In Ireland we worry that Andy Farrell is leaning too much and for too long on a core of aging players. Farrell wouldn’t be human if he didn’t marvel at the luxury in all that as he reveals his own hand for the Six Nations. The likes of Joe McCarthy and Cormac Izuchukwu are back on the park now having missed the last window. Harry Byrne will likely take Ciaran Frawley’s place in the group while Jack Boyle didn’t play a minute in November and now takes on a new importance at loosehead with Porter and Paddy McCarthy out for now. Tom Farrell did follow and made a debut against Japan, but six defeats in their last eight games doesn’t exactly give Farrell the nice kind of headaches he would like.

Source: Irish Examiner January 21, 2026 10:25 UTC