Ireland's head coach Andy Farrell has provided insight into the recall of Jacob Stockdale for the Six Nations opener against France, emphasising that the winger is "back to being himself" after years on the periphery. Stockdale, who was named player of the tournament in 2018, has been selected on the left wing ahead of James Lowe for Thursday evening's match in Paris, marking his first Six Nations appearance in five years.
Stockdale's Return to Form
Farrell expressed confidence in Stockdale's abilities, noting that the 29-year-old Ulster player has simplified his game and returned to his strengths. "He's back to being himself this year, that's for sure," Farrell stated. "I think if you speak to him, he'd be delighted that he's just simplified things and got down to what he's good at, and that's beating people. And we've seen that plenty, certainly this season. Jacob is playing well. He deserves his chance."
Injury Challenges and Selection Decisions
Ireland are facing significant injury issues, particularly in the prop positions. With Hugo Keenan sidelined, Stockdale was considered for full-back, but Jamie Osborne will instead wear the No 15 jersey for his first outing since a shoulder injury in the autumn. Jeremy Loughman starts at loosehead in place of Andrew Porter, Paddy McCarthy, and Jack Boyle, while Thomas Clarkson is at tighthead.
Farrell commented on the competitive nature of the squad, saying, "Everyone who doesn't get a chance or drops out of the squad is always trying to fight to get back in and fight hard enough to earn the right to take responsibility in the big game. That's the Six Nations, the opening game, which is here in Paris. It doesn't really get any bigger than that. It's a fantastic opportunity, isn't it?"
Prendergast Brothers and Team Dynamics
In a notable selection, brothers Sam and Cian Prendergast will start together at Test level for the first time. Sam, the 22-year-old Leinster fly-half, has been retained ahead of Jack Crowley and Harry Byrne, while Cian, the 25-year-old Connacht captain, lines up at blindside flanker. Farrell praised their maturity and contribution, noting, "It's lovely. You can tell that they try to keep it on the down low in front of all their team-mates, but I'm sure behind the scenes, along with their parents, they're as proud as punch. We feel he (Cian) has matured a lot. The captaincy is certainly helping him at Connacht as well. We were delighted with how he took his chance in the autumn."
Farrell's Perspective on the Tournament
Ireland, who won successive Six Nations titles before being dethroned by France last year, are embracing the challenge. Farrell, who temporarily handed over coaching duties to Simon Easterby in 2025 for the British and Irish Lions tour, reflected on the adversity. When asked if this was his most challenging Six Nations since succeeding Joe Schmidt, he replied, "Well, so you keep on telling me, yeah, so I'll take that. It's obvious why you guys (the media) say that, and who's the favourites and all of that. But it really doesn't matter. To us, all we control is the controllables. We want to be as good a team as we can possibly be. If we're pulling in the right direction and chasing that down, we need to prove to ourselves that we can also be the best team in the competition."
With Tadhg Furlong expected to return from a calf problem for the round-two meeting with Italy, Ireland are focused on starting strong in Paris, leveraging Stockdale's resurgence and team cohesion to reclaim their Six Nations dominance.
