Back row shuffles pointing the way forward for Andy Farrell's Ireland

Josh van der Flier has been a foundation stone for Farrell's Ireland backrow but even he has found himself without a place to sit as the head coach plays musical chairs with his selections

PRIVILEGE: Josh van der Flier: "Never take for granted getting to play for Ireland whenever you're chosen." Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

You wouldn’t need to work in Scotland Yard to detect proof of evolution in Andy Farrell’s Ireland even as the team closes in on another Triple Crown and an outside shot of a Six Nations title at the weekend.

Any PC Plod could spot the signs.

The head coach has used 33 players in the first four rounds of the Championship. Wholesale change has been the order of the day with vast swathes of the XV and the wider matchday squad changing from one round to the next.

Four players and three different combinations have started on the wings. Sam Prendergast has vacated his No.10 jersey for Jack Crowley. Injuries have necessitated the need to play the fourth, fifth and sixth-choice looseheads. And 20 players have sat on the bench.

Any jury still in doubt needs look no further than the back row.

Farrell has used seven different players in that department so far. He has opted for four different combinations with two players – Jack Conan and Caelan Doris - shifting into different starting shirts at one point or another.

This is the most players and ‘movement’ we’ve seen here from Ireland in a Six Nations campaign since 2021 when Rhys Ruddock, CJ Stander and Will Connors were among the men involved. The three Championships that followed were different stories.

Ireland used just two different combinations in 2022, 2023 and 2024, before upping that to four last year, but with only five players. Josh van der Flier was the foundation stone having started 19 games and appearing as a replacement in the other one.

All that just chimes with the Leinster openside’s long-term residency in the side. He did go through a spell two seasons ago when Leinster used him in reserve for some huge games, but it was noticeable even then that Farrell kept throwing the No.7 shirt at him.

Now look at his 2026 story.

Unused against Italy in round two, van der Flier started in that famous win over England in Twickenham but then reverted to the bench against Wales last week. Here was proof personified of Farrell’s attempt to grow a new skin for his team by building depth.

“It's an unbelievably competitive place,” van der Flier said. “Never take for granted getting to play for Ireland whenever you're chosen. So it's always great to be involved. I'd love to start every game for the next few years - every player is that way, everyone's kind of competitive.”

Farrell has started four different players – Cian Prendergast, Cormac Izuchukwu, Tadhg Beirne and Jack Conan – at blindside alone. He has chosen three different sevens, with Doris stationed there against Italy and Nick Timoney the man against the Welsh.

Timoney has been one of those who had to bide his time. That run last Saturday was his first start in this tournament at the age of 30, and he earned it on the back of the impressions made in coming off the bench in the opening three rounds.

Van der Flier has been taken by a player who doesn’t show nerves and prepares meticulously. The head coach went as far as to describe the Ulster back row as his “man of the match” through their pre-tournament camp in Portugal.

“The way he trains, how hard he goes, it shows in the game then,” said van der Flier. “Yes, he's been brilliant, he's a great bloke to have around. Good sense of humour. And he's played really well. He has been a huge addition to the team any time he's been on the field.” 

All this mixing and matching is more interesting again for the fact that Ireland haven’t been forced into much of it. Conan did have to drop off the bench against England in Twickenham due to illness, but that’s been about it in terms of unavailability.

All this musical chairs has been played to Farrell’s choice of tune.

Garry Ringrose got chatting to van der Flier about this last week when the centre discussed the influence of their Leinster senior coach Jacques Nienaber and how the South African mindset is to see the second wave as finishers rather than non-starters.

“I know in basketball - I've heard said before - the main thing is who you have on the pitch at the end of the game,” said the back row. “I know Jacques Neinabar would kind of see it very much that way as well, and it's a big role off the bench.

“It's obviously a privilege to more than likely be there at the end of the game. You're looking to add impact, add energy, that kind of thing. I've done it quite a few times for Leinster, and it's a good way to add to the team. Or try to anyway.”