Andy Farrell forced to call on walking wounded as Ireland options shrink

The Ireland squad for the Autumn Nations Series features several players either currently injured or yet to play this season

Calvin Nash at Munster training this week. He was named on Wednesday in Ireland's squad for the Autumn Nations Series. Pic: ©INPHO/Steve Haag Sports

Such is the attritional nature of professional rugby that Andy Farrell would have been astonished had he been able to pick a fully fit squad of his preferred players for next month’s Autumn Nations Series.

However, head coach's final international selection before secondment to the British & Irish Lions features enough players either currently injured or yet to play this season that even the adversity-embracing Farrell may have raised an eyebrow. There certainly has been depletion of his options ahead of Tests against New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji and Australia.

There were glad tidings in amongst the carnage, with first-choice scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park available again having missed the summer’s drawn series with world champions South Africa, and wing Mack Hansen back from a shoulder injury which forced him out of both that tour and the preceding Six Nations campaign.

Yet Farrell has been able to name just one fit and active hooker in his 35-man squad having included Ronan Kelleher despite being in the midst of a four-to-six-week absence following ankle surgery, and Rob Herring, who has not played a minute for Ulster this season.

Three players named on Wednesday – fly-half Ciaran Frawley, lock Joe McCarthy, and lock/flanker Ryan Baird - had featured in a Leinster injury update issued 48 hours earlier that said their injuries would be monitored before their availability to face the Lions this weekend was determined. While Farrell has time on his side before the All Blacks visit Aviva Stadium on Friday, November 8 there will be a degree of anxiety in the national set-up when the last round of URC fixtures are played this Friday and Saturday.

Caelan Doris was named captain for the series, the No.8 having lead Ireland to a series-levelling second-Test victory over the Springboks in July after Farrell relegated his touring skipper Peter O’Mahony to the bench in Durban.

O’Mahony keeps his place in the squad but the hamstring injury which struck on seasonal debut for Munster on October 5 is set to keep him out of contention to face the All Blacks. The IRFU said O’Mahony will continue his rehabilitation with Munster next week as he builds towards a return to action over the coming weeks, thereby keeping the Test centurion out of the warm-weather training camp in Portugal, with the squad departing for the Algarve next Monday.

Farrell was upbeat on his selections passing fit in the coming fortnight.

"The challenge that awaits us this November is one of the toughest we could face and I would like to congratulate each of the players on their selection,” Farrell said.

“There is a blend of youth and experience, but all of the players are selected on merit carried from their form in recent months from the summer tour, the early rounds of the URC and at the Emerging Ireland Tour.

"While some of the players have been sidelined of late, collectively they are making positive strides on the injury front and we are hopeful that they will come into the selection frame over the course of the coming weeks as they ramp up their respective rehab programmes.” 

The head coach’s nod to youth sees uncapped summer tourists Cormac Izuchukwu, the Ulster lock/flanker, and Leinster fly-half Sam Prendergast retained while the five additional players who will travel as training panellists include two further players to have impressed for Emerging Ireland in South Africa earlier this month, captain and Munster back-rower Alex Kendellen and Leinster academy hooker Gus McCarthy.

Leinster props Jack Boyle and Thomas Clarkson and Connacht back Shayne Bolton are the others to be given first tastes of Ireland camp.

Excitement and anticipation at the possibilities, then, but no-one will be prouder than the new captain.

"It is an enormous honour to be named Ireland captain and I am excited about leading the squad into battle over the coming weeks,” Doris said. “I am very fortunate to have had so much support from my family and friends and many others along the way from Mayo to Blackrock and on to Leinster and Ireland. I am extremely proud to lead this squad and I know that there's an experienced group of leaders who will work hard to achieve success in the weeks ahead.

“We have a special group of players and I am confident that there are bright days to come as we build up for four huge Tests at Aviva Stadium."

Ireland Men's Squad - Autumn Nations Series 2024:

Forwards (19): R Baird (Leinster), F Bealham (Connacht), T Beirne (Munster), C Doris (Leinster) – captain, T Furlong (Leinster), C Healy (Leinster), D Heffernan (Connacht), I Henderson (Ulster), R Herring (Ulster), C Izuchukwu (Ulster), R Kelleher (Leinster), J McCarthy (Leinster), P O’Mahony (Munster), Tom O'Toole (Ulster), A Porter (Leinster), C Prendergast (Connacht), J Ryan (Leinster), N Timoney (Ulster), J van der Flier (Leinster).

Backs (16): B Aki (Connacht), C Casey (Munster), J Crowley (Munster), C Frawley (Leinster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster), M Hansen (Connacht), Robbie Henshaw (Leinster), H Keenan (Leinster), J Lowe (Leinster), S McCloskey (Ulster), C Murray (Munster), C Nash (Munster), J Osborne (Leinster), S Prendergast (Leinster), G Ringrose (Leinster), J Stockdale (Ulster).

Training Panellists (5): T Clarkson (Leinster), A Kendellen (Munster), S Bolton (Connacht), Jack Boyle (Leinster), G McCarthy (Leinster).