Andy Farrell has been in charge of the national side for almost seven years but the looming Nations Champions campaign will only be his third tour of duty abroad.
It’s been a strange quirk during his time in charge. There’s been a couple of factors. The Covid pandemic laid waste to mooted tours of Fiji and Australia in the early seasons of Farrell’s tenure.
There’s been a World Cup and then a Lions tour, with Farrell taking a sabbatical from the Ireland job to oversee that 2-1 series win in Australia.
Paul O’Connell, the only member of Farrell’s backroom team who didn’t jump on the Lions coaching bandwagon, instead led an experimental squad to Georgia and Portugal.
How much did the Ireland brains trust glean from beating the Georgians in a Tbilisi monsoon or sticking a whopping 106 points on the hapless Portuguese in Lisbon seven days later? Very little really. The opposition wasn’t up to much.
This summer will be different. Farrell will learn plenty from next month’s tour, which will take in games against Australia, Japan and New Zealand.
Joe Schmidt will be keen to prove a point when his Australia side take on Ireland in Sydney
TESTING TIMES
All three games will test Farrell’s tourists. The Wallabies will be keen to make a point against an Irish team that were the bulk suppliers to the Lions cause.
Joe Schmidt will be handing over head coach reins to Les Kiss after this summer block of games, so you just know that the former Leinster and Ireland head coach will leave no analytical or tactical stone unturned ahead of Ireland’s visit to Allianz Stadium on July 4.
Farrell is likely to go fully loaded for that one before shaking thing up against Japan seven days later.
The Brave Blossoms will be no easy beats, mind. Eddie Jones is running the show and he has already had a pop at Ireland, citing the fact that his side will be playing their ‘home’ fixture in Newcastle, the harbour city in New South Wales.
‘You know why we’re playing Ireland in Newcastle? Ireland have all the power at World Rugby,’ the Australia noted in April.
‘So we have to play our home game, that should be in Tokyo, in Australia to make sure Ireland don’t have to travel too much – let’s be frank about it.
‘We have to just suck it up and that’s what happens when you’re not a major political power at the table.’
New All Blacks coach David Rennie knows a win over Ireland would be a significant statement
Then, it’s the big one. The All Blacks at Eden Park on July 18 to round out the tour. For the record, the hosts haven’t lost an international game at the Auckland venue since 1994.
They have a new coaching ticket led by Dave Rennie and the men in black will want to make a statement against Farrell’s men, particularly after their 2-1 home series defeat against Ireland in 2022. That was viewed as a humiliating low in New Zealand.
That was Farrell’s first summer tour at the helm. And what a way to start. Two years later, his players drew a two-Test series against the Springboks on their home turf.
On both occasions, the gaffer managed to draw some exceptional performances out of a playing group, especially the sizeable Leinster cohort, who had endured tough seasons with their provinces.
STRIKING A BALANCE
Farrell will look to strike a balance next month. He will see the value in getting results, keeping the good vibes going from the Six Nations when his squad recovered from a rough day in Paris to finish the championship like a train, blowing England and Scotland off the park.
Tadhg Beirne is well into his 30s with a lot of miles on the clock, he could use the summer off
He will crave a landmark win against the All Blacks on their home fortress. What a statement that would be. Farrell is also acutely aware that the power balance in this fixture has shifted in recent years.
He was defence coach when Ireland stunned their Kiwi tormentors at Soldier Field in 2016, a day when 111 years of hurt were exorcised in Chicago. Ireland would then win five of the next eight games against the All Blacks. It went from one-way traffic to a proper rivalry.
There’s been a shift of late, however. New Zealand are currently on a three-game winning run against Farrell’s charges, dating back to that painful 2023 World Cup quarter-final defeat in Paris.
Bundee Aki will be 37 at the World Cup next year, Ireland need him as fresh as possible
Ireland will look to stop the rot in Auckland. It’s not just about results, though. This tour will be a big component of the 2027 World Cup masterplan. Because Farrell doesn’t have many games left to drill into the depth chart.
After this July tour, there are only three guaranteed matches in November, with Argentina, Fiji and South Africa paying visits to Aviva Stadium. Depending on results, Ireland could be heading for Twickenham on the final weekend of the autumn to contest the inaugural Nations Champions final. But Ireland can’t be banking on that one.
Before we know it, the 2027 Six Nations will be upon us and then it’s full steam ahead for the big one in Australia.
