Andy Farrell to name squad for northern series on Wednesday afternoon

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Although the absence of the captain Caelan Doris has been compounded by the injury sustained by Jack Conan last Saturday, Ireland will welcome back a trio of frontline players for the first time in almost a year – Andrew Porter, Ryan Baird and Mack Hansen – when Andy Farrell names his squad for the Nations Championship on Wednesday afternoon.

The three last played for Ireland in the final game of last year’s November series against South Africa. In that game at the Aviva Stadium, Hansen suffered a foot injury that required surgery in December, ruling him out for the rest of the season, Baird fractured his tibia, and did so again in Leinster’s Champions Cup quarter-final against Sale in April, while Porter was twice sidelined due to calf issues.

Porter, Baird and Hansen all provide unique abilities and points of difference that will be gladly restored to the Ireland squad. Allowing for the loss of Doris and Conan, Farrell will also have been encouraged by the form of other summer tourists after their delayed seasonal returns.

Ireland will play three games at the Aviva, against Argentina (November 6th), Fiji (November 14th) and South Africa (November 21st), before a concluding playoff at Twickenham on the last weekend of the month.

There could be one or two uncapped bolters included in the squad, such as Ulster outhalf Jamie Benson, while The Irish Times has learned there will also be an A game during this window, possibly against a Fiji XV side, which the IRFU are set to confirm later this week. This fixture might allow Farrell the chance to give some game time to fringe players.

Porter’s return could see Billy Bohan rerouted to the A squad, and possibly Sam Illo as well, to accommodate the return of Finlay Bealham, but then again, the young Connacht tyros were in the summer squad on merit and would have earned their places here too.

The hookers will likely be unchanged, with the usual names in the secondrow to be supplemented by one or two from Cormac Izuchukwu, Darragh Murray, Tom Ahern and Edwin Edogbo, who is on course to return for Munster against Leinster on Saturday having last played in May.

With Sean Jansen set to fill the void as Irelands starting eight in Doris and Conan’s absence, the door is ajar for Max Deegan and one of the younger uncapped backrowers, such as Munster’s Seán Edogbo or Brian Gleeson. But with Nick Timoney another option at eight, a likelier fit might be one of Ulster’s backrowers, David McCann or James McNabney, especially as Bryn Ward has been ruled out of Ulster’s upcoming trip to South Africa in the URC.

A regular at blindside in the 2022 and 2023 Ireland Under-20s Grand Slams, McNabney was a development player for both the Six Nations and the summer tour in 2025, but missed the latter with an ACL injury which sidelined him for all of last season.

In the safe expectation that Jamison Gibson-Park will be named in the squad, despite not yet playing this season but having resumed training, he is likely to be joined by Craig Casey and Nathan Doak, while other contenders such as Fintan Gunne and Matty Devine may feature in the A game.

Sam Prendergast’s form and Ciarán Frawley’s impressive start to life at Connacht is timely in the absence of Jack Crowley, but there could be surprise third choice at outhalf given Harry Byrne has only played 30 minutes of rugby this season due to a recent concussion, while Joey Carbery only returned from a lengthy absence last Saturday.

Benson is a product of the Harlequins academy and has played for the England Under-18s and Under-20s, but is Irish-qualified through his mother, who grew up in Belfast. The 24-year-old is highly versatile, having played at outhalf, centre and fullback for ‘Quins, with two-thirds of his starts coming at 10. After three games in the Ulster midfield following his summer move, he made his first start at outhalf in last week’s win away to Zebre. He looks a real dark horse for inclusion.

By contrast, the old warhorses at centre look set to be named en bloc again, namely Bundee Aki, Stuart McCloskey, Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose, given their form so far this season. The only other players to break into the midfield mix in recent times, Tom Farrell and Jude Postlethwaite, are currently sidelined, while Jamie Osborne is another option, being able to also slot in at fullback or on the wing.

Despite James Lowe’s departure to Japan, Hansen’s return makes the stock of outside backs look relatively healthy. Tommy O’Brien is also back after being withdrawn from the summer expedition due to the hamstring injury he picked up in Leinster’s URC final win over the Bulls.

Jimmy O’Brien has carried on his end-of-season form with Leinster which earned him a starting place in all three summer Tests, while Jacob Stockdale and Robert Baloucoune are also in good form for Ulster, as is Hugo Keenan with Leinster.

Possible Ireland squad

Hookers: Sheehan, Kelleher, Stewart

Props: Porter, O’Toole, Bohan, Furlong, Clarkson, Illo

Locks: Ryan, McCarthy, Beirne, Izuchukwu, Murray/Ahern

Backrow: Baird, Cian Prendergast, Van der Flier, Jansen, Timoney, McNabney

Scrumhalves: Gibson-Park, Casey, Doak

Outhalves: Sam Prendergast, Frawley, Benson

Centres: Aki, Henshaw, McCloskey, Ringrose

Outside backs: Hansen, Jimmy O’Brien, Tommy O’Brien, Baloucoune, Stockdale, Keenan, Osborne