Edogbo and Doak biggest winners as injuries play hand in Ireland Six Nations squad

The Ireland squad gathers in Dublin on Sunday for a pre-Six Nations training squad in Portugal

Munster second row Edwin Edogbo has been rewarded for some superb form by being included in the Ireland Six Nations squad. Pic: ©INPHO/Nick Elliott

Plenty to chew over after Andy Farrell revealed his hand for the upcoming Six Nations on Wednesday. It couldn’t be any other way given the Ireland head coach named his senior squad and a XVs collective for their meeting with an England equivalent.

In all, 74 players got notified this week. The main squad gathers next Sunday for a pre-tournament training squad in Portugal. The tournament gets underway with a first ever Thursday game with Ireland facing France in Saint-Denis on February 5th.

Injuries have coloured the canvas so let’s start off by listing those.

Paddy McCarthy, Andrew Porter, Mack Hansen, Robbie Henshaw, Cormac Izuchukwu, Ryan Baird, Calvin Nash, Jimmy O’Brien, Shayne Bolton and Jordan Larmour have all been ruled out of the reckoning, for now at least.

Hugo Keenan and Jamie Osborne, one out injured since August and the other since November, are in. So is Joe McCarthy who missed out in November with a foot injury suffered on tour with the British and Irish Lions.

Keenan, speaking as an ambassador for Inishella, said that he is “getting there” after undergoing surgery on a hip problem in the wake of his series-winning try for the Lions against Australia at the start of August.

“I feel I've turned the corner in the last couple of weeks,” he said. “I've been back out training fully with Leinster the last week or two, so starting to come good. When exactly I'll be out there is not 100% certain, but it's in the short term anyway.”

The absences of Paddy McCarthy and Porter, Ireland’s two best props, have led to call-ups for the Munster loosehead pair of Jeremy Loughman and Michael Milne with Leinster’s Jack Boyle in prime place to start against the French in Paris.

Ulster’s Tom O’Toole returns having been omitted in November. He is one of four tightheads which suggests there are continuing concerns over the fitness or otherwise of Tadhg Furlong and Finlay Bealham after recent issues.

The big news, in more ways than one, is the inclusion in the main squad of Munster lock Edwin Edogbo after some superb form for the province. Named as a development player three months ago, he missed that chance with injury.

Ulster scrum-half Nathan Doak is the other uncapped player to get the nod. He takes the place of Connacht’s Caolin Blade who, along with Iain Henderson and Gus McCarthy, has not been included for this gathering.

Ulster’s Tom Stewart gets in ahead of that McCarthy as Farrell gives due reward for form. In that instance. Rob Baloucoune and James Lowe, the latter struggling for form and fitness this season, get the nod ahead of Leinster’s Joshua Kenny and Ulster’s Zac Ward.

It’s the XVs selection for them for now.

Munster’s Tom Farrell is in again. Not included in the initial November squad, he was drafted in as injury cover and made a Test debut against Japan at the age of 31.

Harry Byrne’s form at No.10 for Leinster has also been rewarded with a return to the international fold. Ciaran Frawley is in there too which means that, with Jack Crowley and Sam Prendergast, Farrell has four out-halves to play with.

Ulster’s Bryn Ward and Connacht’s Darragh Murray will train with the main squad in Quinta do Lago before diverting to XVs duties with Cullie Tucker’s second-string side for the game against their English counterparts in Thomond Park.

Max Deegan captains that selection. All told, it can boast eight Test players in its ranks, including Munster’s Dan Kelly who has earned a cap for England in the past. His provincial teammate Brian Gleeson is another there for company.

"The squad has evolved over the last 18 months, with 12 players making their international debuts over the last year alone, “ said Farrell via an IRFU press release, “and I know how keen this group is to make its mark for Ireland.” 

Farrell may see only green when it comes to selection but the provincial breakdown is worth a mention given long-held fears over the volume of Leinster players involved. Their representation is down from 21 in November to 19.

Munster have doubled their input with eight players called up, Ulster’s fine team form has seen them bump up from four to seven while Hansen’s injury and Blade’s demotion leave them with three rather than the five late last year.

Ireland Six Nations squad 

Forwards:

Tom Ahern (Munster), Finlay Bealham (Connacht), Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Jack Boyle (Leinster), Thomas Clarkson (Leinster), Jack Conan (Leinster), Caelan Doris (Leinster) (captain), Edwin Edogbo (Munster), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster), Rónan Kelleher (Leinster), Jeremy Loughman (Munster), Joe McCarthy (Leinster), Michael Milne (Munster), Tom O’Toole (Ulster), Cian Prendergast (Connacht), James Ryan (Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Tom Stewart (Ulster), Nick Timoney (Ulster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster) 

Backs:

Bundee Aki (Connacht), Robert Baloucoune (Ulster), Harry Byrne (Leinster), Craig Casey (Munster), Jack Crowley (Munster), Nathan Doak (Ulster), Tom Farrell (Munster), Ciaran Frawley (Leinster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster), Hugo Keenan (Leinster), James Lowe (Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster), Tommy O’Brien (Leinster), Jamie Osborne (Leinster), Sam Prendergast (Leinster), Garry Ringrose (Leinster), Jacob Stockdale (Ulster)

Ireland XV Squad

Forwards:

Diarmuid Barron (Munster), Billy Bohan (Connacht), Paul Boyle (Connacht)(1), Sam Crean (Ulster), Max Deegan (Leinster)(4)(captain), Brian Gleeson (Munster), Sam Illo (Connacht), Charlie Irvine (Ulster), Oli Jager (Munster)(1), Sean Jansen (Connacht), Diarmuid Mangan (Leinster), Gus McCarthy (Leinster)(7), Darragh Murray (Connacht)(2), Stephen Smyth (Leinster), Bryn Ward (Ulster), Scott Wilson (Ulster).

Backs:

Shane Daly (Munster)(2), Matthew Devine (Connacht), Cathal Forde (Connacht), Fintan Gunne (Leinster), James Hume (Ulster)(3), Dan Kelly (Munster), Joshua Kenny (Leinster), Ben Murphy (Connacht)(2), Jack Murphy (Ulster), Jude Postlethwaite (Ulster), Zac Ward (Ulster).