FULL THROTTLE
Ciaran Frawley is set to step in for the injured Hugo Keenan at full-back against Wales... and it could be the making of the Leinster player
THERE is an abundance of full-backs available to Andy Farrell across the provinces. Just take a look at the team sheets last weekend. Tiernan O’Halloran was lining out for Connacht, Will Addison was in the backfield for Ulster, while Mike Haley was back in the No15 jersey for Munster.
All of those mentioned above have been capped for Ireland, too.
Then there’s the likes of Simon Zebo, Shane Daly and Michael Lowry.
None of those players are currently in Farrell’s plans, however. Hugo Keenan’s form, durability and consistency have been so compelling for so long that the Ireland head coach has never felt the need to assess other options. But what if the ultra-reliable Leinster man was unavailable and he needed to lean on another full-back?
Jimmy O’Brien and Mack Hansen were the next cabs off the rank. Both players have been key figures in this squad and would slot almost seamlessly into the role.
Farrell would hardly have envisaged a scenario where all three would be unavailable ahead of a crunch Six Nations game with Wales, mind you.
Now, the coach needs to think outside the box. O’Brien and Hansen were ruled out of this championship with injury a
He once spoke of the pitfalls of becoming a ‘jack of all trades’
long time ago. It appears that Keenan is set to miss the meeting with Warren Gatland’s side due to a knee issue.
Which brings us to Ciaran Frawley. If Keenan, as expected, doesn’t pull through, then the versatile Leinster back looks destined to line out at fullback. A first Test start and only his third international appearance as well.
It would be due reward for a player who has shown compelling form across several campaigns. The irony is that Frawley has been touted as a Teststandard operator for quite some time, but as an out-half.
The Skerries native has been in and around Irish camps since 2021 but a mixture of injuries and competition has hindered his progress. When Frawley has been given chances to impress, he has excelled.
When Johnny Sexton hung up his boots, he was put forward as a readymade replacement. The presence of the Byrne brothers and Sam Prendergast at Leinster has been a slight sticking point though. Leo Cullen has sought to accommodate Frawley’s talents in other areas.
It was midfield for a few seasons. This term, Frawley has been lining out at full-back, starting six games there.
We’re not suggesting the IRFU have any bearing on this development. Former head coach Matt O’Connor didn’t last long in the Leinster job when he made similar noises back in 2015.
Yet you have to wonder if some of the game’s top power-brokers have been joining the dots for a while.
There has been plenty of noise around Frawley’s presence in the No15 shirt, especially after a tour de force against Munster in November when he bossed a lively interpro at out-half having replaced Ross Byrne.
The calls for Frawley to be retained as chief playmaker were deafening in the days which followed. The reaction when he was shifted to full-back the following weekend was predictably narky. Is it his big position in the long term? Frawley once spoke of the pitfalls of becoming a ‘jack of all trades’. Is it time for him to nail down full-back? Logically, it would be appear to be his best bet, for club and country. Jack Crowley has quickly established himself as Sexton’s successor, while Harry Byrne remains a big favourite of the Irish management, and Prendergast has long been anointed as the next big thing in the No10 jersey. As for centre, Frawley knows that he would be facing serious competition in the years ahead. It’s the same story at Leinster. Maybe full-back is where he should focus his energies. He can certainly tick a lot of the boxes. His kicking game is top drawer. Frawley would also be able to provide an exciting, second playmaking option in the wide channels, a second set of eyes. Beauden Barrett has been thriving in the same gig for quite some time.
In terms of spatial awareness in the backfield and security under the high ball, Frawley lacks experience but looks the safest bet to diffuse any Welsh aerial bombs which arrive out of the skies on Saturday.
Other options are thin on the ground. Robbie Henshaw’s illfated spell at full-back against England in 2019 has never been repeated. Farrell’s first statement as head coach was to leave Rob Kearney out of his first training squad. Jacob Stockdale and Jordan Larmour both got early auditions at full-back. Neither convinced and were swiftly shifted back to the wing. Too many errors. No second chances.
When Keenan arrived on the scene in 2021, it was the height of the pandemic and, to many initial observers, he looked like an honest, workmanlike wing. Once he got a start at full-back, he made it his own.
Keenan could do everything. He offered the same Kearney-esque security in defence. Crucially, he was a real livewire in attack. His pace, running lines and passing game have been a huge asset to Farrell’s Ireland. He and England full-back Freddie Steward are in for a battle for the No15 shirt on the 2025 Lions tour of Australia.
So that’s the calibre of player which Farrell is trying to replace. In truth, he needed to find a backup for Keenan at some stage. The 27-year-old, who has 38 caps to his name, has been a remarkably reliable option for quite some time. One of Farrell’s first names on the team sheet? Unquestionably. If he was a goalkeeper, he would be Manuel Neuer. A rock in the last line of defence but blessed with plenty of natural flair.
Big boots to fill certainly. Throwing in a two-cap rookie with sparse experience in such a specialist position is hardly the best succession planning. It’s been one of Farrell’s blindspots.
If anyone looks ready to step in and make a statement, it’s Frawley. He may have taken the scenic route to get to this stage, but he can seize this opportunity.
Frawley’s promotion to full-back may have been rather than accident by design but he looks primed to take full advantage.