Chicago-bound Ireland wait on injury update following wounding URC weekend that questioned Andy Farrell’s ‘disappointing’ squad selection
Ireland boss Andy Farrell has come under fire for his latest squad selection following Munster's win over Leinster, inset
Ireland boss Andy Farrell could be forced to tweak his squad before Tuesday’s departure to the USA for the November 1 fixture versus the All Blacks in Chicago.
The head coach unveiled a 34-player selection last Wednesday that consisted of 21 Leinster players, five from Connacht, and four each from Munster and Ulster, but has since picked up some injury doubts following the weekend United Rugby Championship (URC) action.
Mack Hansen left the Dexcom Stadium in Galway in a moon boot on Friday night after he was injured in the act of scoring a late try in Connacht’s URC defeat to the Bulls.
Concerns surrounding some Leinster personnel then emerged the following day. Jack Conan and Tommy O’Brien were late withdrawals from Leo Cullen’s side for their 31-14 Croke Park loss to Munster, while Paddy McCarthy played only 17 minutes due to a failed head injury assessment.
Flying out under the cosh…
Conan had been named as number eight and captain, while O’Brien had been chosen on the right wing when the Leinster team was originally named on Thursday. However, respective knee and back injuries resulted in them missing the URC derby.
Head coach Cullen said in the aftermath: “Tommy, it’s more from his back. He and Jordan (Larmour) swapped in (and out) a lot during the week because Tommy had flagged that [back issue] on the Monday.
“We thought he was going to train on the Tuesday. On Thursday, we made the decision, but he’s okay. Jack twisted his knee, but I don’t think it’s anything too serious. He should be okay.”
Uncapped Ireland prop McCarthy didn’t return to the field following his early exit, and he is following the return-to-play protocol.
Meanwhile, Munster number eight Brian Gleeson was one of three additional players named by Farrell last week who would travel to Chicago as cover in addition to the official 34. However, his appearance against Leinster was curtailed less than half an hour into the match due to an arm injury.
Ireland boss Farrell is flying out to America under the cosh after he decided to name 21 Leinster players and just four from Munster in his squad before the weekend derby backfired when a fired-up Munster deservedly defeated a very lacklustre Leinster.
It was only earlier this month, as part of the promotion behind the launch of his new autobiography, that Farrell gave an interview to a UK newspaper that was headlined, ‘Society has gone from being too harsh to all happy-clappy’.
That headline has now backfired on him in the sense that the lopsidedness of his Ireland squad in favour of Leinster has become a heated debate following Munster’s victory over Leinster. There is certainly no ‘happy clappy’ now about Ireland from a Munster perspective on Farrell’s choices.
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Clayton McMillan’s team is now top of the URC after four matches, with Leinster adrift in 12th with just one win, and it has left Farrell accused of picking his latest Irish squad based on reputation and not form. It’s not just fans who have been critical, as several media pundits have also heavily weighed in on the debate.
Retired Munster and Ireland player Simon Zebo, for instance, told Premier Sports viewers that Gavin Coombes, Michael Milne and Tom Farrell were just three Munster players who could feel hard done by Farrell. “It [the Ireland squad] just doesn’t seem to be form-related, which is disappointing.”
The trip to America to take on the All Blacks is Ireland’s first outing in a four-match November campaign. Fixtures against Japan, Australia and South Africa are also scheduled to take place in Dublin.
READ MORE: Simon Zebo slams Andy Farrell’s selections as Ireland squad not ‘form-related’
