A toast to absent friends Hugo Keenan and Mack Hansen. The frontline guardians of the Ireland 15 and 14 jerseys are recuperating from injury and will miss the clash with New Zealand at Soldier Field, Chicago, on Saturday (8.10pm Irish time).
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has named a new-look back three with Jamie Osborne at fullback, Tommy O’Brien on the right wing and James Lowe on the left wing. As a combination, the Leinster trio have never played together for the national side.
The challenge, quite apart from their individual remits, is to mesh or gel as a unit in attack, but perhaps more importantly in defence. Lowe (33) is the senior figure in every respect, with 40 caps and 17 tries. The player who has the best panoramic view of the pitch is the 23-year-old Osborne, who wins his ninth cap. He is the shot-caller.
His game-reading and communication skills will be essential to ensuring New Zealand don’t get easy kicking access to Ireland’s backfield. That responsibility is a communal one involving the two wings and the fullback, and potentially Jack Crowley.
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At times, Ireland will withdraw the outhalf into the backfield alongside the fullback. This could lead to a 12-man – if Jamison Gibson-Park has a roving commission to thwart chip kicks – or 13-man frontline defence.
Four of Osborne’s eight Irish caps have been at fullback, including a try-scoring debut against South Africa in the summer of 2024, when he had Calvin Nash and Lowe as his wings. That trio was retained for the victory over the Springboks the following week in Durban.
Osborne’s third outing in the 15 jersey was a brief 28 minutes before picking up an injury against Fiji when he had Hansen and Jacob Stockdale for company in the back three. His fourth such appearance was against Wales in last season’s Six Nations. The Naas native scored a try that day, and was flanked by Hansen and Lowe.
At 6ft4in, Osborne offers a strong physical presence, a prodigious left boot and possesses an accomplished attacking game. The new laws regarding what’s permissible in high-ball duels make it slightly more straightforward for fullbacks who are sharp in their decision-making and assertive aerially.
Tommy O’Brien has more tries (four) than caps (two) since making his debut against Georgia on the summer tour. The 27-year-old has shown a marvellous aptitude and attitude for dealing with whatever comes his way on a rugby pitch.
The back three won’t defend in isolation. Further up the field it’ll be about connection, cohesion and communication. Not to mention keeping turnover ball to a minimum. Scott Roberston’s side can be lethal in that respect given the pace and power in the three-quarter line. It’ll be interesting to note the practical manifestation on Saturday of Jordie Barrett’s insights from his time at Leinster.
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Ireland will look to slow down the speed of New Zealand’s ruck ball, forcing them to play off the back foot, while Garry Ringrose and Stuart McCloskey as a midfield combination will have a significant say on what sort of access the All Blacks will be permitted when it comes to a running game. Ringrose will be a key figure in defending the wider channels.
McCloskey and Ringrose first played together in 2018 in a 51-14 win over the USA, but have also been a midfield axis in notable wins over South Africa, Australia, France and Wales.
One suspects that a key for Ireland, with their rejigged backline, will be to do the simple things well, adhere to the defensive script and keep the ad-libs in that respect to a minimum – or at least be judicious. The 80 minutes in Chicago will reveal a great deal.
