RUGBY OPINION
McFadden facing fight to make World Cup squad
By Daire Walsh
AS expected, there was plenty of Kildare interest in Ireland’s 45-man 2015 Rugby World Cup Training Squad, which was named by head coach Joe Schmidt in advance of their upcoming warm-up tests against Six Nations rivals Wales, Scotland and England.
The build-up to the hotly-anticipated competition will get underway in the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on Saturday, August 9, when Warren Gatland’s Welsh side will provide the opposition for the Green Army.
Ireland will be eager to gain revenge on their Celtic counterparts following their defeat in the same venue during this year’s Six Nations Championship, but they will also entertain the Welsh at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, August 29.
The latter forms part of the Guinness Summer Series, which kicks off with the visit of Scotland to Lansdowne Road a fortnight earlier, and later concludes with a trip to Twickenham on Saturday, September 5, when they will face World Cup hosts England.
Although the final squad will be cut down to 31 in time for the tournament itself, only injury could deny Leinster skipper Jamie Heaslip a place in the camp. The Naas man is also set to be joined by Barnhall underage star Marty Moore, who has offered vital cover to fellow Blues prop Mike Ross in the Irish front-row.
Suncroft native Fergus McFadden will also feature in the training squad, but even though he has accumulated a total of 28 international caps to date, he will face stiff competition for a spot in the final selection.
Remarkably, McFadden is one of four former Clongowes Wood College students in the 22-man defensive section of the squad.
Rob Kearney is the front-runner for the side’s full-back position, and having played a pivotal role as a winger during the 2014 Six Nations success, his brother Dave will also have a strong claim for a place.
His absence on the international stage in the first half of this year may count against him, though, and when you reflect on the current situation with Gordon D’Arcy, you can see the difference that a year makes.
D’Arcy is another high-profile Clongowes graduate, and after developing a formidable centre partnership with Brian O’Driscoll, the initial expectation was that the Wexford native would team up with a new compatriot in the Irish midfield.
Schmidt has favoured a brand-new combination of Robbie Henshaw and Jared Payne, however, and following a difficult season with Leinster (when he often found himself amongst the replacements), the end is now in sight for D’Arcy.
Yet, the resilient 35-year-old hasn’t given up on his World Cup dream, and a courtesy of a short-term contract deal with the IRFU, he will be available for the forthcoming games, as well as the training camp in Maynooth’s Carton House.
In terms of surprise omissions, Munster out-half Ian Keatley is perhaps the most notable absentee from the training squad. The Clontarf man had started Ireland’s Six Nations opener against Italy, but owing to some erratic form in recent months, Schmidt has instead opted for the trio of Jonathan Sexton, Ian Madigan and Paddy Jackson.