Ireland's Six Nations teetering on the brink

Unfortunately for Ireland and Joe Schmidt, their hopes of becoming the first side to win the Six Nations title for three consecutive years look to be fading away.

A 16-16 draw with Wales at the Aviva Stadium was greeted contently by the Irish public given the amount of players missing through injury, but a 10-9 loss to France a week later in Paris has all but extinguished their title bid.

France has never been a happy hunting ground for Ireland, with just 11 wins coming from the 46 times the men in green have ventured south, but it was a match that was there for the taking. France were abominable in the first half and though their performance improved after the interval, the profligacy of Ireland handed Les Bleus a game they should never have won.

Should Ireland taste defeat to England at Twickenham this weekend, they will be mathematically removed from the title chase, with home games against Italy and Scotland still to play.

Whilst no one is suggesting throwing Ireland’s impressive young players in at the deep end at Twickenham, there is definitely a case, win or lose, that they should be introduced for the games against Italy and Scotland.

Neither Italy nor Scotland have lit the tournament up as of yet and with the advantage of the passionate home crowd at the Aviva, both matches are as good opportunities as any to blood the next generation of Irish internationals. They certainly represent easier introductions than Ireland’s summer tour of South Africa will offer.

With all due respect to Mike McCarthy, who has done a solid job for Ireland, Connacht and Leinster over the years, at 34, he is not a player that Ireland will be looking to take through to the 2019 Rugby World Cup. The decision to select McCarthy was understandable with Iain Henderson currently out injured, but the time could be right to look to Ultan Dillane or even Ross Molony, especially following news that McCarthy will be stood down for the season due to concussions.

The uncapped 22-year-old Dillane was called up to the Ireland squad following a number of good performances for Connacht, whilst Molony has been making the most of his recent opportunities with Leinster, looking to the manor born in the Guinness PRO12.

Moving to the back line and both Stuart McCloskey and Garry Ringrose have put forward strong claims this season in regards to their international prospects and would also have valid arguments to be included. Like Dillane, McCloskey is already in the Ireland squad but yet to win his first cap and would offer something different to the options Ireland currently have in the midfield.

As with his Leinster teammate Molony, Ringrose may have to remain patient for a while longer yet, as it is not in Schmidt’s character to throw caution to wind, even if the Six Nations title becomes mathematically impossible to achieve.

One Leinster player who could be in luck, however, is Josh van der Flier. Along with CJ Stander, van der Flier has been one of the standout Irish performers in the PRO12 and Europe this season and is perhaps unlucky to not have already featured in green this year. With Sean O’Brien set to miss the rest of the Six Nations with a hamstring injury, van der Flier could, and perhaps should, receive his first cap at Twickenham.

A host of other players – Paddy Jackson, James Cronin, Finlay Bealham and Kieran Marmion in particular – will all also be keen to feature against Italy and Scotland and lay down a marker.

The odds of Schmidt turning to a number of these uncapped and/or internationally inexperienced seem slim and the worrying prospect for Ireland is that they end up looking back on this Six Nations not only as a disappointment, but also a significant missed opportunity to fast-track their development ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

That said, victory over England at Twickenham – and a Welsh win over France at the Principality Stadium – would reignite Ireland’s championship bid and the debate as to who they play against Italy and Scotland could quickly become moot.