Fly-half duel, debuts & NZ fortress beckon for Ireland

ByMatt Gault

BBC Sport NI Senior Journalist

It was at this point in the previous World Cup cycle - 14 months out from the tournament - when Ireland laid down an unmissable marker.

In what some regard as the apogee of the Andy Farrell era, they travelled to New Zealand and came home with a Test series win.

That tour - which Ireland won 2-1 with historic, heart-stopping victories in Dunedin and Wellington - instilled enormous belief in Farrell's squad.

They won 17 Tests in a row, collecting a Grand Slam along the way, before their world came crashing down when the All Blacks exacted revenge in one of the great World Cup quarter-finals.

Four years on, there are intriguing parallels. Like in 2022, they jet off to the other side of the world off the back of a Six Nations campaign that yielded four wins and a defeat by France.

This time, however, the summer exertions does not come in the form of a traditional tour. Instead, it is the start of the Nations Championship, the new biennial competition pitting rugby's northern and southern giants against each other.

Ireland's opening leg comprises matches against Australia and Japan in Australia and New Zealand in Auckland.

As ever, there are talking points aplenty from an Irish perspective as BBC Sport takes a look.

There is no sidestepping the obvious concern. Farrell's squad is missing several key men because of injury.

Caelan Doris, who missed last year's Lions tour to Australia, is out, which has elevated Dan Sheehan to the captaincy.

Like in the Six Nations, the front-row absentees are plentiful, with loose-heads Andrew Porter, Paddy McCarthy and Jack Boyle all injured.

Forwards Ryan Baird and Edwin Edogbo are also missing, while Jack Crowley, Tommy O'Brien and Mack Hansen are significant backline absentees.

There is also a James Lowe-shaped hole on the left wing after the two-time Six Nations winner decided to leave Leinster and Irish rugby and begin a new chapter in Japan.

Farrell often frames injuries as opportunities for other players to step up and this summer will be no different as he navigates three Tests without some of his most trusted players.

Crowley's absence because of a blood vessel issue in his leg has created a selection dilemma at fly-half. We've been here before.

A quick recap: Sam Prendergast finished the autumn Tests with the jersey, but by the time the Six Nations ended in March, it was Crowley's.

Prendergast, like most of his team-mates, struggled in the opening-weekend loss to France, but a shaky afternoon against Italy prompted Farrell to hand the reins back to Crowley.

Still only 23, Prendergast is blessed with wonderful passing and vision, and while his defensive frailties remain a concern, he enjoyed a strong end to the season to help Leinster retain the United Rugby Championship (URC) title.

But Harry Byrne - who was preferred to Prendergast for Leinster's run to the Champions Cup final - will feel he is ready for a first Test start.

The 27-year-old has started 15 games for Leinster this season and, while he endured a difficult Champions Cup final against Bordeaux-Begles, he will be pushing for a chance after being an unused member of Farrell's last two squads.

The third man in the conversation is Ciaran Frawley. Two years on from his Springbok-slaying heroics in Durban, he will move to Connacht after this window in his quest for more regular starting opportunities.

Also deployable at inside centre and full-back, starting against Australia would be a tantalising and emotional opportunity for the Sydney-born 28-year-old.

There are five uncapped players in the squad. Three from Connacht and two from Ulster.

Connacht's strong end to the season under Stuart Lancaster made an impression on Farrell, who has brought two of the western province's props on the plane.

Given his lack of loose-head options, it is perhaps not surprising to see Billy Bohan included.

The 20-year-old was a fresh face in this year's Six Nations squad, and while he did not earn a Test debut in the spring, his performances in the second half of the season were enough to bag him a three-year senior contract with Connacht.

Only seven months removed from his senior debut, a first Ireland cap over next three weeks would be the culmination of a whirlwind period for the Kildare native.

Sam Illo has been around longer than Bohan. His Connacht debut came in January 2022, but he has found another level under Lancaster and will hope to soak up a considerable amount of knowledge as one of Tadhg Furlong's understudies this summer.

