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Ireland were unable to complete a hat-trick of Guinness Men’s Six Nations titles. They finished third with 19 points from four wins and a defeat, the same record from 2024 when they secured 20 points.
Ireland’s past 10 years have been the best in their rugby history. Two Grand Slams, a further two Six Nations titles, and victories over New Zealand and South Africa attest to that. Ireland now sit at rugby’s head table and are a feared team.
Yet, many of those who got them there are heading for veteran status.
Conor Murray, Peter O’Mahony, and Cian Healy have taken their leave with 40th birthdays closer than their 30th and come the Australia 2027 Rugby World Cup Bundee Aki will be 37, Jamison Gibson-Park, Jack Conan, and Tadgh Beirne, 35, James Lowe and Robbie Henshaw, 34, and Garry Ringrose, 32.
New blood is needed, and there may be a downturn in fortunes while the new breed get up to speed.
One thing that may help is lessening the overwhelming dependence on Leinster’s players. Their system produces so many over ready players, but it should be remembered that for all the players Leinster produce and the quality of rugby they play, they haven’t won a major title since claiming the 2021 United Rugby Championship (URC).
Could varying the balance between the provinces help? Was Munster’s Jack Crawley unfairly pushed aside to allow Leinster’s Sam Prendergast unlimited chances at fly-half? What has happened to Ulster with few from the north represented?
One Ulster player who Andy Farrell will be hoping does make an in arguable argument for inclusion is Jacob Stockdale. For all of Lowe, Calvin Nash, and Mack Hansen’s abilities none of them have the ultra-rapid pace that Stockdale does.
While Farrell leads the Lions and multiple Irish players predicted to travel to Australia, Simon Easterby will take the rest of the team to Romania and Georgia. The moment may have come sooner than planned, but now is the time to test new faces and combinations.