Ireland’s veteran tighthead Tadhg Furlong drives into the Welsh defence during the Six Nations
If Farrell wants to take a closer look at a few fringe players, next month is the time to do it. The pressure will be off and, crucially, these are proper Test matches.
He will learn a lot. To be fair, Farrell learned plenty during the Six Nations, too. Injuries forced his hand but his willingness to mix things up and look at alternative options were admirable.
He handed Cian Prendergast his Six Nations debut in the opening round loss to France. A week later, Cormac Izuchukwu made his championship bow on the flank against the Azzurri.
Jack Conan’s quality is well established, Farrell can look at backrow options in his absence
He made a gutsy decision to start Tom O’Toole, out of position at loose-head prop, in the fourth-round win against Wales. The Ulster tight-head held onto the jersey for the final-round victory over the Scots.
Rob Baloucoune was backed, and the Ulster wing flourished. Stuart McCloskey cemented his status as first choice inside centre while Jamie Osborne enjoyed a stellar tournament at full-back. Nick Timoney enjoyed a big Six Nations, while Edwin Edogbo, Nathan Doak and Darragh Murray won their first Ireland caps.
Farrell will be keen to explore more options in July.
Bryn Ward brings power and a bit of a wild streak to the table – qualities which appeal to Farrell
YOUTH CLUB
On Wednesday, Farrell is set to name a squad, believed to be around 37 players, for the looming tour. Will there be many surprises?
Injuries may force his hand on several fronts. Jack Crowley is one of several frontliners who may struggle to make the flight. The Munster No10 has been dealing with a peculiar leg injury, which has been traced to a blood vessel issue, for months and it remains to be seen if Crowley lines out for his country next month.
Farrell, mindful of what’s coming down the track, may just decide to err on the side of caution and give the Corkman the summer off.
Sean Jansen has been sensational for Connacht this season and deserves an Ireland call up
Indeed, he might feel the same way about veterans such as Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan and Bundee Aki. All four have endured marathon campaigns, going all the way back to last summer’s victorious Lions series. That key quartet are all on the wrong side of 33, too. Farrell knows what they can all do at this level. If he wants them fit and firing in 2027, it might be an idea to let them put the feet up, have a full pre-season and go into the next campaign with a full tank.
Farrell is already without Mack Hansen and James Lowe. The former is still recovering from foot surgery while the other is off to Japan for a new adventure, thus ruling him out of selection contention.
But all those absences could open up fresh possibilities for a host of up-and-comers who have the caught the eye.
Billy Bohan and Sam Illo, the pair of young Connacht front-rowers, have been a revelation this season. Both deserve to tour.
Farrell needs to look to the future if he intends to end Ireland’s 40 years of World Cup failure
Edwin Edogbo, Murray and Izuchukwu are a trio of young locks with the highest of ceilings.
Leaving Conan and Beirne at home would open up some slots in the back row. Surely Farrell wants to take a closer look at Ulster’s Bryn Ward, Connacht No8 Sean Jansen and Munster tyro Brian Gleeson.
Those three have the potential to explode onto the international stage.
A trio of uncapped loose forwards who all possess a bit of a wild streak – the archetypal Farrell player.
Ulster midfielder Jude Postlethwaite and wing Zac Ward are raw prospects who can break up a game as well.
Farrell has been bold with his selection calls this year. Here’s hoping that trend continues next month.
RORY KEANE’S IRELAND SQUAD FOR NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP
(* denotes uncapped player)
Hookers: Dan Sheehan, Ronan Kelleher, Tom Stewart
Props: Andrew Porter, Thomas Clarkson, Billy Bohan *, Sam Illo *, Tom O’Toole, Finlay Bealham
Locks: Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Darragh Murray, Cormac Izuchukwu, Edwin Edogbo
Back row: Caelan Doris (capt), Josh van der Flier, Nick Timoney, Cian Prendergast, Sean Jansen*, Bryn Ward*, Brian Gleeson *
Scrum-half: Jamison Gibson-Park, Craig Casey, Nathan Doak
Out-half: Sam Prendergast, Ciaran Frawley, Harry Byrne
Midfield: Stuart McCloskey, Garry Ringrose, Jamie Osborne, Jude Postlethwaite*, Robbie Henshaw
Back three: Hugo Keenan, Tommy O’Brien, Rob Baloucoune, Jimmy O’Brien, Zac Ward
