The Ireland XV to face world number ones Wales on Saturday, in Cardiff, will feature a raft of new faces.
Ireland will submit their squad to World Rugby on Monday, September 2 so this weekend’s game against the Grand Slam champions at the Principality Stadium will be the last chance for several players to stake their claim.
Joe Schmidt opted to face the media at Carton House this afternoon, rather than sending out one of his assistants. The Kiwi usually fronts the press briefings when he announces the Ireland matchday 23 but he clearly wanted to set the tone after a heavy defeat to England at Twickenham.
Schmidt told reporters that his squad is currently in a ‘clarification period’ ahead of the final World Cup selection and braced supporters for a much-changed starting XV this weekend. The following four players are likely to have the weekend off from playing duty:
- Johnny Sexton (stiff and sore leg)
- Cian Healy (ankle)
- Conor Murray (passed all Head Injury Assessments but will be rested)
- Keith Earls (tendonitis of the knee)
Sexton was said to have injured his leg when a maul collapsed on him, during a training session. “Johnny is very keen to be involved this weekend,” Schmidt told Press Association, “but we’re not going to do anything silly. If he’s not 100 per cent, he won’t be involved.”
That Ireland team to face Warren Gatland’s Wales was discussed by Barry Murphy, Andrew Trimble and Jerry Flannery on the latest episode of Baz & Andrew’s House of Rugby [from 57:00 below].
Former Ulster and Ireland winger Andrew Trimble would love to see Munster centre Chris Farrell restored to the Irish midfield. He
“I’d like to see him get back in the mix. I know you get that from Bundee Aki, and from Garry Ringrose as well, but I liked Farrell at 12.
“I know it was only Italy and the first friendly but I just think you get a level of… a nice little balance in the midfield. Even if he catches it high, he gets low, he gets dynamic and he punches really hard. I think you just need to start getting gainlines from your midfield and I think he would add something big there.”
“I think there are a lot of lads there that probably need to play again to get that out of their system,” said Flannery, “but they may not get the opportunity because, like you said, Joe is going to have a look at the game.”
Possible Ireland XV to face Wales
1. Dave Kilcoyne (Munster)
2. Niall Scannell (Munster)
3. John Ryan (Munster)4. Devin Toner (Leinster)
5. James Ryan (Leinster)6. Tadhg Beirne (Munster)
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster)
8. Jack Conan (Leinster)9. Kieran Marmion (Connacht)
10. Jack Carty (Connacht)11. Jacob Stockdale (Ulster)
12. Robbie Henshaw (Leinster)
13. Chris Farrell (Munster)
14. Andrew Conway (Munster)15. Will Addison (Ulster)
Schmidt will name his Ireland starting XV and bench on Thursday afternoon at Carton House.
WATCH THAT FULL HOUSE OF RUGBY EPISODE HERE:
The latest episodes sees Barry Murphy, Andrew Trimble and Jerry Flannery look back on Ireland’s chastening loss to England and discuss a Munster Royal Rumble.
