Farrell's selection provides a glimpse into Ireland's future

FUTURE PLANNING: Head coach Andy Farrell. Pic: Morgan Treacy, Inpho

If last Friday’s visit Guinness Six Nations opener in France marked a winning start to Ireland’s post-Johnny Sexton era, tomorrow’s meeting with Italy at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium could well provide an intriguing glimpse into its future.

With Peter O’Mahony the new captain and a fly-half in Jack Crowley 14 years the outgoing 10’s junior, Ireland barely missed a beat at Marseille’s Stade Velodrome as they recorded a record 38-17 victory over France to get their title defence off to a flying start and immediately raise public expectations of back-to-back Grand Slams.

There is a lot of road to travel in that regard, not least in a round four trip to Twickenham and a last-day home appointment with Scotland but while Andy Farrell yesterday warned supporters not to underestimate an Italian side who ran England close, albeit in defeat, in Rome last Saturday, the Irish boss also gave a nod to forward thinking in his team selection.

His Ireland team for tomorrow represents not just a further lowering of its age profile following the departure of the 38-year-old Sexton at the end of the World Cup campaign last October and the introduction of young guns Crowley and Joe McCarthy at lock in Marseille but an indication of whom the head coach is lining up for further retirements ahead of the 2027 World Cup.

A calf injury to Sexton’s successor as skipper O’Mahony has ushered in a first-time leader in Caelan Doris and a change at blindside flanker as Ryan Baird takes over the number six jersey. 

Both choices may be considered the longer-term options to replace the 34-year-old incumbent, should O’Mahony not complete the next four-year cycle while there are others among the six changes who will be eager to take the opportunities handed to them this weekend. 

Craig Casey is named at scrum-half for his fourth start in 14 Ireland appearances in a half-back partnership with his Munster colleague Crowley, for whom fly-half cover is provided by potential Six Nations debutant Harry Byrne.

While all will be expected to deliver – Farrell does not pick players he does not feel are ready for the task – there will be an acceptance that all the new selections are works in progress with Doris, 25, captaining a professional side for just the second time having led Leinster against Ulster on January 1, after which he admitted he had annoyed match referee Frank Murphy by questioning the official’s calls.

"We obviously speak about it,” Farrell said. “Caelan is a humble type of guy and he would always say that, because he would always be his biggest critic, that's what you would expect of someone who wants to learn and get better.

“I know that I made many a call and I probably wasn't as humble as that on my first outing as a captain when I was playing. I've no doubt he would have learned from that massively. He's a thinker, he is, how did that experience go for him.” 

Nor has Farrell left Doris, who also switches from No.8 to openside flanker, to sink or swim in the captaincy role, pointing to the depth of leadership experience within the Ireland squad, which in turn provides the head coach with the opportunity to cultivate younger leaders.

“The leadership group and the rest of the squad continue to grow in that regard. Seeing them get behind Caelan this week so Caelan is comfortable just being himself has been a joy to watch really.

“Then, there's obviously others within that group who are more than capable. You look at Iain Henderson, the leadership that he's got, James Ryan, who has obviously captained Ireland for us before, Garry Ringrose is going through the roof as a leader. We're in a good space as far as that's concerned.” 

Supporters getting their first look at Ireland since they signed off on their World Cup preparations at the Aviva last August will be hoping the changes do not impact the performance for this is an eminently winnable game, however impressive the Italians’ recent improvements.

IRELAND: H Keenan (Leinster); C Nash (Munster), R Henshaw (Leinster), S McCloskey (Ulster), J Lowe (Leinster); J Crowley (Munster), C Casey (Munster); A Porter (Leinster), D Sheehan (Leinster), F Bealham (Connacht); J McCarthy (Leinster), J Ryan (Leinster); R Baird (Leinster), C Doris (Leinster) – captain, J Conan (Leinster).

Replacements: R Kelleher (Leinster), J Loughman (Munster), T O’Toole (Ulster), I Henderson (Ulster), J van der Flier (Leinster), J Gibson-Park (Leinster), H Byrne (Leinster), J Larmour (Leinster).

ITALY: A Capuozzo (Toulouse); L Pani (Zebre Parma), J I Brex (Benetton), T Menoncello (Benetton), M Ioane (Lyon); P Garbisi (Montpellier), S Varney (Gloucester); D Fischetti (Zebre Parma), G Lucchesi (Benetton), P Ceccarelli (Perpignan); N Cannone (Benetton), F Ruzza (Benetton); A Izekor (Benetton), M Zuliani (Benetton), M Lamaro – captain.

Replacements: G Nicotera (Benetton), M Spagnolo (Benetton), G Zilocchi (Benetton), A Zambonin (Zebra Parma), R Vintcent (Exeter Chiefs), M Page-Relo (Lyon) T Allan (Perpignan), F Mori (Bayonne).

Referee: Luke Pearce (England)