LONG READ Should Andy Farrell roll the dice ahead of Autumn Series reckoning?

Andy Farrell has been busily doing the rounds since he returned to Ireland from his British & Irish Lions sabbatical. There was the Oasis gig at Croke Park, numerous growth and leadership talks, his book launch and ‘An Evening With’ event in one of Dublin’s top theatres. On Wednesday, he is back in an Ireland tracksuit. Back dealing with World Cup questions, succession plans and ceaseless Crowley vs. Pendergast debates.

Farrell will be front and centre for a press conference to accompany the announcement of his first Ireland squad since the victorious Lions tour to Australia. One of the biggest questions, regarding Ireland’s four November internationals may well be answered before Farrell sits behind the microphones, and in front of the cameras. Caelan Doris is back in training, five months after surgery on his badly injured shoulder, but he has yet to feature in any of Leinster’s first three match-day squads.

Leinster take on Munster at Croke Park, on Saturday, October 18^th, and there should be plenty of big names on deck. As much as Farrell would love to have Doris to call on, the wiser call may to lean on others for the Chicago game against New Zealand. Dan Sheehan – finishing out the ban he picked up on Lions duty – would be the leading candidate to take over the captaincy from Doris. It was interesting to note, though, Leinster naming Josh van der Flier as captain, for the first time, with Sharks coming to Aviva Stadium.

The United Rugby Championship continues, across October 24 and 25^th, but Ireland’s top players will be in America, gearing up for what is being billed as ‘The Rematch’ at Soldier Field. Farrell and his players will do some media spots in Dublin on the 20^th, then it is destination USA.

It has been nine years since Ireland created Test history by defeating New Zealand for the first time. Including that game, Ireland have won five matches, and the All Blacks five, in what has become a finally meaningful Test rivalry. Only four Irish players that featured in that 2016 encounter – Robbie Henshaw, Tadhg Furlong, Garry Ringrose and Finlay Bealham – have a chance of being involved again.

Ireland’s team for that November 1^st meeting with New Zealand in the Windy City will be stacked with Lions. Two of the biggest selection calls, however, may fall in favour of players that toured Georgia and Portugal, last summer, rather than Australia.

Jack Crowley’s Lions hopes plummeted even before Farrell went on sabbatical. The head coach put Prendergast in from the start against Fiji, then Australia, yet insisted the dropped Crowley was not dropped. No one is axed in a Farrell squad. They are merely not selected.

A Lions coaching staff of Farrell, Simon Easterby, Andrew Goodman and Johnny Sexton headed Down Under without an Irish outhalf. It was a big call to leave Sam Prendergast out of the Lions squad, with shaky performances against France and Northampton Saints scuttling his chances. Speaking with Prendergast, last month, the 22-year-old admitted those defeats and missing out on the Lions were ‘really, really tough lows’. “It’s hard to say they are learnings,” he reasoned, “because you don’t want them to happen, but they are learnings.”

Jack Crowley’s Lions hopes plummeted even before Farrell went on sabbatical. The head coach put Prendergast in from the start against Fiji, then Australia, yet insisted the dropped Crowley was not dropped. No one is axed in a Farrell squad. They are merely not selected.

Easterby took over as interim coach and Prendergast was backed to start the first four games of the 2025 Six Nations, until France rattled several cages. Crowley got in for the Italy game but Ireland were far from convincing. He had a fine game as Munster stunned La Rochelle in the Champions Cup but Bordeaux had too much class in the quarter finals. Crowley’s name barely featured in Lions chatter, a crushing turn of events for a player that was crucial in Ireland winning the 2024 Six Nations and drawing a Test Series away to South Africa.

