6 Nations
Farrell Focused On ‘Getting Back Up To Speed And Being At Our Best’
Andy Farrell sees plenty of room for improvement as his Ireland squad face into an electric set of Bank of Ireland Nations Series games against South Africa, Fiji and Australia.
Along with the Ireland ‘A’ curtain raiser fixture against the All Blacks XV, upwards of 50 players are set to don the green jersey in the coming weeks as the new international season gets underway.
Farrell is loving being back at the coalface this week, working with the assembled squad at the IRFU High Performance Centre after monitoring the early rounds of the BKT United Rugby Championship and Emerging Ireland’s successful tour.
Asked about his ambitions for the Bank of Ireland Nations Series, he responded: “Like always, improvement (is the ambition). There’s so much improvement that we want to prove to ourselves first and foremost that we can do, so it’s great to be back in after watching the URC for a few weeks now.
“It’s great to be back in and have this week to get back and running and prepare properly, dust ourselves down and understand where we’re trying to go with our game and where we’re trying to push on because we’ve prided ourselves on trying to get back up to speed as soon as we possibly can.
“That, as we all know, is the art of international rugby because nobody really cares whether you’ve got five days or six months of preparation.
“So, to get back up to speed for that first game and be at our best is where we want to be, and I think we all know it’s where we have to be coming up a good team like South Africa.”
Since Farrell’s first match in charge against Scotland in early 2020, he has given international debuts to 25 players. Twelve of them are in the squad for the upcoming three-Test run at the Aviva Stadium.
Caolin Blade, Shane Daly, Max Deegan and James Hume, who have all been capped in the last two years, are also part of the Ireland ‘A’ panel.
By the time the Ireland ‘A’ contingent come into camp next week after round 7 of the United Rugby Championship, there should be a clearer picture on a number of players who are currently nursing knocks.
The IRFU injury update issued yesterday was mostly positive, particularly for Joey Carbery who, following a shoulder injury sustained during Munster’s derby defeat to Leinster, is set to train fully this week.
“Just so he can get back up and running and train as a team and have him barking orders, that’s what a general always does,” Farrell commented on Carbery.
“For Joey to have that piece of mind to get back up and running himself is pretty reassuring for everyone else.”
Five players, including Leinster duo Jamison Gibson-Park and Hugo Keenan, will be reintegrated into training this week, while experienced forwards Tadhg Furlong (ankle) and Peter O’Mahony (neck) are still to complete their rehab programmes.
Regarding Furlong and O’Mahony’s likely availability, the Ireland head coach admitted: “Yeah, confident but there’s certain stages that they’ll have to get through.
“They’ve pulled up in not too bad shape and they’ll go through a process and we’ll see how they are at the beginning of next week.”
He added: “There’s a lot going on but, in general, the feeling is amongst the medical staff that people are progressing really well. Most people should be back sometime this week, if not the end of the week.
“Then there’s a couple that we’ll keep assessing throughout. So, decent enough news actually coming in last night and medical checks this morning. Not a bad place to be.”
South Africa’s tour squad will be announced on Friday, following on from a three-day training camp that wrapped up in Stellenbosch today. Their ‘A’ panel will travel to Cork next week, in advance of their game against Munster.
“It was a fantastic camp, and it offered the coaches an ideal opportunity to get the players to switch their focus to the Ireland Test next week and the forthcoming SA ‘A’ matches,” explained Rassie Erasmus, South Africa’s director of rugby.
“It was also valuable in the sense that it exposed new players such as Manie (Libbok) and Sacha (Mngomezulu) to our structures and to see them in action as we finalise the selections for the Springbok and SA ‘A’ teams.
“The Springboks are facing the two best teams in the world on successive weekends in Ireland and France, and Italy and England are always forces to be reckoned with, especially at home, while Munster and Bristol are top clubs and will test the SA ‘A’ team thoroughly.”
With some of his freshly-assembled Ireland squad at varying stages of recovery, Farrell said that no one has been ruled out of contention for Saturday week’s showdown with the Springboks.
“We’re gradually building the week as we go, so Thursday-Friday is going to be a big couple of days for a few of the players. We’ll just wait and see,” acknowledged the Wigan man.
“Some players don’t need that much game-time, some players are able to just hit it straight from the word go.
“Some players need five or six games to hit the ground running. It’s up to us to assess that. We’re not a massive playing pool as well, so it’s needs must at times. Certainly, nobody is ruled out at this stage.”
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is delighted to announce the return of the ‘A’ Interprovincial Men’s Championship which will kick off next month.
The times and dates of the opening three rounds of the Championship before Christmas have been confirmed, with a similar points-scoring system as used in the URC. A Championship winner will be declared after the final round of matches in May and the IRFU will be commissioning a legacy trophy to mark the 150th anniversary celebrations.
Welcoming the news, IRFU Performance Director David Humphreys commented:
“We’re delighted to kick-start the Men’s ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship which will provide a host of players with a further means of developing in a meaningful competition. With the success of the Emerging Ireland Tours, coupled with the return of an ‘A’ international against England next year, it is vital that we continue to provide players at provincial and Club levels with opportunities to impress outside of the traditional URC and EPCR fixture windows.
“Discussions have been ongoing for some time to provide players with meaningful games and all four provinces are unanimously supportive of this competition. It is also great to see provinces taking matches around their local Clubs.
“It is anticipated that as the competition progresses over the coming seasons these fixtures won’t clash with Energia All-Ireland League fixtures for the most part, thus potentially also offering players from the Club game with an opportunity to impress.
