Ireland team: Winners and losers as Andy Farrell throws rookie into the ‘spotlight’ but cannot hide ‘Leinster bias’

Ireland coach Andy Farrell and an insert of fly-half Sam Prendergast.
Andy Farrell has named his Ireland matchday 23 to tackle Fiji in their penultimate Autumn Nations Series fixture and we pick out our winners and losers.
The Ireland boss has handed two players starting Test debuts on Saturday, with the team reflecting several changes in the pack and backs.
The men from the Emerald Isle head into the fixture with a perfect record against the Pacific Islanders, winning their previous five encounters and scoring five or more tries in four of those meetings.
Still, Farrell will be wary that this Flying Fijian team is a different beast and that is evident in his selections as many frontline stars remain in the squad to face the side that has upset Wales, England and Australia in the past 12 months.
We run through the Ireland team and pick out our winners and losers from the matchday 23.
Winners
Cormac Izuchukwu
One of two debutants in the pack and richly deserved as the Ulsterman has been knocking on the door for some time now and gets rewarded partly due to the injury to Ryan Baird. Still, Cormac Izuchukwu has all the tools to be a world-class blindside flanker for Ireland and with Peter O’Mahony in the twilight of his career, Farrell is on the lookout for his successor.
A man blessed with remarkable pace considering his huge frame, Izuchukwu also has the physical prowess to make it at the highest level and Fiji will certainly provide him and the coaches with a good litmus test.
Tom O’Toole
After missing the clash against the All Blacks through concussion, Tom O’Toole returns to the matchday squad and will be required to show just how versatile he is.
Usually a tighthead for Ulster, he has been tested at loosehead before and at one stage was linked with a move to Leinster where he would shift sides of the scrums much like Andrew Porter did.
Versatility is becoming increasingly important at the highest level and having a prop that can perform on both sides of the scrum is hugely beneficial. The Ireland coaching team obviously realise this and in the same way that O’Mahony is in the latter stages of his career, the same is true for Cian Healy and O’Toole is well placed to fill that eventual void.
The Ulsterman also gets his shot to show what he can do at loosehead against a Fijian team that uses the set-piece as a manner of restarting the game rather than pressing for penalties or dominating. Generally, their technique is spot on so he will have to match that.
Jacob Stockdale
Jacob Stockdale looked more like the star winger of 2018 this year than the injury-plagued speedsters of the years that followed, resulting in a recall to the Ireland squad and he will now earn his first cap since the Rugby World Cup warm-up match against Samoa last year.
The 28-year-old crossed for three tries in his first five games and racked up impressive statistics and gets the nod ahead of James Lowe against a Fijian team that will test just how close he is to being back to his best.
Cian Prendergast
It’s been tough for non-Leinster players to break into the matchday 23 – more on that later – but this weekend Cian Prendergast gets the opportunity to stake a claim for more Test caps.
The all-action Connacht back-rower takes a spot on the bench and will hope that he gets a good chunk of the second half to hammer into the Fijian pack.
Bundee Aki
For so long Bundee Aki has been one of the most consistent and standout performers for Ireland but against the All Blacks the powerhouse centre was not at his absolute best. He was duly rested for the Argentina Test match but returns this weekend and combines with Robbie Henshaw, with the pair seemingly battling it out for a place in the team against the Wallabies.
Jamie Osborne
Before the July internationals against South Africa this year, Farrell almost exclusively selected Hugo Keenan in the number 15 jumper but with the star outside back opting to represent the Sevens team, the Ireland boss’ hand was forced.
Farrell turned to Leinster back Jamie Osborne who had just a handful of professional appearances at full-back, featuring mostly in the centre for his province, and he took his opportunity with both hands.
The Ireland boss returned to type with Keenan back in the squad but Osborne had done enough to claim a place on the bench where has shone this November and now gets the nod against the Fijians, earning his first start at the Aviva in the green jersey.
