Ireland are facing down a massive November, in which they will face the world’s top two and a recovering superpower across a four-week spell.

New Zealand in Chicago is the obvious headline game, but home assignments against South Africa and Australia will similarly whet the appetite of Irish fans.

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After nearly a year away from the job due to his duties as Lions head coach, Andy Farrell returns as head coach. However, even with a year in the interim, the squad looks jarringly similar to that which took on last winter’s internationals under Farrell.

Concerns have been growing in recent months over the ever-increasing age profile of the Ireland squad, with Farrell and his coaches seemingly nervous about making too many changes to the tried-and-trusted playing group.

The World Cup in Australia is just two years away, with the attention of many of rugby’s biggest powers already turning to the 2027 tournament down under. By that stage, many of the pillars of this Irish team will be in their mid- to late-30s, an age profile few contending teams have ever made work at the World Cup.

If Ireland are to break their quarter-final curse in 2027, argues Dan Biggar, there may be some harsh calls ahead for head coach Andy Farrell.

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Dan Biggar has big 2027 concern about Irish squad

On this week’s episode of The Rugby Pod, ex-Wales fly-half Dan Biggar was hugely complimentary towards the Ireland team and their brilliance over the past decade and a half.

However, Biggar also expressed big concerns about whether they were capable of making the ruthless calls required to regenerate the squad ahead of the 2027 World Cup.

 

“We just waxed lyrical about everything this team has done under Joe Schmidt, under Andy Farrell,” Biggar said.

“But this team, when it gets to a stage in September or October every four years, cannot get past a quarter-finals. You think, after this series…do they have to look at doing something a bit different and getting some more experience in?

“Maybe you look at your guys like Tadhg Beirne, [Josh] van der Flier, [Tadhg] Furlong, Bundee Aki, [Jamison] Gibson-Park…do those guys almost need to take – not a back seat, but you need to blood more players in so that, when you get to quarter-final time in two years in Australia, it’s a more complete squad.

“Clearly, what they’ve done in each World Cup in the lead-up to it hasn’t quite got them over the line.”

The number of Leinster players in the squad has been heavily scrutinised, with 21 in the 34-man group initially named by Farrell last week.

Biggar said that the lack of opportunities given to the contenders to take over from this golden generation could come back to bite Ireland.

This, for me, is a bit of the issue…I listened to quite a few bits on Irish rugby. The big concern for Irish supporters, pundits, players, are positions 1, 7, 9 and 13. You say about it being very Leinster-orientated, but you name me – after Andrew Porter, van der Flier, Gibson-Park, and Garry Ringrose – give me some real, credible, world class options you can slot in there.

It’s not like there’s people in Munster, Ulster, absolutely banging the door down saying, ‘Pick me.’

Who else comes in to the starting 8 for those guys at the minute? I’d like to think we know a fair bit about rugby, I can’t give you a name – like [at] 7, Josh van der Flier just plays every minute of every game. You look, the next one in line is probably [Nick] Timoney from Ulster. Then you’ve got Will Connors, Ruadhan Quinn from Munster…you’re sort of thinking, ‘Yes, these players may be very, very good, but these guys need to play!’

Even one of the brightest young stars in Irish rugby has not been given enough chances, argues Biggar.

I even look at Craig Casey – the nine position is another concern in Ireland. What Conor Murray gave you off the bench in those last few years for Ireland was guaranteed, you know he can do it, world class operator. Whether it was for 15 minutes, five minutes, 10 minutes.

When you look at someone like Craig Casey coming in now, he’s got 2o caps, but a lot of his caps would be – no disrespect – against your Georgias, your Portugals […] You almost don’t know your second choice 9 at the minute – is he actually internationally good enough?

That’s the problem for Ireland moving forward. It’s about what Andy Farrell chooses to do with it.

You will find many Ireland fans who wholeheartedly agree with Dan Biggar’s take, with very little change to the core playing group since the 2023 World Cup campaign.

If Ireland are to defy the odds and go deep in the 2027 tournament, Andy Farrell may indeed be forced to make some uncomfortable decisions regarding some of the team’s most experienced players.

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