Farrell reveals his flyhalf options for Six Nations
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Ireland coach Andy Farrell has named a 34-player Ireland squad for the upcoming Six Nations.
He has named Peter O’Mahony as captain in place of the retired Johnny Sexton.
He also revealed who his flyhalf options are.
Munster’s Jack Crowley and Leinster counterpart Ciaran Frawley are the flyhalf options in the squad, with Sam Prendergast named as one of three ‘training panellists’.
The Ireland squad will assemble at the IRFU High-Performance Centre in Dublin on Monday to begin preparations for their opening match of the Championship – against France at Stade Velodrome in Marseille on Friday, February 2.
Back row O’Mahony, who has captained Ireland on 10 previous occasions, will lead the squad into the Championship, taking over from Sexton – who called time on his career following last year’s World Cup quarterfinal exit.
Farrell has selected three further training additions to the squad – Munster duo Oli Jager and Thomas Ahern, along with Prendergast.
They will travel with the Ireland squad to Portugal next Wednesday for their pre-tournament training camp in Quinta do Lago.
Following a Friday showdown against France in Round One, Ireland have back-to-back matches in Dublin against Italy on Sunday, February 11 and Wales on Saturday, February 24.
Farrell’s side travel to London to face England at Twickenham in Round Four on Saturday, March 10, before concluding the Championship against Scotland in Dublin on Saturday, March 16.
“The forthcoming Six Nations tournament presents an opportunity for us to grow and develop,” Farrell said.
“The Six Nations is one of the biggest stages in world rugby and this year’s competition will be keenly fought.
“I am pleased with the quality of performances by the extended group over the last number of weeks and believe that the squad is in good shape.
“It doesn’t get much tougher than France away in the opening weekend, but it is a challenge that we will approach in a positive frame of mind.
“To our new captain Peter O’Mahony, he is a born leader and someone who has been an influential figure for Munster and Ireland for many years.
“I am confident that the squad will continue to benefit from his leadership skills, both on and off the field.
“He is thoroughly deserving of this honour, and I know that he will relish working closely with the wider leadership group and squad over the coming campaign.
“I would like to congratulate him and his family at this special time.”
Ireland captain Peter O’Mahony added: “Ever since I was a boy starting in the game, I have always dreamed of captaining Ireland.
“I have been asked to lead Ireland on a number of occasions previously, and each of those 10 matches were special days.
“To be now asked to captain Ireland ahead of the Six Nations is without doubt one of the proudest moments of my life and I would like to thank Andy (Farrell) for this show of faith in me.
“We have a strong core of leaders who will all play a key role in driving the highest standards for the team over the coming weeks.
“Competition is red hot across the squad and we’re all hugely motivated to work hard when we meet up next week ahead of the opening game in Marseille.”
Ireland Six Nations squad
Forwards: Ryan Baird, Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Caelan Doris, Tadhg Furlong, Cian Healy, Iain Henderson, Ronan Kelleher, Jeremy Loughman, Joe McCarthy, Peter O’Mahony (captain), Tom O’Toole, Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Dan Sheehan, Tom Stewart, Nick Timoney, Josh van der Flier.
Backs: Bundee Aki, Harry Byrne, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Ciaran Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park, Robbie Henshaw, Hugo Keenan, Jordan Larmour, James Lowe, Stuart McCloskey, Conor Murray, Calvin Nash, Garry Ringrose, Jacob Stockdale.
Training panellists: Oli Jager, Thomas Ahern, Sam Prendergast.
