Jack Carty targets national recall as Ireland coach Paul O'Connell runs eye over Connacht

Connacht fly-half Jack Carty. Picture: INPHO/Brian Reilly-Troy

Jack Carty revealed that Paul O’Connell addressed every one of the Connacht players, even the academy members, by their first name when he spoke to them at training at the Sportsground yesterday.

The Ireland forwards coach was an interested observer as Andy Friend put his squad through their paces in Galway for a tilt at O’Connell’s former Munster side at Thomond Park on Saturday.

“It didn’t matter whether it was a player in the academy or a senior player that Paul met, he knew every player by name and greeted them by name, which I thought was a lovely touch to be fair. It shows the level of detail he goes into in his work, which was pretty fascinating to see,” said Carty.

Carty won the last of his 10 caps against Russia in the World Cup in Japan and while Andy Farrell brought him into the extended squad last October, he did not feature in the resumed Six Nations.

“I sent him a text and he got back to me within — and I’m not even lying — one minute. I feel I have a lot to offer. It wasn’t a conversation about where I am, it’s purely about what he wants from his 10s in attack, and he made it crystal clear for me.

“The thing that gives me confidence is the fact that a lot of the things we’re trying to do here, in terms of attacking square, a lot of those targets are quite similar to what he wants from his 10.

It gives me confidence to know that I’m doing that here, and there’s a direct correlation between the two. Maybe before as a 10, I played quite laterally and that was probably the opposite in terms of what he was looking for.

Carty is pleased with the way he’s performing but obviously feels there is room for improvement.

“I would like to think relatively good,” said Carty, when asked about current form. “Probably one or two errors. I’ve been really happy defensively with how I’ve been going, it’s been a major work-on for me, and it’s the strongest I’ve been defensively so I want to keep doing that. I would like to think I’ve been going well. There are still areas there that have room for improvement, and hopefully, I can keep going in that upward trajectory,” added Carty.

Meanwhile, Bundee Aki is set to return from his Lions duty and a neck problem for the trip to Thomond Park and is set to become the first British and Irish Lion to play for Connacht in the professional era. Fomer Munster winger Alex Wootton, who had a superb first season at the Sportsground last term, is back in training after a calf injury but promising lock Oisín Dowling is out with a facial injury.

But there is a big blow with Tom Farrell suffering a shoulder injury against Dragons and awaiting a surgical consultation to see how long he will be out.

Scrum-half Kieran Marmion, who missed the loss to Dragons with an ankle problem picked up in the win over the Bulls, is being monitored this week.