“This competition will form another important part of the representative pathway from Energia AIL to URC levels for Academy players upwards over the coming seasons.”
The dates for the post-Christmas fixtures will be confirmed in due course. Ticket details will be confirmed via the respective provinces.
IRFU 150 Interprovincial ‘A’ Championship Fixtures:
Saturday, 16th November:
Connacht Eagles v Leinster ‘A’ (Creggs RFC, 1pm)
Friday, 22nd November:
Ulster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (Ballymacaran Park, 3pm), Leinster ‘A’ v Munster ‘A’ (Lakelands, 5pm)
Friday, 29th November:
Munster ‘A’ v Ulster ‘A’ (New Ormond Park, 3pm)
Friday, 20th December:
Ulster ‘A’ v Munster ‘A’ (tbc, 3pm)
Saturday, 21st December:
Leinster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (Ollie Campbell Park, 2pm)
Weekend of 28/29 December:
Connacht Eagles v Ulster ‘A’ (tbc), Munster ‘A’ v Leinster ‘A’ (tbc)
Weekend of 9/10 May:
Connacht Eagles v Munster ‘A’ (tbc), Leinster ‘A’ v Ulster ‘A’ (tbc)
Weekend of 16/17 May:
Munster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (tbc), Ulster ‘A’ v Leinster ‘A’ (tbc)
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
The Emerging Ireland team to face the Cheetahs in the final game of the three-match series in Bloemfontein on Wednesday evening (kick off 6pm Irish time, 7pm local time) has been named.
Leinster’s James Culhane will lead the team and he forms a new back-row alongside Harry Sheridan and Sean Edogbo, who makes his first start of the tour having come on as a replacement in the 29-24 win over Western Force on Sunday afternoon. Former Ireland Under-20 captain Evan O’Connell locks down with Darragh Murray, who featured in the opening 36-24 victory over the Pumas, with Alex Usanov named in the front row alongside hooker Stephen Smyth and Jack Aungier.
Darragh Murray of Emerging Ireland scores his sides second try – Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Steve Haag Sports/Darren Stewart
In the backline, Sam Prendergast starts his third game of the tour at out-half and he will be partnered by Cormac Foley, who featured as a second half replacements against the Australian Super Rugby side last time out. Connacht’s Hugh Gavin forms a midfield partnership with Hugh Cooney, with Ulster’s Zac Ward named in an exciting back tree alongside the returning Ben O’Connor at full-back and Andrew Osborne who moves to the right wing.
Munster loosehead prop George Hadden, who was called up to the squad last weekend, is set to make his first appearance after being named on the bench alongside Conor O’Tighearnaigh and Alex Soroka who started Sunday’s win. Hadden’s provincial team-mate Danny Sheahan provides cover once more at hooker, while Scott Wilson and Charlie Tector are also named on the bench for the Toyota Stadium clash alongside out-half Jack Murphy.
Looking ahead to the game, Emerging Ireland Head Coach Simon Easterby said: “When we set out at the beginning of our pre-camp in Dublin, we knew about the challenge of facing three sides in a week and we knew that every player in the group would have the opportunity to play his part. To a man each player has given his all so far and we are aiming to finish off the series with another positive performance on Wednesday.
The Cheetahs are a fiercely proud and strong side and it should be a lively game with a vocal home support behind them. It has been a fruitful past few weeks to date and we have learned a lot. While our performances haven’t been perfect, the players have embraced the challenge and played some brilliant rugby at times. The action has come thick and fast and we know that we have to be clinical in our execution. We will need to go up another level on Wednesday to get the performance we want and hopefully finish the tour on a high.”
Wednesday’s game will be broadcast once more on IrishRugby+ – click here.
Emerging Ireland (v The Cheetahs, Wednesday, October 9, 7pm local time, 6pm Irish time)
15: Ben O’Connor (UCC RFC/Munster)
14: Andrew Osborne (Naas RFC/Leinster)
13: Hugh Cooney (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
12: Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)
11: Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster/Ireland Sevens)
10: Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
9: Cormac Foley (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
1: Alex Usanov (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
2: Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster)
3: Jack Aungier (Clontarf FC/Connacht)
4: Evan O’Connell (Young Munster RFC/Munster)
5: Darragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)
6: Harry Sheridan (Dublin University FC/Ulster)
7: Sean Edogbo (UCC RFC/Munster)
8: James Culhane (UCD RFC/Leinster) (captain)
Replacements:
16: Danny Sheahan (Cork Constitution FC/Munster)
17: George Hadden (Garryowen FC/Munster)
18: Scott Wilson (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster)
19: Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster)
20: Alex Soroka (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
21: Matthew Devine (Corinthians RFC/Connacht)
22: Jack Murphy (Clontarf FC/Ulster)
23: Charlie Tector (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
Following Emerging Ireland’s 29-24 victory over Western Force in Bloemfontein on Sunday three players, Gus McCarthy (Leinster), Sean O’Brien (Munster) and Jude Postlethwaite (Ulster) will return to their provinces.
The trio will leave South Africa on Monday afternoon and will be available for selection for their respective URC fixtures this weekend.
The squad will visit Heidedal Township this afternoon and will conclude the three-match series on Wednesday evening against The Cheetahs (kick off 7pm local, 6pm Irish time). That match will be live on irishrugby+
Watch the full match back here on irishrugby+
Check out the highlights from the win against Western Force below.
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
IRFU Announces Return Of ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship
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