The three centurions, with a combined haul of 376 caps, bade arrivederci in Rome and so at around 4pm on Wednesday for the first time in over a decade there will be no Cian Healy, Peter O’Mahony and Conor Murray when the Ireland squad is unveiled for an autumn Test programme.
The normally indestructible Hugo Keenan has also been sidelined, thus shining a light on the 15 jersey which he has taken hold of in recent years. Yet the squad for the upcoming games against New Zealand in Chicago and at home to Japan, Australia and South Africa is likely to have a very familiar hue, albeit sprinkled with some of those nine Test debutants in the summer against Georgia and Portugal.
There are also sizeable question marks about the availability of last season’s captain Caelan Doris as he nears a return from the shoulder injury which scuppered his hopes of playing with, and captaining, the Lions. But Leinster have posted a video of him back in training and it seems likely that he will be named, albeit the All Blacks game in two-and-a-half weeks may yet come too soon for him.
If so, Farrell will need to choose a stand-in captain for that game, and there are several contenders in Dan Sheehan, Iain Henderson, James Ryan and Tadhg Beirne. Given Sheehan led the side in the absence of Doris when Ireland sealed the Triple Crown against Wales last season, in that scenario he would again seem to be the favourite to do so again.
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Gus McCarthy looks best placed to join Sheehan and the other returning Lion Rónan Kelleher on the basis of the summer Tests, when he started against both Georgia and Portugal, with Ulster’s Tom Stewart on the bench. That said, Ulster’s most capped player, Rob Herring, has been an ultra-reliable part of the squad and the 36-year-old has hit the ground running this season.
The summer tour also appeared to confirm that Jack Boyle has been first to fill the sizeable void left by Healy’s retirement. Boyle started both Tests, and what’s more Michael Milne won his first two caps off the bench. Milne thus seems likely to be named after his well-taken brace in Munster’s win over Edinburgh last Friday, although Paddy McCarthy’s name has surely entered the conversation after a strong start to the season. The Lions tour appears to have confirmed that Thomas Clarkson has usurped Tom O’Toole, for the time being at least.
There is an even bigger cloud over the fitness and availability of Joe McCarthy due to the foot issue which ended his Lions series halfway through the first Test. If he is ruled out, then the squad could well feature both Ulster locks Henderson and Cormac Izuchukwu, as well as James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne and Ryan Baird.
All told, a dozen players featured in the Irish backrow in their 11 Tests last season, so despite O’Mahony’s retirement some seriously good loose forwards will miss out.
Presuming Doris is included and accompanied by Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan, it could be that Nick Timoney and Cian Prendergast are also named. Were McCarthy ruled out, then one more could come under consideration from Max Deegan, Gavin Coombes, John Hodnett, Diarmuid Managan and Alex Kendellen.
In the absence of the ever-reliable Murray, Ben Murphy looks best placed of the young cohort seeking to join Jamison Gibson-Park and Craig Casey. Murphy was a development player in the Six Nations squad and was a replacement when Casey captained the side in both summer Tests, albeit the rejuvenated Nathan Doak, Matt Devine and Fintan Gunne will all be in the conversation.
The one constant combination last season was the outhalf trio of Sam Prendergast, Jack Crowley and Ciarán Frawley, and that is likely to remain unchanged, even if the four-times capped Harry Byrne is back on the radar of Farrell and his other selectors, along with Jack Murphy.
There is a slight injury cloud over Robbie Henshaw and the age profile of Ireland’s midfield contingent is not getting any younger. But even so it will be no surprise if this well-proven combination again includes all the familiar faces, with Henshaw joined by Bundee Aki, Garry Ringrose and Stuart McCloskey.
Although Cathal Forde, Hugh Gavin and Hugh Cooney are among those centres pressing their cases, in most other eras the 33-year-old McCloskey would have accumulated way more caps and he has rarely let Ireland down in his 21 Tests.
His selection as one of nine players to start in both Tbilisi and Lisbon was further proof of the value in which the Irish coaching staff hold him and he has begun the season strongly with Ulster.
Jamie Osborne, Jacob Stockdale and Jimmy O’Brien will vie to fill Keenan’s jersey in an intriguing battle which should, ultimately, improve Ireland’s depth chart in this position.
Tommy O’Brien, with his sheer pace and X-factor, and Shayne Bolton are also pushing Calvin Nash for inclusion among the increasingly competitive outside backs.
Possible Ireland squad
Forwards
Hookers: Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Rónan Kelleher (Leinster), Gus McCarthy (Leinster). Props: Andrew Porter (Leinster), Jack Boyle (Leinster), Michael Milne (Munster), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Connacht), Thomas Clarkson (Leinster). Locks: Joe McCarthy (Leinster), James Ryan (Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Cormac Izuchukwu (Ulster), Iain Henderson (Ulster). Backrow: Caelan Doris (Leinster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster), Ryan Baird (Leinster), Jack Conan (Leinster), Nick Timoney (Ulster), Cian Prendergast (Connacht).
Backs
Scrumhalves: Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster), Craig Casey (Munster), Ben Murphy (Connacht). Outhalves: Sam Prendergast (Leinster), Jack Crowley (Munster), Ciarán Frawley (Leinster). Centres: Bundee Aki (Connacht), Robbie Henshaw (Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster), Garry Ringrose (Leinster). Outside backs: James Lowe (Leinster), Mack Hansen (Connacht), Jamie Osborne (Leinster), Jacob Stockdale (Ulster), Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster), Tommy O’Brien (Leinster).
