Ireland team: Winners and losers as Andy Farrell risks 29-year first with ‘bold calls’ while Sam Prendergast backed despite Paris ‘mare’
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell and an inset of fly-half Sam Prendergast
Following the announcement of Andy Farrell’s Ireland team to face Italy, here are our winners and losers from his selection.
Ireland head into their first game at the Aviva Stadium this year with the aim of avoiding a 15-year first by avoiding consecutive home match defeats.
However, they do so after a sobering opening day loss to France, which has prompted a host of changes for the clash against Italy, who beat Scotland in Rome last weekend.
Without further ado, here are our winners and losers from the Ireland team named.
Winners
Edwin Edogbo
Frankly, it’s been a long time coming. Edwin Edogbo’s long-awaited debut will finally come as he claims a spot on the bench with his first international cap delayed by injury and non-selection.
However, he has been on top form for Munster so far this season and thoroughly deserves to pull on the green jersey for the first time, even if it is from the bench.
Farrell will hope that Edogbo’s trademark attributes are transferable to the highest level, as Ireland were bossed at the breakdown, on the gain-line and were denied any form of lineout competition against France last week.
The 127kg, 1.96m lock certainly adds some much-needed size and beef on the bench, which will be sorely needed on Saturday, particularly with the Azzurri also opting for a 6-2 split in favour of the forwards.
Rob Baloucoune and James Lowe
Jamie Osborne is the only player who starts back-to-back Six Nations matches in Ireland’s back-three, with Farrell dropping Jacob Stockdale and Tommy O’Brien, favouring James Lowe and Rob Baloucoune, respectively.
It’s a Six Nations debut for Baloucoune in what will be his fifth appearance for Ireland, and like Edogbo, his selection is just reward for his form in the United Rugby Championship and Challenge Cup for Ulster.
Sure, he has had his injury concerns, but he boasts a 100 per cent strike rate, dotting down eight times in eight appearances, which includes a brace for Ireland A against Spain, a hat-trick against the Lions and a double against Benetton.
Meanwhile, Lowe has been far less prolific for Leinster with his only try this campaign coming against Ulster in the URC. The 33-year-old has been a nigh-on straightforward selection for Farrell previously, but his snub in round one suggests that the pecking order is far more volatile at the moment. He gets his opportunity to stamp his authority on the jersey this weekend, but he has his work cut out for him with Louis Lynagh and Monty Ioane in stunning form at the moment.
The half-backs
After a nightmarish performance against France last Thursday, Sam Prendergast is incredibly lucky to retain the starting role with Jack Crowley and Harry Byrne breathing down his neck. Perhaps the reason he retains the role is because of how much he struggled and that Ireland fell to a defeat, with the coaching staff giving him a crack at regaining his form.
Prendergast is very clearly seen as a central cog in the team’s progression and World Cup plans, again proven with his selection this week, but if Ireland succumbs to just their second-ever defeat to Italy, the writing will be on the wall.
He will also have a new half-back partner with Farrell surprisingly handing a start to Craig Casey with Jamison Gibson-Park dropping to the bench. Casey’s previous Six Nations starts have also come against the Azzurri which suggests that his selection should not come as a surprise, but considering the pressure on the team to bounce back from last week’s defeat, it is still a bold call from the coaching team.
Cormac Izuchukwu
Like Edogbo, Cormac Izuchukwu will be tasked with improving Ireland’s gain-line success, lineout accuracy and physicality as the Ulster star earns just his fourth cap and his first in the Six Nations.
He is another who has fallen victim to several injury setbacks but now gets the opportunity to press for future involvement. The manner in which France outmuscled the Irish pack last week meant that changes were desperately needed and Izuchukwu is a beneficiary, particularly with Ryan Baird also sidelined.
The Ulsterman will combine with captain Caelan Doris and Jack Conan in the loose forwards, a trio that on paper should provide more front-foot ball and aggression on the gain-line.
Italy
The history of Tests between Italy and Ireland, the Azzurri have emerged victorious on just four occasions and just once in the Six Nations, back in 2013, claiming a 22-15 victory at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Since Gonzalo Quesada took charge of the side, the Italians have become a properly competitive team in the Championship, but they will be eager to finally back up a win which they have been unable to do in recent times.
It’s been 29 years since the Azzurri famously beat Ireland in Dublin, their only such victory, but Saturday’s encounter provides them with a perfect opportunity to double their tally. They have their tails up after their clutch victory over Scotland and go up against an Irish team that is certainly in a dip.
The bookmakers will still have the hosts as the favourites but the Azzurri have repeatedly upset the odds in recent times and claimed historic results against the likes of France, Scotland and Wales. Ireland are now on their radar.
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Losers
Dropped wingers
Quite simply, Farrell had to make changes on the wing after the performances of Stockdale and O’Brien against France. Les Bleus dominated the aerial battle, which is becoming more and more paramount with every passing game.
The duo weren’t afforded the same luxury as Prendergast with the threat of Ioane and Lyangh looming.
Cian Prendergast and Josh van der Flier
Of all the starting forwards from the clash with France, Cian Prendergast was one of the few who hardly put a foot wrong throughout his shift. He was particularly excellent at stopping Les Bleus’ driving maul, but was replaced early on in the second half and now dropped from the matchday 23 entirely.
Meanwhile, Josh van der Flier misses out on a Six Nations match for the first time since 2021, with the back-rower benching just once during that time. The Leinster flanker has been consistently one of the side’s best performers over the years, but his snub this weekend points to the improvement needed from the Irish back-rower’s ability to get over the advantage line and overall breakdown performance.
Van der Flier’s dropping sends a message to the squad that no one is really safe in their position, a statement that is sorely needed to avoid complacency.
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Michael Milne
There is merit in most of Farrell’s selection calls with the exception of Michael Milne, who frankly could not have done more during his cameo against France. He had a real bite in his carries and regularly troubled the French defence, grabbing a try for his efforts.
He also held up his end at scrum time and back-to-back caps would have been richly deserved. Instead, Farrell has selected Tom O’Toole as cover for Jeremy Loughman at loosehead prop.
O’Toole has played the vast majority of his rugby on the tighthead side of the scrum, but the coaching team clearly wants him as an option on the left too. It’s a risky call from Farrell and scrum coach John Fogarty as Italy proved just how powerful it is against Scotland and could cause similar issues in Dublin.
Connacht
Bundee Aki’s absence for ref-bashing, Mack Hansen’s injury and the omissions of Finlay Bealham and Cian Prendergast mean that there is not a single Connacht player in the matchday 23 this weekend. Instead, the team is made up of 13 Leinster players and five from each of Ulster and Munster.
The duo were hardly the reason for the defeat last week but Farrell swung his axe and they ultimately fell victim to the team’s poor showing.
READ MORE: Italy team: Gonzalo Quesada forced into sole change as Scotland heroes rewarded