Bundee Aki DROPPED! Ireland’s four inside centre options ranked as Andy Farrell left in ‘tricky position’
Bundee Aki (left) will not feature for Ireland in their Six Nations opener, which opens the door for the likes of Stuart McCloskey (centre) and Ciaran Frawley (right)
Ireland will be without Bundee Aki for their Six Nations opener against France on February 5, with the 35-year-old back facing a disciplinary hearing after an alleged incident with match officials.
“The IRFU can confirm that Bundee Aki has not travelled with the men’s senior squad to Portugal for disciplinary reasons,” the governing body said in a statement. “The IRFU does not tolerate any form of disrespect shown towards match officials and does not condone actions that fall below the standards expected of players representing Irish rugby.
“The IRFU are investigating the matter further internally and no additional comment will be made at this time. Aki has been replaced in the squad by Ulster’s uncapped centre Jude Postlethwaite.
That now leaves Andy Farrell in a tricky position at inside centre, with fellow experienced back Robbie Henshaw also sidelined through injury. But, just what options are at his disposal? Well, here’s our take on just that.
Front-runner: Stuart McCloskey
It seems, in the here and now, that Ulster’s Stuart McCloskey will be the man to wear 12 come Ireland’s Six Nations opener. The 33-year-old back has already deputised for Aki this season, starting in the November Tests against the All Blacks and Wallabies in place of the Connacht powerhouse, but he also gives Ireland a similar attacking identity.
McCloskey is still a really aggressive, powerful runner in attack, in particular in those strike runs against the grain, and that has become such an important part of Ireland’s game plan in Farrell’s tenure. Around that, he has also been in pretty good touch for Ulster in recent outings and has shown a new edge to his overall game too, given their shift towards a more free-flowing attack.
This Six Nations could be a great way for him to earn an extended run in the starting XV.
In the mix: Ciaran Frawley
Utility man Ciaran Frawley could also be in Farrell’s mind to come in at inside centre, which would be a rather interesting choice. While Frawley has shown flashes of genuine ball-carrying quality, his main threat comes with his distribution and playmaking skills.
This is something Ireland haven’t had at inside centre for a long time, and certainly not in Aki’s tenure in the jersey, but it could help unlock their attacking potential.
Having that second playmaker outside of the fly-half will then just help the likes of James Lowe, Tommy O’Brien or Jacob Stockdale get their hands on the ball more often, while potentially even seeing Garry Ringrose come into the game in slightly different ways and get him more involved as well.
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Frawley has also spent a decent chunk of time at 12 this season for Leinster, starting four times in midfield in all competitions, and this could be a great way to bring him back into the starting XV after a frustrating year at Test level.
Outside bet: Jamie Osborne, Jude Postlethwaite
Underneath them, the likes of Jamie Osborne and Postlewaite – Aki’s replacement in the squad that has travelled to Portugal – could also be options for the 12 shirt. Both men again bring something slightly different to the mix, in that they can both float between the two centre positions, which in turn could allow for a more fluid attack.
Osborne is a player you can just put on the pitch anywhere and let him do his thing. As proved on the British and Irish Lions tour and across his Ireland appearances, he is a really exciting talent and seems to bring some genuine flair to this attack.
Crucially, too, he has decent experience within this squad in midfield, and could just slide effortlessly into the 12 shirt. One thing that does slightly go against him is his limited game time in the centres, with his four appearances this season coming at full-back.
He hasn’t played a match since injuring his shoulder against Japan in November but he is now fit, is in Portugal and, again, is just a player you can deploy anywhere along the backline and see him succeed.
Postlethwaite is also a really exciting prospect, and will only get better with time in the Ireland mix as well. One thing that could go in his favour is his age profile.
At just 23, he seems primed for a major role in the Test squad across the next few years, but giving him this exposure now, in a group that’s pretty settled and comfortable in their roles, could just give him the confidence to thrive at this level.
Ireland are slowly starting to future-proof their squad, and this could be another way of doing just that.
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