It is a sight that will excite most Irish rugby fans.
Garry Ringrose was called in for Wednesday morning’s training session with the Irish squad at Carton House.
The 21-year-old is in training with Joe Schmidt’s squad after yesterday’s withdrawal of Luke Fitzgerald due to a knee injury.
On Tuesday, Ireland team manager Mick Kearney told us that there were no plans to replace Fitzgerald ahead of Sunday’s game with Wales.
What appears more likely is that Ringrose has been invited along to help acclimatise to the squad dynamic, plays and calls, ahead of a promotion later in the tournament.
The Leinster centre may well be in line for a full call-up depending on how Ireland fare against the Welsh on Sunday.
There’s Garry Ringrose in training with the Irish squad at Carton House pic.twitter.com/XKGO1TGygU
— SportsJOE.ie (@SportsJOEdotie) February 3, 2016
At last week’s Six Nations launch, Schmidt stated his belief that Ringrose may be better served with Leinster during the Guinness PRO12, this month, than being pitched into championship battle.
He said, “Is putting him in against 110 kilos of hurtling Jamie Roberts or the 104 kilos of footwork and fend that Jonathan Davies can deliver, or is it sitting in the squad and not playing, or is it him building that confidence that he’s started to demonstrate through the PRO12 and one European start?”
It appears that circumstances have forced Schmidt to look at Plan B earlier than anticipated.
