Ireland is coming into this Summer Series playing against Japan and USA and it will be a good test to see what they have. While it is certainly not the strongest competition, it will be a chance for some players to impress and hopefully build depth. This is the first step in building a squad for the 2022 Six Nations. So, what should we expect in this Summer Series? Let's take a look.
See What Fresh Blood Will Do
While there might be some players who have earned at least a cap, most players on this squad are young and inexperienced. This will be a chance to see the next wave of Irish talent to shine on the big stage. It will also give head coach Andy Farrell a chance to evaluate the players before assembling his squad for the next Six Nations campaign. There's some uncapped players like Robert Baloucoune, Tom Daly, Caolin Blade, Ross Molony, and Gavin Coombes who will have a chance to prove that they should be a part of the next Six Nations squad. That also goes for some of the others who have very little caps to their name like Will Addison, Ryan Baird, Craig Casey, and Caelan Doris to also prove themselves. With most of the notable names either playing for the British and Irish Lions tour or just taking some time away from international duty, this is a good chance for these players to make a name for themselves.
Flyhalf Battle
At some point Jonathan Sexton will step away and the Irish will have to look for the next starting flyhalf. While it will be hard to replace a talent like Sexton who is a generational talent (despite replacing a generational talent in Ronan O'Gara), the Irish are in good shape still here. It's long been thought that Joey Carbery was going to replace Sexton eventually and was once tabbed as the heir apparent, but injuries has derailed those chances plus Sexton not retiring from international duty has also hindered those chances. However, Carbery has a chance to finally cement himself as that again and to be Sexton's replacement come the next Six Nations campaign. That being said, Harry Byrne has been seen as the future at the 10 jersey as he is a supremely talented player. Some have even said that he should be ahead of Carbery come the 2023 World Cup. This will be Byrne's first opportunity to play internationally so he definitely will want to impress and will do anything to win the starting job. Billy Burns will also get a chance and has some international experience, but he is unlikely to win that battle. However the hope is that for Burns to compete for a backup role in the future.
Scrumhalf Battle
If one thinks the flyhalf battle will be interesting, then it will be fun to see what happens at scrumhalf as there are two main contenders here. Jamison Gibson-Park, who made his debut last year, is an experienced player who has been fighting his way to prove that he should back up Conor Murray and wants to be the starter here while Murray is away. Craig Casey is the future starting scrumhalf as he's supremely talented, but he will want to impress here and get considerate playing time by proving he's capable at starting in at the 9 jersey especially when he takes over when Murray retires. It is going to be interesting to see if whether Farrell goes with Gibson-Park or Casey, but either way both will get playing time. Caolin Blade will try to prove himself here, but he is likely to be depth for this series and is trying to be the future backup to Casey.
Hooker Battle
This has been a long time battle ever since Rory Best retired, but luckily Ireland has two capable players of replacing Best. Rob Herring has seemingly been getting the most starts due to his experience, but it seems like he's more of a backup player. Ronan Kelleher has been usually coming off the bench, but he is young and supremely talented. Kelleher also has the age advantage over Herring as being younger gives him a better chance of being the long term solution. Dave Heffernan provides considerable depth, but he will also be fighting for playing time.
What Will The Normal Lineup Bring?
With players like James Ryan, Peter O'Mahony, Jacob Stockdale, and Jordan Larmour playing in this series, it will be interesting how they step up and play in these matches. They will be depended on more so and will have to carry a heavier load when leading this squad. These are the veterans and it will help them become leaders on the pitch. It also gives them valuable playing time that they might desperately need. It also helps Farrell when assessing his squad for the 2022 Six Nations campaign as it might not only define what their role will be on the squad, but even if they will be a part of it.
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