JOE SCHMIDT HAS made three changes to the Ireland team to face Wales in the closing round of the Six Nations on Saturday at Principality Stadium.
Tadhg Beirne, Sean O’Brien and Rob Kearney have been included in Schmidt’s XV, while Andrew Porter, Quinn Roux, Kieran Marmion and Jordan Larmour are named on the bench.
Beirne gets his chance
A knee injury ruled the Munster lock out of the opening two rounds of this championship before Beirne played for his province on the weekend Ireland beat Italy in Rome.
Beirne will make his Six Nations debut in Cardiff. Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
But the 27-year-old was available to Schmidt for last weekend’s clash with France, only for the Ireland head coach to select Ultan Dillane on the bench behind starting pair Iain Henderson and James Ryan.
The unfortunate Henderson – who also missed the start of the Six Nations – has been struck by injury again, this time his knee, opening the door for Beirne’s Six Nations debut and fifth cap.
It feels fitting that Beirne does so back in Wales, where he essentially made his name with Scarlets after coming close to quitting rugby following several tough years of injuries with his native Leinster.
Beirne’s rise has been stratospheric since his move to Wales in 2016, with his lineout-stealing, breakdown-poaching, ball-carrying, tip-on-passing and hard-working class making him one of the best players in European club rugby.
Having shown up impressively in his first four caps for Ireland, Beirne now faces into the biggest challenge of his career in what will be a scintillating atmosphere in the cauldron that is the Principality Stadium.
Beirne will need to be sharp and composed in pairing up with Ryan at lineout time – the Leinster man will call – but Ireland fans will be excited to see him unleashed.
The Welsh supporters, on the other hand, won’t be happy to see a player whose brilliance they know all about. The breakdown battle is going to be a thrill.
SOB chomping at the bit
With 55 caps, two Lions tours and a long list of achievements with Leinster to his name, Sean O’Brien might have had a chuckle at recent rumours of his demise.
O’Brien was dropped for the France game. Source: Inpho/Billy Stickland
In the Tullow man’s mind, he is still one of the premier back rows in world rugby and he will be more motivated than ever to show that in Cardiff on Saturday.
Dropped from the matchday squad by Schmidt for last weekend’s win over France, O’Brien will be chomping at the bit to get stuck into this physical and abrasive Welsh team as they bid for a Grand Slam.
O’Brien hasn’t had a lot of rugby this season, playing only seven times before this Six Nations, having suffered a broken arm in November. His belief has been that bringing his conditioning levels back up to a peak will help him produce his finest form.
And having had two weeks to push his body hard, particularly when omitted from Ireland’s training camp in Belfast on the second down week of the championship, O’Brien will be feeling primed to show up strongly in Cardiff.
Josh van der Flier’s injury has allowed O’Brien back into the seven shirt, but his vast experience, accurate communication, and infectious leadership could all be important as Ireland look to conclude this Six Nations in style.