With Doris sidelined, Sean Jansen could make his mark. A stats machine, the New Zealand-born number eight has scored 12 tries for Connacht this season and ranked third in URC tackles made with 219.

Then there are Ulster's Ward brothers Zac and Bryn, who were called up after Tommy O'Brien and Doris' withdrawals. Bryn was another non-playing member of the Six Nations squad, but there is a chance for Zac to compete with Ulster team-mate Jacob Stockdale for the left-wing berth after a 15-try season.

If the Wards manage to make half the impact their Ulster team-mates made during the Six Nations, they'll have done well.

While Leinster remain the Ireland squad's bulk provider, the northern province's presence intensified during the Six Nations.

Stuart McCloskey in particular was outstanding, missing out on the player of the tournament award to France superstar Louis Bielle-Biarrey.

He missed the end of Ulster's season with a torn hamstring, but the noises coming out of the Irish camp about his fitness this week have been positive. If fully fit, he will be expected to resume his role as the rampaging hero of the Irish attack.

Rob Baloucoune, too, has recovered from injury in time to prolong his moment in the Test spotlight. The rapid winger was superb in the Six Nations and is sure to occupy the 14 jersey this month.

Tom O'Toole will be hoping for a significant amount of game time after successfully switching from tight-head to loose-head in the Six Nations, while ultra-consistent back row Nick Timoney will push for starts after four of his five appearances in the Triple Crown campaign came from the bench.

It could be an important summer, too, for Nathan Doak and Cormac Izuchukwu, both of whom made their Six Nations debuts earlier this year.

Between 2016 and the end of the 2022 tour, Ireland won five of their eight meetings with New Zealand. That included a first ever win over them in Chicago, a couple of home victories and the memorable triumphs in Dunedin and Wellington.

Since then, it's been all New Zealand. They edged a World Cup blockbuster in Paris, backed it up with a win in Dublin and won the much-hyped Chicago rematch 26-13.

Ireland's defeat at Soldier Field last year has been followed by a loss to South Africa and a resounding reverse to France.

As the three other nations in the top four of the world rankings, the significance of claiming the All Blacks' scalp will not be lost on Farrell.

To do that, however, Ireland must end one of rugby's most famous streaks: New Zealand's 52-Test unbeaten run at Eden Park.

The All Blacks' Auckland stronghold has not been breached since France secured a 23-20 win in 1994. In the 2022 series opener, New Zealand tore through Ireland to win 42-19 at their spiritual home.

After three defeats on the bounce, and with the chance to end one of the All Blacks' proudest records, Farrell's side will certainly not lack motivation.

4 July: Australia v Ireland, Allianz Stadium, Sydney, 11:10 BST

11 July: Japan v Ireland, McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, 11:10 BST

18 July: New Zealand v Ireland, Eden Park, Auckland, 08:10 BST

Forwards (20): Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Billy Bohan (Connacht), Thomas Clarkson (Leinster), Jack Conan (Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster), Sam Illo (Connacht), Cormac Izuchukwu (Ulster), Sean Jansen (Connacht), Ronan Kelleher (Leinster), Jeremy Loughman (Munster), Joe McCarthy (Leinster), Darragh Murray (Connacht), Tom O'Toole (Ulster), Cian Prendergast (Connacht), James Ryan (Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Leinster, captain), Tom Stewart (Ulster), Nick Timoney (Ulster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster), Bryn Ward (Ulster)

Backs (16): Bundee Aki (Connacht), Rob Baloucoune (Ulster), Harry Byrne (Leinster), Craig Casey (Munster), Nathan Doak (Ulster), Ciaran Frawley (Leinster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster), Robbie Henshaw (Leinster), Hugo Keenan (Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster), Jimmy O'Brien (Leinster), Jamie Osborne (Leinster), Sam Prendergast (Leinster), Garry Ringrose (Leinster), Jacob Stockdale (Ulster), Zac Ward (Ulster)