The Ireland depth chart: Big names back and two exciting prospects
Andy Farrell has a few players short of game time in his 36-man squad for the Six Nations. By Murray Kinsella Tuesday 26 Jan 2021, 3:00 PM Jan 26th 2021, 3:00 PM 20,301 Views 38 Comments
ANDY FARRELL YESTERDAY named his 36-man Ireland squad for the 2021 Six Nations.
They kick off their campaign with a visit to Cardiff to face Wales on Sunday 7 February before a home clash with France the following weekend.
Here, we break down Farrell’s squad by position groups, examining the pecking order and noting some of the players who narrowly missed. The squad is listed below along with [age, Ireland caps].
Tom O Toole. Photo: Sportsfile
A powerful presence in the loose, the 22-year-old has a bright future ahead of him and having regularly nudged Marty Moore out of the Ulster team, O Toole is highly rated within the northern province.
With only three tightheads in the squad, much will depend on Furlong s fitness, but a debut for O Toole could be soon around the corner.
Andrew Conway
It has been a difficult few weeks for the Munster man, who hasn t played since the Champions Cup win over Harlequins on December 13.
Conway was said to have missed the subsequent win in Clermont due to “personal issues”, but it is understood that he was fit and available for selection last weekend.
RTÉ Sport Reporter
After a first year filled with headaches, both logistical and sporting, Andy Farrell now confronts his second Six Nations campaign as head coach, having today named his 36-man squad for the 2021 competition.
The headline issues are the unavailability of Jacob Stockdale through injury and the selection of the uncapped Craig Casey and Tom O Toole, the former being included in place of scrum-half rivals John Cooney and Luke McGrath.
RTÉ rugby analyst Jonny Holland says the selection doesn t contain too many surprises - except perhaps for the inclusion of 30-year-old Rhys Ruddock, out in the cold at international level throughout 2020.
Who is Jonathan Sexton’s heir apparent? A Set the default text size A Set large text size
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Jonathan Sexton. No name has been more synonymous with Irish rugby over the last ten years.
There have been incredible milestones. Sexton has played over 100 Test matches, 95 times for Ireland and six times for the British and Irish Lions.
There have been the highs: a win over the All Blacks in Chicago in 2016 and a grand slam with Ireland in 2018. Share
Sexton was named World Rugby player of the year in 2018 as well, just the second Irishman to be accorded that honour.