AFTER EARNING A perfect 10 points in the two opening rounds of the Six Nations, Ireland must now consider whether to shake up their selection for a clash with Wales, the worst team in the championship.
Warren Gatland’s men are on a 14-game losing streak so this visit to Cardiff would be the obvious game for Ireland to change things up and give some fresh faces a chance on Saturday 22 February.
But the fact that this match comes in round three, with break weekends on either side, makes the selection conundrum more challenging for Simon Easterby and co. No one wants to lose momentum in a Six Nations and any players rested against Wales will have had three weeks between beating Scotland and taking on France in Dublin.
Ireland hope to have Joe McCarthy and Mack Hansen back from injury for the clash with Wales, although it remains to be seen if Tadhg Furlong recovers from his calf injury. Having come through the Scotland win without fresh injuries, Ireland are in good nick.
“A few guys will go back now and play for their provinces this week but it looks like, at the moment, we’re in pretty good health,” said Easterby.
The interim head coach has suggested that Jack Crowley will get a start at out-half at some stage in this Six Nations and this next game seems like the ideal chance if Ireland want to do that.
Crowley and Prendergast played the closing stages of Sunday’s win over Scotland together, with the Munster man sent on at fullback.
“I think the game sort of changed a bit in that last 15, but I think it was just a bit of a chat with Goodie [attack coach Andrew Goodman] around getting a couple of first receivers on the pitch,” said Easterby. “It felt like we could play two-sided against them. Jack’s first involvement was a great garryowen take, a brilliant receive at the back.
Advertisement
“We felt like a bit of freshness was going to be important in that last 10 or 15 minutes, but they probably had more possession than we had in that period.”
Jack Conan has earned a start. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Jack Conan and Dan Sheehan, who have come off the bench in both games so far, also seem likely to get a start against the Welsh.
Jamie Osborne, Caolin Blade, Ciarán Frawley, Jack Boyle, Gus McCarthy, Cian Prendergast, and Iain Henderson were the travelling reserves with Ireland in Edinburgh last weekend so they will all be hoping to come into the mix for the visit to Cardiff.
There is an Ireland A clash against England A the following day in nearby Bristol, with some of the senior Six Nations squad presumably set to be involved in that game under a coaching ticket of Mike Prendergast, Mark Sexton, and Seán O’Brien.
So the senior coaches have plenty to weigh up in picking their matchday 23 to face Wales.
“It’s a tough one,” said Easterby.
“No one wants to give up wearing the jersey, no one wants to give up the opportunity to play and perform. It’s a tricky one.
“We’re very, very fortunate. We’ve lost a few players in the last couple of weeks, Mack [Hansen] on Thursday, but I don’t think there are many players that are going to be going, ‘Do you know what? I don’t fancy playing this next game or the next one.’
“It will be a balance. We’ve got to make sure we keep growing the group and growing experiences and hopefully that means some will get an opportunity but obviously some others won’t.”
Ireland have already been installed as 25-point favourites for the clash at the Principality Stadium.
The Welsh were miserably poor again last weekend as they lost to Italy for the third time in four meetings.
Wales are in dire straits. Manuel Blondeau / INPHO
Manuel Blondeau / INPHO / INPHO
Easterby knows Welsh rugby well, having played and coached with the Scarlets, and he insisted that Ireland will take nothing for granted as they regather for a short training camp this week.
“There’s so much passion and support for their national team and at the moment they’re in a tough place,” he said.
“We know that it’s a hell of a place to go and play. The roof will be closed, the atmosphere will be like it is every time we play in the Millennium Stadium against Wales, 75,000 passionate people that want and will win their team to success.
“I’m a big believer in making sure that we play each game as it comes and that will be no different. We’ll enjoy this week, a bit of downtime, but we’ll make sure we get prepared well for that Wales challenge.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
23 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Ireland will go for 'balance' with team selection for Wales clash
AFTER EARNING A perfect 10 points in the two opening rounds of the Six Nations, Ireland must now consider whether to shake up their selection for a clash with Wales, the worst team in the championship.
Warren Gatland’s men are on a 14-game losing streak so this visit to Cardiff would be the obvious game for Ireland to change things up and give some fresh faces a chance on Saturday 22 February.
But the fact that this match comes in round three, with break weekends on either side, makes the selection conundrum more challenging for Simon Easterby and co. No one wants to lose momentum in a Six Nations and any players rested against Wales will have had three weeks between beating Scotland and taking on France in Dublin.
Ireland hope to have Joe McCarthy and Mack Hansen back from injury for the clash with Wales, although it remains to be seen if Tadhg Furlong recovers from his calf injury. Having come through the Scotland win without fresh injuries, Ireland are in good nick.
“A few guys will go back now and play for their provinces this week but it looks like, at the moment, we’re in pretty good health,” said Easterby.
The interim head coach has suggested that Jack Crowley will get a start at out-half at some stage in this Six Nations and this next game seems like the ideal chance if Ireland want to do that.
Crowley and Prendergast played the closing stages of Sunday’s win over Scotland together, with the Munster man sent on at fullback.
“I think the game sort of changed a bit in that last 15, but I think it was just a bit of a chat with Goodie [attack coach Andrew Goodman] around getting a couple of first receivers on the pitch,” said Easterby. “It felt like we could play two-sided against them. Jack’s first involvement was a great garryowen take, a brilliant receive at the back.
“We felt like a bit of freshness was going to be important in that last 10 or 15 minutes, but they probably had more possession than we had in that period.”
Jack Conan and Dan Sheehan, who have come off the bench in both games so far, also seem likely to get a start against the Welsh.
Jamie Osborne, Caolin Blade, Ciarán Frawley, Jack Boyle, Gus McCarthy, Cian Prendergast, and Iain Henderson were the travelling reserves with Ireland in Edinburgh last weekend so they will all be hoping to come into the mix for the visit to Cardiff.
There is an Ireland A clash against England A the following day in nearby Bristol, with some of the senior Six Nations squad presumably set to be involved in that game under a coaching ticket of Mike Prendergast, Mark Sexton, and Seán O’Brien.
So the senior coaches have plenty to weigh up in picking their matchday 23 to face Wales.
“It’s a tough one,” said Easterby.
“No one wants to give up wearing the jersey, no one wants to give up the opportunity to play and perform. It’s a tricky one.
“We’re very, very fortunate. We’ve lost a few players in the last couple of weeks, Mack [Hansen] on Thursday, but I don’t think there are many players that are going to be going, ‘Do you know what? I don’t fancy playing this next game or the next one.’
“It will be a balance. We’ve got to make sure we keep growing the group and growing experiences and hopefully that means some will get an opportunity but obviously some others won’t.”
Ireland have already been installed as 25-point favourites for the clash at the Principality Stadium.
The Welsh were miserably poor again last weekend as they lost to Italy for the third time in four meetings.
Easterby knows Welsh rugby well, having played and coached with the Scarlets, and he insisted that Ireland will take nothing for granted as they regather for a short training camp this week.
“There’s so much passion and support for their national team and at the moment they’re in a tough place,” he said.
“We know that it’s a hell of a place to go and play. The roof will be closed, the atmosphere will be like it is every time we play in the Millennium Stadium against Wales, 75,000 passionate people that want and will win their team to success.
“I’m a big believer in making sure that we play each game as it comes and that will be no different. We’ll enjoy this week, a bit of downtime, but we’ll make sure we get prepared well for that Wales challenge.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Changes Ireland Scotland Simon Easterby six nations 2025 Wales