Andy Farrell could look to new blood after Jordan Larmour joins injury list

Leinster’s Hugo Keenan and Munster’s Shane Daly are now primed to press their claims for a Test debut against Italy in the Six Nations

Jordan Larmour, left, and Hugo Keenan during Leinster Rugby squad training at UCD last month. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Jordan Larmour’s imminent shoulder surgery could be set to accelerate Andy Farrell’s plans to introduce new blood to Ireland’s Test selection pool.

There were always going to be opportunities for newcomers to make an impression during next month’s Autumn Nations Cup campaign against Wales, England, and Georgia ahead of a final-round play-off against one of France, Scotland, Italy, and Fiji. 

Yet the dislocated shoulder suffered by Larmour for Leinster against Benetton on Saturday in Treviso and the procedure he will undergo this week that has ruled the flying full-back out for all of the extended Test window means opportunity will knock for the back-three rookies selected by the head coach last week.

There will not be a prognosis from Leinster on 23-year-old Larmour’s return to play date until after his surgery but it is definitely a blow to Ireland’s back-three selection options ahead of the rearranged Six Nations clashes with Italy in Dublin on October 24 and the final-round trip to France a week later.

Larmour joins Keith Earls on the unavailable list, Munster’s veteran wing having been omitted from Farrell’s initial 35-man squad last week having sustained a back injury leaving Jacob Stockdale, Andrew Conway, and Robbie Henshaw as the remaining capped options with experience in the number 15 jersey when the players assemble in Carton House for Covid-19 testing tomorrow.

That increases the chances of seeing a debutant in the last line of defence with Leinster’s Hugo Keenan and Munster’s Shane Daly now primed to press their claims for a Test debut against the Azzurri. The prospect may also be enhanced by the fact that Italy themselves will be without their first-choice full-back Matteo Minozzi, whose try-scoring performance for Wasps in their Premiership semi-final victory over Bristol last Saturday means he will be on duty at Twickenham in the grand final rather than on Test duty at Aviva Stadium.

All in all, the squad update issued yesterday by Leinster following their bonus-point victory in Italy made grim reading for both Leo Cullen and Farrell, who will be denied another chance to look at back-rower Max Deegan in this and most likely the next Test window. Farrell handed Deegan, 24, his Test debut off the bench against Wales in February but will not see him again until at least next summer after he was ruled out for “a number of months” after surgery for an ACL knee injury sustained against Dragons at the RDS 10 days ago.

Tadhg Furlong has not been since the post-lockdown restart, first with a back problem and now a calf issue which will continue to be monitored by Leinster and though the province will send Ryan Baird, Ronan Kelleher, Andrew Porter and national captain Johnny Sexton to Ireland camp all four will check in with minor injuries.

Baird, in line to capitalise should Iain Henderson face further sanction following the Ulster on captain’s dismissal at Ospreys last weekend, is being assessed for an adductor strain while the IRFU medical team will also be running the rule over issues for hooker Kelleher (quad), Furlong’s fellow tighthead Porter (hamstring), and fly-half Sexton (hamstring).

That is just the Leinster contingent, Connacht front rowers, tighthead Finlay Bealham and hooker Dave Heffernan were both withdrawn in Cardiff at the weekend following early Head Injury Assessments and will need to go through their mandatory return to play protocols.

Munster, meanwhile, have no further injuries to impact Farrell’s squad following their victory over Edinburgh last Saturday with Earls, Joey Carbery (ankle), Dave Kilcoyne (ankle), and Niall Scannell (neck), all ruled out of the Test equation prior to the weekend.

Tommy O’Donnell was removed with a head injury after 30 minutes at Thomond Park and will follow the return to play protocols while fellow openside flanker Chris Cloete’s recovery from a neck injury means Munster felt able to announce yesterday that the South African is in line to be reintroduced to team training ahead of the Cardiff Blues clash. Munster return to training tomorrow in advance of their inaugural Monday Night Rugby PRO14 clash on Bank Holiday, October 26.