Ireland head coach Andy Farrell named his 37-man Ireland squad for the 2022 Six Nations last Wednesday; Below we look through the winners and losers for each positional section of the squad: Front-row, second row, back-row, scrum-half, out-half, centre and back-three ahead of February 5.
Wednesday 26 January 2022 06:56, UK
We look at who the winners and losers are from Andy Farrell's 2022 Ireland Six Nations squad, ahead of the tournament's kick off next week.
Winners: Tom O'Toole, Finlay Bealham
Since Andrew Porter's successful conversion from tighthead to loosehead prop, Ireland's loosehead selection has been pretty straightforward: Porter, Munster's Dave Kilcoyne and the experienced Cian Healy.
Tighthead behind Tadhg Furlong is a little less clear, however, and as such there are two winners in the shape of Ulster's O'Toole and Connacht's Bealham.
At 23, O'Toole is still a relative baby in the tighthead stakes, but his promise and potential for Ulster has been clear to see. Big, strong, energetic and a powerful scrummager, this Six Nations may well be the window where O'Toole develops into a matchday 23 option.
Connacht's Bealham is a winner having held off the challenge of some of Ireland's other provincial performers to keep his place in the squad since November. A holder of 18 Test caps, question marks remain over Bealham's scrummaging ability.
There are no true winners at hooker, with Leinster's Ronan Kelleher and Ulster's Rob Herring both in strong form, while Kelleher's provincial teammate Dan Sheehan has already shown enormous potential.
Losers: John Ryan, Marty Moore, Niall Scannell, Dave Heffernan
At 33, and on 24 caps, the Test career of Munster's Ryan may have come to an end after a second squad omission in succession. Indeed, there are strong rumours the Corkman will sign for Saracens and depart Ireland altogether.
Ryan, a superb scrummager, picked up the last of his Test caps vs Japan in the summer and travelled to the 2019 World Cup, but appears now to have firmly slipped behind Bealham and O'Toole.
Ulster's Moore moved back to Ireland in 2018 from Wasps - having left Leinster in 2016 - with strong intentions of reviving his Test career. Unfortunately it hasn't worked out for the now 30-year-old who, despite starting ahead of O'Toole at club level in the European Cup, has never been recalled - and it doesn't look like he will be either.
At hooker, Munster's Niall Scannell appeared at one stage to be Ireland's natural successor to Rory Best, featuring in four of Ireland's 2017 Six Nations Tests, starting twice on the victorious 2018 tour to Australia, and travelling to the 2019 World Cup.
The 29-year-old hasn't earned an Ireland call-up since that World Cup, however, and after being overlooked this time again, he has since picked up a shoulder injury playing for Munster.
Connacht's Heffernan was included in a number of Ireland squads before the autumn, but like in November, he hasn't made it this time around either.
Winners: Kieran Treadwell, Ryan Baird
With Leinster's James Ryan, Ulster's Iain Henderson and Munster's Tadhg Beirne - the latter one of the outstanding forwards in European rugby currently - each automatic picks into any Ireland squad at the moment, there remained two further lock spots to fill.
Leinster's Ryan Baird is a winner to have made it in the sense that he is included despite regularly starting on the bench for Leinster this season even with injuries to Ryan. There is no doubting the 22-year-old's athletic qualities though.
The main winner in the second row stakes is Ulster's Treadwell, having earned a recall to the Ireland set-up for the first time since 2017.
The 26-year-old has stood out with his pacey, sturdy and technically astute displays for the northern province this season, and as such has earned a first-ever call-up under Andy Farrell.
Losers: Ultan Dillane, Fineen Wycherley, Ross Molony
The main loser at second row is Connacht's Dillane, who after announcing he will depart the province at the end of the season to join Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle in France, has been cut out entirely.
While never truly establishing himself as a starter, the 28-year-old burst onto the scene in 2016 vs England at Twickenham, and, injuries aside, has been a regular in the Ireland camp ever since, winning 19 Test caps.
Dillane unquestionably possesses the talent for inclusion, but Ireland's policy of not selecting players abroad seems to have been enacted early in this case.
Munster's Wycherley and Leinster's Molony both entered the frame for potential squad inclusion when it became clear Dillane would be left out, with the latter starting ahead of Baird for his province on several occasions this season. Neither managed to make the cut, however, as Treadwell received the call.
Winners: Gavin Coombes, Nick Timoney
With November's outstanding back-row selection of Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan all shoo-ins, and Munster skipper Peter O'Mahony in great form too, the back-row questions were limited to who would join them.
No 8 Coombes was unfortunate to suffer from illness in November after selection, ruling him out of all of Ireland's Tests, before he then picked up Covid-19 with Munster in South Africa, forcing him to isolate for 10 days in Cape Town and a further 10 days in Ireland upon his return.
As such, the 24-year-old has been in a race against time to get back onto the pitch and regain his form. Struggling in his first game back vs Connacht, he has improved since to get back to near his best vs Ulster, Castres and Wasps. The question now is, can he challenge Conan or Doris to start at the highest level?
Ulster's Timoney was on the fringes of the Ireland matchday squad in the autumn, having made his Test debut last summer. Indeed, he drove down from Belfast the morning of their match vs Argentina to take his place among the replacements after a late Conan injury, impressing when he emerged onto the pitch.
The 26-year-old has been in super form for Ulster since and is fully deserving of his inclusion in perhaps the most competitive area within the squad.
Losers: Jack O'Donoghue, Dan Leavy, Will Connors, Rhys Ruddock, Max Deegan
Munster's O'Donoghue picked up two Test caps between 2016-2017, but has never made an Ireland squad since. The 27-year-old is in the form of his career right now, though, and must wonder what more he can do to edge in.