Gus McCarthy
Former Ireland U20s skipper Gus McCarthy is arguably the biggest winner of the team announcement as he started the Autumn Nations Series as a “training panellist” along with Thomas Clarkson, Alex Kendellen, Shayne Bolton and Jack Boyle.
He follows clubmate Clarkson in elevating into the senior squad and making his debut, seemingly usurping Connacht hooker Dave Heffernan in the process.
The 21-year-old has clearly impressed the coaching staff in training and gets the jump over several Irish hookers having played just six professional matches before his Test debut.
Sam Prendergast
Whenever a legendary player retires fans and pundits quickly go in search of their heir and the next best thing and in the case of Ireland filling Johnny Sexton’s void, the attention has turned to Sam Prendergast.
The 21-year-old made a confident cameo off the bench against Argentina but the spotlight is now squarely on him on Saturday when he dons the jersey Sexton did for so long with such distinction. It’s enough pressure for Prendergast to move down to the losers category but so far in his career, he has been able to rise to the challenge and we expect him to do so again. He might just be sensational in his first start, or he might just be solid. He is a talented rookie and hopefully, his performance is graded with that fact in mind.
Losers
Tadhg Furlong
The veteran tighthead misses his third straight autumn fixture through injury as he struggles to get back to full fitness. It’s a real shame as Tadhg Furlong was on track to mark his return against the Fijians, according to scrum coach John Fogarty.
“He’s full of energy,” said Fogarty earlier this week. “He got through the session today, and he will be assessed as we go along.
“I’d say he’s bullish, eager to get back and excited to be around the team again. It’s lonely when you’re out, so he’s excited to be back and we are excited as well.”
However, it was not to be but perhaps he will return next week against the Wallabies.
Dave Heffernan
Heffernan started the November internationals with seven Test caps and was the only full-time hooker in the squad with more than 40 minutes of rugby under his belt this season.
However, Farrell has not turned to the Connacht man at all during the Autumn Nations Series despite him being consistent for his province not only this campaign but for several seasons now.
Heffernan is more in the old-school hooker mould with a solid set-piece and power in the tight exchanges but lacks the athleticism of some of the other front-rowers in the side, which has to be the reason he is being overlooked. However, he can still add value if given the chance but he is not getting it.
Nick Timoney
Nick Timoney is always a consistently strong performer for Ulster but that has not resulted in Ireland caps as he is yet to add to his three appearances in green having last played for the side against Fiji in 2022 when he scored a brace.
Timoney is regularly called into the squad but has never really been given his shot and is one of the many players who must be thinking what more must he do to get a chance.
Ryan Baird
After strong performances off the bench for Ireland in South Africa in July, Ryan Baird’s omission from the team to face the All Blacks certainly came as a surprise but he promptly returned against Argentina last week. However, he has been denied the chance to back up that shift against Los Pumas after sustaining a concussion.
It was highly likely that Baird would have been in the starting XV instead of Izuchukwu this weekend but it is not to be.
Calvin Nash
A standout during the Six Nations and in July, Calvin Nash dropped out of the team purely on the basis that Mack Hansen has returned from injury.
The Munsterman never really deserved to be dropped but it is understandable that Farrell has turned to the quality of Hansen.
Non-Leinster players
It’s hard to argue against the Leinster basis claims when it comes to the Ireland coaching team’s selections. Yes, the likes of Izuchukwu, Prendergast, O’Toole and Stockdale all get a chance to impress but only time will tell if their performances this weekend will lead to further involvements.
The fact that McCarthy has gone from a training panellist to starting against Fiji, jumping ahead of Heffernan and even Rob Herring is another indication of that. One has to ask would an Ulster, Connacht or Munster player get the same treatment after just six appearances in the URC? Unlikely, particularly with another experienced option in the squad.
While this matchday 23 only has 11 Leinster players compared to last weekend’s 17, it’s rather telling how much quicker the players from the men in blue jerseys are fast-tracked into a green one.
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