Ireland retain 27 players for two-day training camp that will feature U20 prospects

Patrick McCarry

There will be an opening training session for Irish fans at the Aviva Stadium, later this week.

Iain Henderson has been cleared to play again after his recent Covid positive, but Andy Farrell is sending him back to Ulster for some game time.

Henderson, who has also been held back by injury issues this season, is one of 11 players released back to their provinces for the upcoming United Rugby Championship games, this weekend. Also released back is Ross Molony. The Leinster lock was called in a second row cover, last week, and got another taste of Ireland camp. Other players released back are:

Robert Baloucoune, James Hume, Nick Timoney (Ulster)
Jack Carty, Dave Heffernan (Connacht)
Craig Casey, Gavin Coombes (Munster)
Jordan Larmour, Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster)

With those 11 players released back for URC fixtures, that leaves 27 senior stars with Ireland for that two-day camp. One of those days will see Farrell take his side to the Aviva Stadium for the first open training session [a ticketed affair] with members of the general public for over two years.

One of the 27 players included is Leinster star Ryan Baird, who had a fine game, in the second row, against Italy but who may revert to blindside for the next game against England. While a hearing panel has been announced for Italy hooker Hame Faiva, after his weekend red card in Dublin, Baird looks to have escaped a citing for a high tackle on Alessandro Fusco in the same match.

On the latest House of Rugby URC [LISTEN from 6:30 below], Leinster and Ireland outhalf Ross Byrne joined Greg O’Shea and Megan Williams, and the trio discussed some of the big selection calls for the March 12 date with England.

Ireland players stand as a message is shown on the big screen condemning the invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile)

Iain Henderson, James Hume and Craig Casey seeking starts

Of all the players released back for URC duty, Iain Henderson would have the best chance of coming back in to feature against England.

The other players that would be hoping to impress on provincial duty, to make cases to be involved against Eddie Jones’ side, would be James Hume and Craig Casey. Both featured off the bench against Italy. Robbie Henshaw undergoing Return To Play protocols, it leaves just two centres – Garry Ringrose and Bundee Aki – in camp.

Ryan Baird will be free to play against England, despite a clip shared by a relatively small-scale Twitter account being viewed half a million times.

‘Italian Rugby Players Abroad’, which has only 193 followers and even less when it first posted the Ryan Baird tackle on Italy sub Alessandro Fusco, highlighted the collision and asked why Hame Faiva had been red-carded when the Ireland lock had not been carded.

That Faiva red card, for a shoulder to the head of Dan Sheehan saw Italy without a hooker for over an hour and reduced to 13 men for the remainder of the game. Interesting, former Ireland head coach Eddie O’Sullivan was one of the prominent Twitter users that retweeted the Ryan Baird clip.

I just keep wondering why the TMO failed to make the ref assess this hit.
Surely inconsistent given the previous decision in the same match.#IREvITA #GuinnessSixNations #SixNations #SeiNazioni pic.twitter.com/0M4X6QZZR6

— Italian Rugby Players Abroad (@italiansrugby) February 27, 2022

While the result would not have been in doubt, at that stage of the match, one can see why Italian rugby fans would be upset that a tackle similar to that of Baird was not punished.

When all is said and done, the drive to stamp out players going in too high on tackles is a worthwhile pursuit by World Rugby. Faiva was rightly red-carded, and Baird should have walked had this moment been spotted by the match officials or TMO.

Also at the Aviva Stadium opening training session will be Richie Murphy’s Ireland U20 side. They are top of their Six Nations table after three wins from three and can clinch a Grand Slam by beating England [away] and Scotland [home] in their next two outings.