Ireland is currently in great form going into a World Cup year, but the most important rugby tournament outside of the World Cup is the Six Nations and the Irish are gearing up for it now. This will be a very important test before they take on the rest of the world later this year. Head Coach Andy Farrell has constructed a talented and deep squad for the Six Nations making them one of the top contenders for the crown and for the World Cup.
While Jonathan Sexton’s time is coming to an end soon, Ireland still has a lot of top tier talent that can lead to victory everytime out and will continue to do so when he retires. Players such as Josh van der Flier, Tadhg Furlong, James Ryan, Caelan Doris, Jordan Larmour, Hugo Keenan, and Garry Ringrose make this a deep side and even have depth with others such as Bundee Aki, Stuart McCloskey, Andrew Porter, and Cian Healy. No matter who the team trots out, Ireland should be able to compete in every match. There will be some inexperienced ones who will get a chance for some playing time, but that’s part of Farrell’s plan, he gets his players opportunities thus expanding the player pool for him to select when he puts together the best side he can for the World Cup. So expect to see some like Jimmy O’Brien, Jamie Osborne, Jack Crowley, Craig Casey, Cian Prendergast, Tom O’Toole, and Joe McCarthy get some time in this tournament, especially if an injury occurs.
Yes, there is some controversy, per usual as Ross Byrne was selected as Sexton’s backup at flyhalf as some thought Joey Carbery was going to be picked. Not sure what the exact reason was as to why Byrne was picked over Carbery (probably wanted to see what Byrne could bring instead of Carbery as Carbery has dealt with injury issues). Yes, Crowley was even picked over Carbery, but that might be because Farrell wanted to see how the talented Crowley would hold up at one of the biggest stages in rugby while letting Carbery do his thing before the World Cup.
Despite being ranked number one in the world, it doesn’t mean that Ireland should be automatically crowned the champions of the tournament as it’s going to be tough. Nations like France, Wales, England, and Scotland will push them and Italy is getting better. This will be a very important test for the Irish before they head to the World Cup.
Looking At Ireland’s Opponents
Wales
Despite the WRU being in turmoil, especially after a terrible era under Wayne Pivac’s reign, Warren Gatland is back to coaching this side and he’s an excellent coach. Wales has had some issues with injuries lately and still relying on older veterans like Alun Wyn Jones, but there’s talent here and will give Ireland some fits. That being said, there’s a lot of talent here especially with Wyn Jones, Louis Rees-Zammit, Leigh Halfpenny, Nick Tompkins, George North, Dan Biggar, Tomos Williams, Alex Cuthbert, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau, and Adam Beard. That’s enough there to make some impact in matches, but it’s whether the depth is there. However, with Gatland at the helm, especially with players who know his system, the team should make some impact. And the match against the Irish will be held at home in Cardiff, so one would think that Wales holds the advantage. Never underestimate the Irish though.
France
The French are undoubtedly the biggest threat to the Irish’s chances at winning not only the Six Nations championship, but an opportunity to win the Grand Slam. The French are a talented bunch who took a few years to finally find the talent they were developing in the U-20’s and were successful winning the Six Nations in that regard, however they are good enough to win the World Cup and that’s scary enough. They boast so much talent such as Julien Marchand, Cyril Baille, Paul Willemse, Gregory Aldritt, Dylan Cretin, Charles Ollivon, Gael Fickou, and Damian Penaud. Plus, it helps to have Matthieu Jalibert and Romain Ntamack as options at flyhalf plus having the best scrumhalf in the world in Antoine Dupont. France is clinical and tough thus making it the hardest match for the Irish in this tournament. That being said, it will be a home game for the Irish in Dublin which gives them the advantage. This match however will likely decide who not only wins the tournament, but a chance at the Grand Slam.
Italy
This will likely be a victory for the Irish, but don’t underestimate the Italians in not making this a contest, they’re getting better. Some players to watch out for are Luca Bigi, Danilo Fischetti, Jake Polledri, Stephen Varney, Tommaso Allan, Luca Morisi, Paolo Garbisi, and Matteo Minozzi. Italy has been a contender for the Wooden Spoon award the last few tournaments, but last year they showed some improvements. The Italians will certainly pack a punch, but it’s hard to see them upsetting the Irish. Plus this match is in Rome, somewhere the Irish have had no problems playing in.
Scotland
This is one of the most frustrating squads in all of World Rugby as they boast a lot of great talent, but seemingly never can put it together. Whether it’s a mentality issue is unknown, but this is a talented side that can never get it together and make a run at winning this tournament as they are good enough to beat any side in the world. It’s baffling to see that a team that boasts Zander Ferguson, Jonny Gray, Sam Skinner, Josh Bayliss, Jack Dempsey, Hamish Watson, Finn Russell, Blair Kinghorn, Ben Healy, Ali Price, Chris Harris, Huw Jones, Cameron Redpath, Sean Maitland, Ruaridh McConnochie, Duhan van der Merwe, and Stuart Hogg can be so inconsistent. Yes, they were able to recruit players such as Dempsey, McConnochie, and Healy from other countries, but the Scottish should be better than needing to recruit players from outside of the country who qualify to play for them. The Scottish should have the advantage having the match played in Edinburgh, but the Irish should be just too good to overcome.
England
There’s a lot of personal reasons for the Irish to be amped up for this match, but the biggest one is the ability to win a Six Nations Championship and possibly a Grand Slam against your most hated rival in front of your fans. This match will be played in Dublin, so it’s a massive game for the Irish. However, it will be interesting to see how the English do as they are now transitioning from the Eddie Jones era to the Steve Borthwick one. Borthwick had done a masterful job at Leicester and has a lot of talent to work with, but how will this side do now after this being the first match they have played under this new system. Players to watch for them are George McGuigan, Ellis Genge, Joe Heyes, Kyle Sinckler, Mako Vunipola, Maro Itoje, Ben Curry, Jack van Poortvliet, Owen Farrell, Marcus Smith, Manu Tuilagi, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Max Malins, Cadan Murley, and Anthony Watson, but honestly, in terms of sheer talent, this side is absolutely stacked. This will be an important one for the Irish as this could be the toughest match for them in their quest for the crown and Grand Slam, but it’s certainly a personal one.
Expectations
Nothing less than a Six Nations championship win, simple as that. A Grand Slam is a realistic expectation too, but understandable if not done. Any given Saturday the Irish could lose to any of these sides, but realistically they should be able to win any of these matches. If the Irish cannot earn the Grand Slam then bonus points will be necessary. The Irish are number one in the world right now, let’s see if they can prove that.
Predicted Table
Ireland
France
England
Scotland
Wales
Italy
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