Going off the opening games of this season’s URC – for what it’s worth – Crowley has the edge on Prendergast. The Cork native looked sharp in an opening weekend win over Scarlets, and even better as Munster pipped Cardiff at Thomond Park. Prendergast, meanwhile, endured a tough time on Leinster’s mini tour to South Africa. His defence was suspect in a sound thrashing by the Stormers. He had bright moments against the Bulls, but missed a drop goal attempt, late penalty and had a pass intercepted leading to a David Kriel try. “He’s learning on the go,” Leinster coach Leo Cullen admitted, when defending Prendergast after his side’s 39-31 defeat.

Farrell has a big choice to make but, as recent Ireland and Lions call (Owen Farrell) have shown, he is not afraid to roll the dice and stare down anyone that questions his logic, or faith. Right now, Crowley is the safer bet to face New Zealand. Still, my gut tells me Prendergast will get the starting nod. Ciarán Frawley will be there, covering 10, 12 and 15, while there is a case to be made for Ulster’s Jack Murphy as straight-up cover for Crowley and Prendergast. A late hat was tossed in the ring by Harry Byrne, named man of the match in Leinster’s 31-5 win over the Sharks.

Lions hero Hugo Keenan’s hip surgery means he is out until the turn of the year. That leaves an intriguing competition for the starting fullback role. Jamie Osborne looks next in line, having played there on Ireland’s 2024 tour to South Africa.

Who Farrell opts to start at blindside is the next biggie. He gave Tadhg Beirne a spin there, last November, but reversed course on that for the 2025 Six Nations. Beirne has performed best for Ireland as a second row but Farrell selected him at No 6 for the Lions Test Series and the Munster captain finished as Player of the Series. The other options are Ryan Baird, who started there against Georgia and Portugal, and Ulster’s Cormac Izuchukwu. This one may rest on the health of several frontline locks.

Joe McCarthy underwent foot surgery after the Lions tour and his comeback was broadly set for ‘November’. James Ryan shipped another worrying concussion in that third Test against Australia and had to be stretchered off. Both Ryan and Garry Ringrose, who also had concussion issues on that tour, have both been cleared to return to action but have yet to play, this season. Farrell may go for Baird, Izuchukwu, Diarmuid Mangan, Thomas Ahern, Darragh Murray and possibly veteran Iain Henderson in his wider squad for November.

In the back row, with doubts over Doris and Jack Conan yet to feature, Farrell may bring in a couple of younger guns that have started the season well. Baird and Izuchukwu can also cover blindside, but there will be a temptation to draft in Munster’s Thomas Ahern. Cian Prendergast can cover across the back and will be included, possibly with provincial teammate Sean Jansen. Brian Gleeson has featured in Munster’s first three games and has made decent contributions in each. There is an Ireland ‘A’ game coming up against Spain, on November 8^th, but Gleeson is an outside bet for the main squad.

Lions hero Hugo Keenan’s hip surgery means he is out until the turn of the year. That leaves an intriguing competition for the starting fullback role. Jamie Osborne looks next in line, having played there on Ireland’s 2024 tour to South Africa, and against Wales in the Six Nations. The 23-year-old has long-term designs on a centre berth, for Ireland, but would relish any sustained run in the starting XV.

The other fullback options would be Leinster’s versatile Jimmy O’Brien or Mack Hansen, who has covered the position for Connacht but not in the green of Ireland. Hansen finished last season in the 15 jersey for the Westerners and Farrell has looked at him in the role, during training camps. Were he to slot in at fullback, Leinster’s Tommy O’Brien would challenge Calvin Nash for the right wing berth.

Mike Haley of Munster is a reliable option, if needed, but won his only cap in the summer of 2019. Michael Lowry would dearly love another crack at Test rugby, having not played at that level since February 2022. The Ulsterman scored twice as starting 15 against Italy, in the Six Nations, but has not played a Test match since. Connacht fans, meanwhile, are high on 20-year-old Seán Naughton.

Farrell also has an ageing cadre of centres and may draft in some younger options in his wider November squad. Hugh Gavin of Connacht is an exciting prospect, with Hugh Cooney and Jude Postlethwaite others pressing their case.