Andy Farrell faces Six Nations dilemma as Ireland’s depth is tested

Ireland’s Six Nations selection exposes a widening contrast with France as Andy Farrell searches for depth beyond his trusted core

Ireland's Andy Farrell, John Fogarty and Johnny Sexton in attendance at Leinster v La Rochelle. Pic: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

In Ireland we worry that Andy Farrell is leaning too much and for too long on a core of aging players. 

In France, the news is that his counterpart Fabian Galthié is happy to make do without Gregory Alldritt, Gael Fickou and Damian Penaud.

That’s two men who captained Les Bleus as recently as last November and a try machine: over 200 caps worth of talent and experience.

Farrell wouldn’t be human if he didn’t marvel at the luxury in all that as he reveals his own hand for the Six Nations.

There are in and around 160 Irish-qualified professional players in the four provinces. 

Somewhere between 60 and 70 of them will be named in either the senior squad, or in an ‘A’ collective that is due to face England in Limerick on Friday, February 6.

Take out players miles off the Test radar, and injuries to the likes of Ryan Baird, Paddy McCarthy, Andrew Porter and Mack Hansen, and it leaves even less wiggle room for a coach who continues to lean on the tried and tested at his disposal.

Hugo Keenan, Jamie Osborne, Jack Conan and Ciaran Frawley all seem to be heading in the right direction after injuries of varying seriousness. The likes of Joe McCarthy and Cormac Izuchukwu are back on the park now having missed the last window.

Leinster’s struggle for rhythm, if not wins, won’t unduly affect their input nationally.

Harry Byrne will likely take Ciaran Frawley’s place in the group while Jack Boyle didn’t play a minute in November and now takes on a new importance at loosehead with Porter and Paddy McCarthy out for now.

One of Joshua Kenny or Zac Ward should make it on the wing, maybe both. 

Leinster's Joshua Kenny is tackled by Aviron Bayonnais' Herschel Jantjies. Pic: Ryan Byrne/Inpho

Ulster’s Tom Stewart is surely going to be promoted up from ‘A’ captain, Nathan Doak might make it as third nine and Munster’s Jeremy Loughman could benefit from the low stocks at loosehead.

We’re talking tweaks here.

Munster had just the four players named in the initial squad in November. Tom Farrell did follow and made a debut against Japan, but six defeats in their last eight games doesn’t exactly give Farrell the nice kind of headaches he would like.

Connacht have been struggling, too.

Ulster will actually hope that recent form occupies a significant role in the thought process as the province has found a groove under Richie Murphy. They had four involved in November and that should surely creep up.

Farrell has offered regular opportunities through a second-string side’s tour of Georgia and Portugal, via ‘A’ games against New Zealand and England, and in the form of Emerging Ireland tours and November games against weaker teams.

How many have advanced claims?

A faster, direct route is an alternative. 

Munster’s Edwin Edogbo and Brian Gleeson have only played 252 and 116 minutes each since November, when they couldn’t answer Ireland development callups with injuries. At least one of those will likely get the call.

Edogbo was superb off the bench in defeat to Castres and Farrell has made similarly big promotion calls in the past, from the rapid elevation of Jamison Gibson-Park in 2020 to Sam Prendergast and Paddy McCarthy more recently.

Galthié can be quick to drop players. Farrell needs to find some quickly.