,” McFadden said.

“He’s actually got a really lovely passing game as well. I’ve been very impressed by that.

“He’s been really good in training and the opportunity he got in November, himself and Bundee went well together. I’m not sure what Joe’s going to do in that area next week but if he gives Chris the nod I’ve no doubt that he’ll step up.”

Schmidt has yet to pencil Farrell’s name into the starting line-up and has not ruled out a return to the Test arena for Ringrose, despite his lack of game time following shoulder and ankle injuries that have limited the 23-year-old to just five appearances for Leinster this season, the most recent of which was against Ulster on January 6.

“Garry for us, if he doesn’t play (this weekend for Leinster against Scarlets) it wouldn’t necessarily rule him out. He was outstanding in the Six Nations so he would be an option.

"He may spend a couple of days next week with us and that will allow us to make a decision. If it’s not us, I’m pretty sure it will be Leinster (v Kings) because he is due back.”

Nor did Schmidt dismiss the idea of playing Joey Carbery, whose previous Ireland appearances have been at fly-half or full-back, in the inside centre position and moving Aki out one place to 13.

“He almost ended up at 12 last week,” Schmidt said of Carbery. “It was one of the options that was available to us. Instead of moving Keith (Earls) in (from the wing to 13), during the week we had run Joey at 12 so that if Bundee or Robbie got hurt, Bundee could shift out and Joey could go in there because he’s a good defender.

“He’s brave, he’s good on his feet, he’s smart in the system so that versatility is something we like to have off the bench.

"It’s something we previously had probably with Ian Madigan, having that player who could slot in. He adds a bit of variety when he goes in there.”