By Jon Page
TNT Sports pundit and Ireland legend Brian O’Driscoll sat down for an interview at the Autumn Nations Series launch in London, with the former Leinster, Ireland and British and Irish Lions captain discussing recent developments in the Ireland squad and the impending British and Irish Lions tour to Australia in 2025.
After former Ireland captain Peter O’Mahony was dropped to the bench for Ireland’s second test against South Africa this summer, Caelan Doris was named as captain for the match they ultimately won in Durban with a superb Ciaran Frawley drop goal securing a dramatic victory. Following Doris’ performances for club and country, the Leinster number eight was named as Andy Farrell’s Ireland captain for this upcoming Autumn Nations Series.
“I think he was probably the obvious choice. Being made Leinster captain, you know, Peter O’Mahony is not going to make the next World Cup. You want to give the captain who’s likely to be in Australia in a few years’ time a bit of runway. Doris is the guy that’s put his hand up around performances, he’s obviously saying the right things to teammates, he’s been seen to have that leadership capacity by his actions.
“I think it all kind of made sense. So, there was no shock when it was like, oh, Doris, really? Because he’s been one of the first names on the team sheet for a few years now. So, he just needs to continue doing what he’ s done and then layer the other parts of that captaincy on top of it.’
Despite being succeeded as Ireland captain by Doris, O’Mahony has been named in the Ireland squad for the Autumn Nations Series by Farrell. Clearly Farrell believes the Munster back row has more to give, in a career that has seen him captain his club, country and even the British and Irish Lions against the All Blacks in the first test of the 2017 tour to New Zealand.
“I think Peter’s been an unbelievable servant to Munster and Ireland rugby, but time waits for no one and it’s probably the beginning of the end. Whether he’s going to be involved internationally again, I suppose he’ll say he still has a year in him.
“Whether Andy now has one eye on developing the next group of players coming through, the Ryan Bairds of this world, depending on if he plays Tadhg Beirne at six, which I think he’s probably likely to do and get a bit of muscle in the second row too. I think that looks like a probable, likely, or viable option.
“So, I think people say he’s got something to say left. I think the reality is he s probably going to, he might have another test or two, but I think he’s on the wrong side of 35 or 34, 35 and not going to make the next World Cup. There’s no sentiment in rugby. They’re there to do a job and if someone else is there to do a job better than you that you’ve perceived, you go with them and that’s life.”
As Ireland prepare to take on New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji and Australia in the Autumn Nations Series, there is a certain level of expectation that falls upon Farrell’s men as they sit atop the World Rugby rankings.
“I think a successful autumn is four wins. I think a decent autumn is three wins and that says a lot about the expectation now, where I think they are number one in the world at the moment. So, like if you’re in the top two or three teams in the world you’re expected to win more than you don’t, and the big one obviously is New Zealand.
“Argentina are vastly improved but at home, you’d hope to beat them. Australia are a bit of an unknown quantity, what’s going to be their best? They’ll be tricky, but you should beat them and Fiji, you should win. So, I think definitely three victories you would hope for and hopefully a fourth.”
Ireland stalwart Hugo Keenan has made the number 15 jersey his own over the last few years, amassing 39 caps since his debut in 2020. But while he travelled to the Paris Olympics with Ireland 7s and helped his side to achieve a sixth-place finish, debutant Jamie Osbourne impressed in his first two internationals in Keenan’s absence. What makes Osbourne’s summer performances even more impressive is the fact that he plays the majority of his rugby in the midfield, but took to test rugby in his secondary position like a duck to water.
“Someone mentioned maybe putting Hugo back on the wing and Jamie at full-back because Mack Hansen maybe hasn’t quite hit the straps from before his shoulder injury and surgery, I don’ t know I’d just be against moving Hugo from 15.
“Jacob Stockdale’s back in great form for Ulster, you know most defenders beaten in the URC really good going forward, good history against New Zealand so, maybe he’ll come in and the only thing is it’s two left footers, right and left wing, if James Lowe is playing which he will be I don’t know I’d be probably inclined to leave Hugo at full back but it’s great to have Jamie playing so well and consistently performing.
“I think he’ll be really pushing the likes of Bundee (Aki) and Robbie Henshaw in the next year for starting at 12 as well and for a starting berth.”
Only two uncapped players were named in Farrell’s Ireland squad for the Autumn Nations Series, with Cormac Izuchukwu of Ulster and Sam Prendergast of Leinster forcing their way into an incredibly competitive Ireland squad.
Izuchukwu, a dynamic second row/back row hybrid player has been tearing up trees for Ulster and Emerging Ireland all season, but finds himself competing with Tadhg Beirne, Ryan Baird and Cian Prendergast as players able to slip seamlessly between the second and back rows of the scrum.
Sam Prendergast has shown himself as an incredibly gifted and skilled playmaker for Leinster and Emerging Ireland but has a challenge on his hands to usurp either of Jack Crowley or Ciaran Frawley, who worked well as the starter and bench combo to defeat the world champions at home this summer.
“I’d say they’d get some game time against Fiji, that’s the obvious chance to blood some new players and give them a little bit of exposure. So, I would imagine both of them will feature in that game. You never know what’s going to happen from an injury point of view, you lose Crowley or Frawley, Prendergast is probably next in line. Or do they parachute or Ross Byrne in ahead of them?
“I don’t think they do; you stay the course, and you put your faith in the squad that you’ve selected. But it’s a very different physical ask for someone like Sam Prendergast who’s still developing and still young and that side of his game is a bit untested so, you have to have an adaptability at international (level) to your circumstances and we’ll see what comes of it over the course of the Autumn Nations Series but, I think they will get game time but it’ll be Fiji if Ireland are playing from a full deck over the course of the series.”
With the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia taking place in 2025, talk begins to turn as to who leads the tourists next summer. Two-time tourist Maro Itoje of England, who has played in all six tests of the last two tours is one of the frontrunners, alongside Ireland captain Doris, as well as the mercurial Finn Russell of Scotland.
“Itoje you would imagine will have his name in the mix. I think Doris is now definitely in there. You look at the leadership of Jamie George, but can you guarantee him a starting berth though? I don’t think so. Is Finn Russell going to be your ten? I think probably between Itoje and Doris right now, but you could have an outlier as well. You don’t have to necessarily have been captain of the national team to be catapulted into that role.”
Every time a Lions tour comes around there is talk of bolters, players who are surprise selections for a variety of reasons. Examples include Christian Wade in 2013, who was plucked from relative obscurity by Warren Gatland after just one England test cap, or Sam Simmonds in 2021, who was selected despite being considered surplus to requirements by then England coach Eddie Jones.
When asked about Lions bolters from the Ireland squad, O’Driscoll pointed out the settled nature of the squad, but highlighted a relatively inexperienced player who could force his way into Lions selection.
“I don’t think there’s going to be anyone that hasn’t really featured yet, obviously Osborne has come in and gotten his first cap and played really well down in South Africa, so most people would know a lot about him.”
Every match of 2024 Autumn Nations Series is exclusively live on TNT Sports and discovery+ Watch the Autumn Nations Rugby Show, free-to-air on Quest every Thursday at 10pm from Oct 31st.
