At last I get around to the pre Six-Nations update. It always is more complex than you remember and that is just in the tabular layout!
This assessment takes the Irish Depth Chart up to 1st February 2023 and takes into account performances from 1st Oct 2022 through to 31st January 2023. No player has been (intentionally) excluded through injury but John Ryan is still considered eligible for Irish selection within this process, despite his imminent departure to the NZ, en route to his contract with the Waitako Chiefs, as this writer considers that if Furlong was seriously injured Andy Farrell would move mountains to regain Ryan.
Obviously, these are the views of just one observer and there will be other views as to ranking or inclusion. I look forward to comments and if I have forgotten a particular player, I will attempt to rectify the matter. I do not however propose to alter rankings, based on others' opinions. Finally,
I will also correct the position with regard to players capped at full international level.
In making these assessments, there has often a tendancy to promote and demote players based on their performances in high calibre games e.g. European and Inter-provincial games. Broadly speaking, players tend not to get demoted for under-performance in URC games, which have become increasingly important to each Province. However, a player can jump a couple of rungs with an excellent display in an important game.
Once again, there are 8 "Teams" ranked, but the Depth Chart does not name any player more than once. Hence selections do not reflect the reality that all Coaches may prefer to move players positionally, rather than select the next player by ranking.
For the Provincially curious, the 120 players listed are distributed as follows:
Leinster: 38 Players; 31.6% of total
Munster: 30 Players; 25.0% of total
Ulster: 29 Players; 24.1% of total
Connacht: 23 Players. 19.2% of total
The distribution is a lot more even than many would anticipate, but reflective of the continued improvement in Connacht in particular. When one considers that all four Provinces continue their involvement in European competition, the overall standard continues to rise although we do not consider there are any players outside this 120 who may figure on an Irish World Cup Squad in 2023.We estimate that the 120 players listed here represent ab out 50% of all the Irish-qualified, professional players in the country.
Finally, although it was tempting, no analysis was undertaken as to the Provincial origins of the players.
Ireland XV Depth Chart - 31 January 2023
Squad Alpha - A & B Squad Delta C & D 15. H. Keenan J O'Brien S Daly M Lowry 14. M Hanson J Larmour R Balacoumbe A Conway 13. G Ringrose J Osborne* J Hume A Frisch* 12. R Henshaw B Aki S McCloskey C Frawley* 11. J Lowe J Stockdale K Earls J Porch* 10. J Sexton R Byrne J Carbery J Crowley 9. JG Park C Murray C Casey C Blade 8. C Doris G Coombes J Conan M Deegan 7. J V dFlyer W Connors J Hodnett* N Timoney 6. P O'Mahony R Baird C Prendergast R Ruddock 5. Jas Ryan I Henderson R Molony * T Ahern* 4. T Beirne J Klein J McCarthy E Edogbo* 3. T Furlong F Bealham J Ryan M Moore 2. D Sheehan R Kelleher R Herring T Stewart* 1. A Porter C Healy D Kilcoyne J Loughman
* Uncapped
Squad Epsilon E & F Squad Gamma G & H 15. M. Haley P Campbell* T O'Halloran E McElroy* 14. C. Nash A Woottam* A Byrne A King* 13. L Marshall T Farrell* S Moore* T O'Brien* 12. D Hawkshaw* C Farrell J Postletwaite* Tom Daly* 11. R Russell* R Lyttle* C. Gilroy A Sexton* 10. H Byrne* J Carty J Flannery* C Forde* 9. K Marmion L McGrath P Patterson* N Doak* 8. J O'Donoghue P Boyle* D McCann* J Culhane* 7. S Penny* A Kendellan* C Oliver* R Crothers* 6. J O'Sullivan* Josh Murphy Jordi Murphy H Sheridan* 5. N Murray* D Murray* C Izuchukwu* E O'Connell* 4 K Treadwell F Wycherly* A O'Connor* B Deeny* 3. T O'Toole R Salonoa* J Aungier* R McGuire* 2. S Delahunt*b] N Scannell* D Barron* J McKee* 1. Ed Byrne P Dooley* A Warwick* E O'Sullivan* * Uncapped
and I see that Ross Molony is now added to Team C