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2025 is a Lions year which means all eyes will be on Australia. However, these tours give home unions the opportunity to blood and develop new players. The last time the Lions toured before Covid and the home unions toured too, Ireland travelled to Japan and on that tour they uncovered a few stars who played a vital role in a grand slam the following year.
James Ryan, now a lion, Garry Ringrose, now a Lion and Jacob Stockdale, who was voted Six Nations Player of the Championship earned their debut or first few caps on a tour versus the Brave Blossoms.
This year, while 15 Irish players set off to tour Australia with the British and Irish Lions, Paul O’Connell will lead a new look coaching ticket on a Summer tour against Portugal and Georgia. Georgia have long been improving and while the clamour to get them promoted to the Six Nations has quietened down with Italy’s performances improving, they’re still a tough side to fell.
Portugal won the hearts and minds of Rugby fans across the globe after their most recent exploits at the World Cup in France and rumours circulated before the beginning of that tournament, that in a training match behind closed doors, they gave Ireland quite a scare. The two sides now face off this Summer in a proper test match that will act as a great stage and opportunity for up and coming players.
Let’s take a look at three Irish players who could shine for Paul O’Connell’s Ireland this Summer.
Jack Boyle
The 23-year-old was rather surprisingly left out of Leinster’s recent semi-final loss to Northampton. Cian Healy’s a Leinster stalwart and no one raised too many questions when he was included instead, however in hindsight, Jack Boyle is the type of player Leinster were missing on the day. All out energy, power and agility. Hindsight is 20/20, however he had begun to work his way into the European matchday 23. The Leinster loosehead earned his first two caps during the Six Nations and looks to be in pole position to take the shirt in Andrew Porter’s absence. Earlier this year, I actually dubbed Boyle a Lions bolter with the caveat that he would have to play meaningful minutes for Leinster in their knockout games. He didn’t quite hit that mark and this tour looks to be a year or two too early for him.
There’s a massive opportunity for players to cement a place behind Andrew Porter in this Irish team and Jack Boyle looks like the best bet to seize it. No doubt, the pace of play against Portugal will be fast and free-flowing, which will suit his athleticism and Georgia will test his work at the scrum. Keep an eye on Jack Boyle this summer.
Cormac Izuchukwu
I’m a big fan of Ulster’s star man, I think he has all the attributes to be a terrific player for his province and earn caps for Ireland. He just needs to focus on raising his floor, because the ceiling has yet to be found.
At only 25 years of age, Izuchukwu has a long road ahead of him in his career, but it’s these immediate years that could shape his future. For me, let him excel as a second rower. Let him take restarts, disrupt lineouts and pop up close to rucks to take gaps, opposition defences don’t expect him to take. As a blindside flanker, he still impresses, but it’s in the row where he shines. Tadhg Beirne is still performing to a world-class level, but the IRFU need to have one eye on the future and with Iain Henderson also on the wrong side of 30, there is an opportunity for someone to stand up behind James Ryan and Joe McCarthy.
With Paul O’Connell leading the tour, these few weeks away can be a great opportunity to see how Izuchukwu handles the week upon week of attention first team players receive. How does he handle being under the microscope and being held to a higher standard. How does he prepare each and every day in the buildup to test matches. I think he can deliver and then some, it’s just a case of his consistency between the two games.
Jack Crowley
Just give the guy the shirt. He’s been playing oh so well for Munter and did well in his cameos during the Six Nations. Sam Prendergast’s stock has taken a bit of a hit in recent months and this once again is the perfect example for people to just calm the hell down. Progress isn’t linear. One guy can be up one week and down the next. These players have ideally double-digit year careers ahead of them and it won’t all be smooth sailing. Prendergast and Crowley are great examples of that.
Give Sam Prendergast this off-season to work one-on-one with a Strength and Conditioning coach and a Skills/Contact coach this summer and let him come back with a pre-preseason under his belt.
In the meantime, hand Jack Crowley the keys, let him lead this team week in, week out and remind everyone in Ireland of his credentials as a fly half.
It won’t all be smooth sailing for Crowley, as the amount of changes in the team will mean that the chemistry is off and it will be hard to drive standards to the same level with Andy Farrell and Simon Easterby away with the Lions. That is why Crowley is the perfect man to lead the team, he’s a “pros pro”. He’s a consummate professional who has been guiding Munster extremely well in recent weeks and who could excel in a tour versus Portugal and Georgia.
There’s a long list of young guns I could mention in this piece, but I want to give Tommy O’Brien a special shout-out. This man deserves to be capped by Ireland this year. His pace and tenacity is something that’s been missing from this Leinster and Ireland side for quite some time now. If it weren’t for a horrid run of injuries, I have no doubt Tommy O’Brien would have already been capped at international level. Now is the perfect opportunity to blood him and give him a chance to impress ahead of the November internationals.
All attention will understandably be on Australia, but the die-hards will keep one eye on these Summer tours for future stars in the making.
