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7th January 2026
05:05pm GMT
With Ireland kicking off their 2026 Six Nations campaign against France on February 5, and head coach Andy Farrell naming his squad next week, SportsJOE have picked the men we would entrust with the mission of regaining Ireland's crown.
Ireland's loosehead options have been decimated, with Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy likely out for the tournament.
The next two in line, Jack Boyle and Michael Milne, have just six caps between them, but it is the best of an inexperienced bunch.
To back them up, we have gone for the unheralded Jerry Cahir, who was signed by Leinster on a short-term contract this season after shining for Lansdowne in the AIL.
His 40-minute shift against La Rochelle on Saturday could prove to be life changing.
At hooker, Tom Stewart's form in a resurgent Ulster team should see him come in ahead of Gus McCarthy, and possibly challenge Rónan Kelleher for the back-up jersey.
Tom O'Toole's excellent recent form sees him nip in ahead of Finlay Bealham.
A fit-again Joe McCarthy is game-changing for Ireland, with his recent Leinster form showing that he is as good and aggressive as ever.
Tadhg Beirne and James Ryan will take their usual spots, with the latter on a redemption tour in green.
With three experienced internationals, there is no reason not to select one of Irish rugby's great prospects in Edwin Edogbo.
The usual suspects - Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan and Cian Prendergast - are nailed on, but the star of the Autumn, Ryan Baird, remains highly doubtful after suffering a fractured tibia against South Africa.
Cormac Izuchukwu has swiftly returned to top form after missing the Autumn, and the Six Nations could be a potential breakout tournament for him.
Tom Ahern - who missed out on game time in November due to injury - and Nick Timoney should retain their places in the squad.
Brian Gleeson was chosen, alongside Edogbo, to train with the Ireland squad ahead of their game against New Zealand in Chicago, but were unable to avail of the opportunity after both got injured in Munster's victory over Leinster.
Hopefully they can make up for their misfortune.
Jamison Gibson-Park and Craig Casey are shoo-ins, but the third-choice No 9 spot is very much up for grabs.
Caolin Blade, Ben Murphy and Fintan Gunne will all be vying for a place, but, on form, Ulster's Nathan Doak should be the man to come in.
At out-half, injuries to fullback options Jamie Osborne, Mack Hansen and Hugo Keenan, coupled with the form of Harry Byrne, could see Sam Prendergast miss out due to the ability of Ciarán Frawley and Jack Crowley to cover 15.
The Leinster maverick should make it, but don't be surprised if Farrell decides otherwise.
The time needs to come, sooner rather than later, for Ireland to introduce a new generation of centres.
While being 32+ does not automatically mean you should not play Test rugby, the number of 'old' midfielders Ireland might have by the time of the World Cup increases the likelihood of them failing to be at the standard required.
The leader of the new breed, Jamie Osborne, looks set to miss the tournament, leaving Jude Postlethwaite as the best option to fly the flag for the young'uns.
Garry Ringrose and Stuart McCloskey will likely make it, with Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw and Tom Farrell battling it out for the final spot.
As aforementioned, Osborne is out, while Mack Hansen will not play again this season.
Hugo Keenan and Jacob Stockdale are also struggling for fitness but should make the start of the tournament.
While James Lowe remains a game-breaking threat, it would be hard to justify his selection, given that JJ Kenny has snuck ahead of him in the Leinster pecking order.
In terms of new blood, the form of ex-sevens star Zac Ward looks too hard to ignore.
Dropping Tommy O'Brien in undoubtedly harsh, but a fit and firing Rob Baloucoune offers more.
Props - Jack Boyle, Michael Milne, Jerry Cahir, Tadhg Furlong, Tom O'Toole, Tom Clarkson
Hooker - Dan Sheehan, Rónan Kelleher, Tom Stewart
Second row - Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne, James Ryan, Edwin Edogbo
Back row - Tom Ahern, Cormac Izuchukwu, Ryan Baird/Nick Timoney, Josh van der Flier, Cian Prendergast, Caelan Doris, Jack Conan, Brian Gleeson
Scrum-half - Jamison Gibson-Park, Craig Casey, Nathan Doak
Out-half - Sam Prendergast, Jack Crowley, Harry Byrne
Centre - Stuart McCloskey, Bundee Aki, Garry Ringrose, Jude Postlethwaite
Back three - JJ Kenny, Rob Baloucoune, Zac Ward, Jacob Stockdale, Hugo Keenan.
Development players: Scott Wilson, Niall Smyth, Bryn Ward, Matthew Devine.
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