The rest of the back-row losers come from Leinster, with the province's back-row strength in depth truly extraordinary.
The 2018 Grand Slam winner Leavy has suffered terribly with injury since his breakthrough year, and recent wrist surgery will keep him out until the end of March. A catastrophic knee injury in 2019 kept him out for 18 months, before further complications and a knee cartilage injury ruled him out of the majority of last season too.
Back-row trio Connors (25-years-old, nine caps), Ruddock (31, 27 caps) and Deegan (25, one cap) have each been involved with Ireland over the last two years, but injuries and their lack of game-time at provincial level has put paid to 2022 participation.
Winner: Craig Casey
With Munster's Conor Murray returning to some of his strongest form and Leinster's Jamison Gibson-Park impressing hugely in November, particularly in victory over the All Blacks, one remaining scrum-half place was up for grabs.
Despite sharing a dressing room with Murray, Munster's Casey has earned a deserved call-up, with the 22-year-old providing real spark, energy, quick service and a well-rounded kicking game.
Having picked up four Test caps so far, Casey will now do his best to force his way into a Six Nations 23.
Losers: John Cooney, Luke McGrath, Kieran Marmion
Ireland are certainly not lacking for further scrum-half options, though.
Ulster's Cooney has been a star for the province for some time now without earning international recognition, with his situation seeming a case of the face not fitting more than his form not being good enough.
Leinster's McGrath has captained the province and is a key man in the set-ups of one of the world's leading clubs, but he has never been selected in a Farrell squad to date.
Connacht's Marmion, who was a regular Ireland squad member under Joe Schmidt, was back to some of his best form for the club this season, but not enough to sway Ireland selectors.
Winners: Joey Carbery, Jack Carty
With 36-year-old Johnny Sexton pulling the strings for Leinster at the weekend vs Bath and looking in good nick, the major questions surrounded which other out-halves would get in.
Munster's Carbery fractured his elbow against Wasps in early December and hasn't played since, with many expecting him to miss out as a result. His inclusion points to a positive recovery, however, which is good for player, province and country.
Connacht's Carty also earned a call-up having not picked up a cap since 2019, but no out-half has played more this season than the 29-year-old and his form for the western province has been brilliant.
Losers: Harry Byrne, Ross Byrne, Billy Burns, Ben Healy
Leinster's Harry Byrne has dropped out of the Ireland squad since November, with the 22-year-old having barely played this season, while his brother Ross continues to be overlooked and deemed not good enough by Farrell.
Ulster's Billy Burns, who Farrell first capped in November 2020, continues to be deemed surplus to requirements, while Munster's Ben Healy had been talked about in some corners as a potential squad option such has been his club displays, but he isn't quite there yet.
Winner: James Hume
In midfield, Ireland are well stocked in the form of experienced trio Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose. As such, the main winner is Ulster's Hume who, after a marvellous season to date, is rewarded.
The 23-year-old has regularly been sensational this season, combining pace, stepping and power with ball in hand to fantastic effect. In fact, Hume - who made his Test debut vs USA in June - may just be the form centre heading into the Six Nations.
Losers: Ciaran Frawley, Stuart McCloskey, Chris Farrell
Two centres have dropped out of the Ireland squad since November in Leinster's Frawley - who has only started three games since October - and Ulster's McCloskey - who is out with a hamstring injury. Neither featured on the pitch in the autumn, but both will be disappointed to miss out.
Munster's Farrell only returned from an abdominal injury in December, missing the November Test window, but his performances haven't done enough to persuade Andy Farrell and co to recall the powerful centre.
Winners: Mike Lowry, Mack Hansen, Robert Baloucoune
The squad's two uncapped players come in the back-three as exciting Ulster full-back Lowry and Connacht's try-scoring sensation Hansen are brought in.
Lowry, in particular, has been in such scintillating form of late that he could hardly have been left out, while Hansen will have a job on his hands to push the likes of Munster pair Keith Earls and Andrew Conway, Leinster's Jordan Larmour and Ulster's Baloucoune for a place on the wing.
Having started vs Argentina in November, Baloucoune would have been fearing the worst when he suffered a shoulder injury in early December. The rapid wing recovered to return in mid-January, however, and is a nice option for Farrell to call upon.
Losers: James Lowe, Simon Zebo, Mike Haley
Having experienced a pretty rotten 2021 Six Nations form-wise, Leinster's Lowe was given a major vote of confidence by Farrell when he was backed to start vs Japan, New Zealand and Argentina in November, and the Kiwi-born wing rewarded Farrell big-time.
Lowe put in one of the performances of his career as Ireland beat the All Blacks for the third time in five years, and from being in a position where most could not understand his inclusion, Lowe was then virtually considered 'undroppable'.
When his name was absent from last week's squad list, question marks were raised, but the IRFU confirmed he was unavailable due to a muscle injury suffered in training.
Munster's Zebo has been unfortunate since his return to the province in the summer. Having scored twice in his first three games, the 31-year-old was included in November's squad but saw no action on the pitch.
He then travelled to South Africa for URC fixtures, and like Coombes, developed Covid-19, ruling him out for the entirety of Munster's December schedule owing to isolating periods. He was then red carded for a high tackle in his first game back vs Ulster and so it was not entirely unexpected that he missed out on the Ireland panel.
Zebo's response has been good, with a two-try display in Munster's thumping of Wasps in the European Cup.
His provincial teammate Haley has been in fabulous form for the best part of two seasons, locking out the basics and demonstrating himself as an able second playmaker and outstanding back-field defender. He can't seem to catch a break with Farrell though.
