Ireland’s Three-Pronged Attack Excluded from Upcoming Wales Six Nations Clash

Nikii Author February 19, 2025 10:00 am

Image source: Getty Images

Captain Caelan Doris (left) has played for Ireland’s national rugby team in 42 consecutive Test matches since the start of the 2021 Six Nations tournament.

PUBLISHED: February 18, 2025

Ireland captain Caelan Doris, along with Ronan Kelleher and Tadhg Furlong, has been ruled out of Saturday’s Six Nations match against Wales in Cardiff (14:15 GMT). Leinster back row Doris suffered a knee injury, while hooker Kelleher is dealing with neck issues. Prop Furlong missed the team’s recent victories over England and Scotland but remains unavailable despite making good progress.

After facing Wales, Ireland will have another down week before they host France at Aviva Stadium on March 8th.

“We’re hoping that Doris, Kelleher, and Furlong will be available for the match against France. They are all going through their usual recovery processes with our physios, but we believe they are making good progress,” said Ireland’s attack coach Andrew Goodman.

In addition to these injuries, Ulster players Iain Henderson and Cormac Izuchukwu also cannot play. In response, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) called up six new players on Sunday: Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Nick Timoney from Leinster; Munster forwards Gavin Coombes and John Hodnett; and Diarmuid Mangan from Leinster.

“There are some talented players who have been performing well for their provinces in these positions. We’re excited to see how they step up on the national stage,” added Goodman.

When asked about Ireland’s captaincy options, particularly with Doris unable to lead against Wales, Andrew Goodman stated:

“There are several experienced leaders within our squad who have captained their provincial teams. The leadership group has been strengthening over the past few years.”

Pressured for specific names regarding potential captains, he responded,

“We have a number of players with significant leadership experience such as Peter O’Mahony, Jack Conan, Dan Sheehan, Garry Ringrose (Ringer), James Ryan (JR), and Cian Prendergast. All these individuals are strong candidates for the role.”

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