6 Nations
Farrell: Stockdale And Moore Ready To Grasp Ireland ‘A’ Chance
For tighthead prop Moore, who won the last of his 10 Ireland caps in 2015, he has worked his way back into the Ireland reckoning through his consistent form at provincial level.
The Dubliner will be keen to make his mark off the bench at the RDS, while Stockdale has recovered from an ankle injury to don the green jersey, albeit the ‘A’ one, for the first time since playing against Japan in July 2021.
Andy Farrell says Stockdale’s start on the left wing – he will be up against the Chiefs’ Shaun Stevenson – is just reward for his strong start to the season in Ulster colours.
“We all know that Jacob’s been out injured for quite some time. There’s a few lads that have staked their place pretty well over the last 12 months, but Jacob coming back at the start of the season has shown a lot of hunger, in my eyes,” insisted the Ireland head coach.
“Looking at his performances, and I know that he’s not played for a couple of weeks, but his hunger at the start of the season, how he attacked the season, shows me the fight and the want to get his spot back.
“So, he gets the opportunity to show us how he’s going to push forward with the rest of the season.”
Moore will provide back-up to his Ulster front row colleague, Tom O’Toole, who started both of Ireland’s summer tour games against the Māori All Blacks, along with Munster’s Jeremy Loughman at loosehead.
Ulster head coach Dan McFarland has dubbed the 31-year-old Moore ‘one of the top scrummagers around in Ireland’, and his recent displays for McFarland’s men would certainly back up that view.
“With Marty, I think he’s been ever-present and consistently very good for Ulster,” acknowledged Farrell. “I think he’s been the cornerstone of the Ulster pack for the last few years, actually.
“You look at his last game, he was man-of-the-match against Munster. He’s earned the right to deserve his chance to show his worth to his peers within the squad.”
It has been a long road back to earning an Ireland recall. Moore’s rugby journey has taken him from his native Leinster in 2016 to two injury-interrupted seasons with Wasps, and then back into the Irish system with Ulster in 2018.
He was involved in Farrell’s first ever Ireland training squad three years ago, and while still aspiring to make a return to international rugby, he said last year that ‘it’s not really part of my goal-setting and objectives’.
The two-time Six Nations winner may have to reset those goals if Friday night goes well and he can work his way back into the Irish front row ranks on a regular basis.
“I didn’t expect to be in an Irish squad, if I’m honest. The opportunity to play rugby as close to top level is something special, whether it’s an interpro game, European rugby, or an ‘A’ game with Ireland,” commented Moore.
“An ‘A’ international is as close as it comes to Test match rugby. It’s something I’ll grab with both hands – and hopefully get a good hit out on Friday.”
The All Blacks XV are New Zealand Rugby’s newest team, and their inaugural matchday squad features eight capped players, including the returning Damian McKenzie who joins vice-captain TJ Perenara – the team’s elder statesman at 30 – at half-back.
There are a combined 14 representatives from the Chiefs and the Crusaders, with six of the forwards hailing from the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific champions. Head coach Leon MacDonald is expecting ‘a huge challenge from a top tier, physical Ireland ‘A’ team’.
While they have not played before as a collective, seven of the All Blacks XV squad saw action for the Māori All Blacks during the summer. Analysis of their Super Rugby exploits will also aid the Ireland ‘A’ preparations.
“We’ve got plenty of information about the opposition as individuals. The lads will be well across that. They sure know the experience that they’ve got in their side,” explained Farrell.
“The amount of caps that they’ve got with the captain (42-times capped lock Patrick Tuipulotu) there, and with (Damian) McKenzie and (TJ) Perenara, etc. We know the experience that they’ve got and what they’re going to show.
We also know that our lads watch plenty of Super Rugby, so that these lads they’re playing against on Friday night are the next cabs on the rank as far as the All Blacks side is concerned.
“Their depth is pretty deep as well, so we know that they are going to be very strong and a big step up from the Māori game.
“At the same time, our lads came in last Sunday and they’ve had a couple of training sessions. We expect them to be up to speed, so most of the concentration has been on ourselves in that regard.”
The Ireland coaches are challenging the players selected, led by captain Craig Casey, to lay down a marker and alter the pecking order as selection draws nearer for the 2023 Guinness Six Nations, and the Rugby World Cup in the longer term.
That is the case for the more experienced cohort, as well as the exciting youngsters back for more from the Emerging Ireland tour, and those who have graced the Test arena already on a handful of occasions.
There is the carrot of potential involvement against Fiji in the second Test of the Bank of Ireland Nations, with Farrell underlining: “It’s their chance to show the fight on Friday night and to show that they’re ready for the big stage.
There’s an opportunity for them to show that they’re able to handle the big stage and hopefully that transfers to a cap for a few of them.
“We get to see who is serious about wanting to be in the room, not just for the medium or long term, which some of these guys obviously are, but for the short term as well.”
The Wigan native continued: “Come the Six Nations, we want a big headache as coaching staff of making sure that we understand that we have grown the pool and it’s one of a very competitive nature regarding Six Nations selection.
“This is why we’re doing it. This is the whole point, to make sure that everyone…we’ve had 50 lads in the same room all week, they’re all looking across the room at each other and they know who the competition is.
“It doesn’t really matter whether you class yourself as a senior player or a new kid on the block, we’ll see who has got the hunger from the experience that they’ve had all week.”
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
Squad Update | Munster Prepare For All Blacks XV At Thomond
