The Irish squad have been boosted by the return to full training of Tadhg Furlong, Jamison Gibson-Park, Johnny Sexton and Robbie Henshaw for Thursday’s open training session against the Ireland under-20s at the Aviva Stadium.
The quartet of frontliners were all ruled out of last weekend’s 34-20 win over Italy at the Stadio Olimpico, with Furlong, Gibson-Park and Henshaw yet to feature in this year’s Guinness Six Nations. But all now seem certain to be involved in Ireland’s fourth game against Scotland at Murrayfield next Sunday week.
It is a timely injection of proven quality and experience according to forwards coach Paul O’Connell.
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“They’re all very good players, they obviously have a lot of IP [intellectual property] in terms of how they play the game but they make the group feel good as well with that kind of experience.
“They speak very well, they generally have a lot of logic to add whenever we have problems to solve. So, it’s been brilliant to go these three games unbeaten without some of those guys, and for them to come back in now hungry, with a bit of a different voice and a different perspective as well.
“So, it’s brilliant.”
Garry Ringrose, who was ruled out of the Italian game the day beforehand with a calf strain, sat out the session, as did Cian Healy, Stuart McCloskey and James Lowe. The latter pair were nursing calf issues too, with Lowe revealing on Monday that he was “really sore”, adding: “I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus.”
But with the 14-day turnaround, O’Connell said he expected all of them to be fit for the Murrayfield game.
Extolling Ringrose’s in-depth knowledge of his position, O’Connell added: “He’s been in that ‘13′ position for quite some time. It’s a real specialist position where you have to get used to seeing the pictures. The more you’ve trained there, the more you’ve played there, the more mistakes you’ve made there almost, the better it is, and he’s really quality.
“Particularly, I think his attack is excellent, but how he’s been defending there has been brilliant for us as well. So, he’s an important cog in the wheel. But there’s a few guys who have been knocking around the centre for a while.
Bundee Aki and Henshaw ran in midfield against the under-20s, while Jimmy O’Brien, who came on at outside centre for the last nine minutes or so, was on the wing.
“There’s always one of them [centres] injured and there’s always other guys who have stepped in and done really well, so that’s the way it’s been for the last year. Guys have always stepped up and done a good job for us. I’ve no doubt that if Garry doesn’t make it, which he should, that the guys will step in and do a good job.”
Aki and Henshaw ran in midfield against the Under-20s, while Jimmy O’Brien, who came on at outside centre for the last nine minutes or so, was on the wing.
The returning frontliners and a fuller squad to pick from will give Andy Farrell some interesting options.
“I don’t know is it a headache,” said O’Connell before revealing the attention which Farrell affords selection.
“It’s funny, he spends a lot of time on selection. He’d have his laptop open in front of us for half a day with teams and squads in front of it, and we end up doing a whole lot of different bits of work.
“But you know in the back of his mind it’s all about selection and an important part of the job for him is rewarding people in the right way and rewarding people who have stepped in and done well. Very often by the time selection comes around he and we are very clear, and one thing that the lads have been very good at when they haven’t got picked is rowing in behind, preparing the group, and waiting for their chance.
“Peter O’Mahony had to do it for a little while, Jack Conan is in that position now and he’s been absolutely outstanding for us, going from first-choice to being on the bench.
“So, it’s a great position for us to be in because when we have that competition we train better, I think we prepare better and we’re a better side on Saturdays.
“Guys understand that their chance will come and when their chance comes they have to take it.”
And they generally do.
