Win over Scots would crown campaign of growth for content Farrell
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell announcing his team at the Aviva Stadium yesterday. ‘As far as the story goes, so far I think it’s been a brilliant campaign for us’.
Four matches down, one to go and Andy Farrell is already feeling good about Ireland’s return from the 2026 Guinness Six Nations. Ending the championship with a Triple Crown that will come if Scotland are beaten at Aviva Stadium on Saturday afternoon will extend Irish interest to the outcome of Super Saturday’s finale in Paris, where a shock England victory over hot favourites France would make the title race interesting.
Yet whether or not silverware of any sort accrues to Farrell’s squad this weekend, the head coach was on Thursday giving of the aura of a man at ease with his lot given the progress made from a Stade de France hammering on the opening night to the denouement on home soil.
Three wins in a row have followed since that chastening 36-14 defeat to the French, including a record away win at Twickenham as Ireland have coped with the losses of key players to injury and suspension by reaching deep into playing resources.
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Thursday’s team announcement forced another delve into the stock cupboard with James Ryan ruled out due to a calf injury sustained in last Friday’s 27-17 home win over Wales, prompting a potential Six Nations debut for Connacht lock Darragh Murray off the bench.
It had been imagined that the return from bench duty of Joe McCarthy to the starting second row would mean a rekindling of his partnership with Ryan as Tadhg Beirne reverted to blindside flanker for the Scotland clash. Yet with those plans scuppered, Beirne remains at lock, Jack Conan stays in the back row at number six with Josh van der Flier in at openside, as Nick Timoney moves to the replacements, in a back row led from No.8 by captain Caelan Doris.
Dan Sheehan returns to start at hooker either side of props Tom O’Toole and Tadhg Furlong while the only change in the backline sees Tommy O’Brien preferred to Jacob Stockdale on the left wing to provide an injection of pace in tandem with right wing Rob Baloucoune. Otherwise it is as you were with Jamie Osborne at full-back and Garry Ringrose and Stuart McCloskey in the centres with Jack Crowley at fly-half for the third match in the row and Jamison Gibson-Park at scrum-half.
The bench maintains its 5:3 split for the third round in a row with scrum-half Craig Casey and a trio of Connacht players introduced, Finlay Bealham back in as tighthead cover, Murray in for his chance and Bundee Aki in line for his first appearance of 2026 following suspension. Aki and Murray’s selections brings the number of players used across the five matches to 35 in a campaign that has seen Test debuts for lock Edwin Edogbo and scrum-half Nathan Doak, first championship appearances for Baloucoune, centre Tom Farrell, lock/flanker Cormac Izuchukwu, looseheads Jeremy Loughman and Michael Milne, the aforementioned O’Brien, and back-rowers Cian Prendergast and Nick Timoney.
Farrell is chuffed to bits with the way his squad’s championship experience has broadened over the last five weeks.
“As far as the story goes, so far I think it's been a brilliant campaign for us,” Farrell said, “getting to know more about ourselves as far as injuries and depth and adversity and getting back on the horse and dealing with all the pressure and all of that and taking ourselves into this last weekend. One more step to go.”
The loss of Ryan is a blow, particularly as the in-form lock had made it to Monday with the medic thinking the bang on his calf was minor bruising. The head coach was grateful he had enough time to deal with his enforcer’s absence.
“It's disappointing for James and disappointing for us because he's been in unbelievable form in this Six Nations.
"But as far as our preparation is concerned, it's not been too disruptive because everyone's trained fully all week.”
Veteran lock Ian Henderson has trained with the squad all week as a result, but Farrell has turned to the future for matchday with the inclusion of Murray. The 24-year old had been invited as a training player for Ireland’s pre-tournament camp in Portugal and did enough to stick around throughout this Six Nations. Now the door has been pushed open and opportunity beckons for a player who earned his first two caps last summer against Georgia and Portugal.
“It just shows, doesn't it, the attritional side of the game, which is the Six Nations, that anything could jump out at you,” Farrell said. “And it just shows if you prepare well and keep showing everyone that you belong at this type of level, then people will put their trust in you.
“That's certainly what's happened for us with Darragh this week.”
Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster); Rob Baloucoune (Enniskillen/Ulster), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster), Tommy O’Brien (Blackrock College/Leinster); Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster); Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster); Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster); Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) - captain.
Rónan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster), Michael Milne (Nenagh Ormond/Munster), Finlay Bealham (Corinthians/Connacht), Darragh Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht), Nick Timoney (Queen’s University/Ulster), Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster), Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster), Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht).
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