Andy Farrell is preparing to name his Ireland squad for the November stages of the Nations Championship on Wednesday, 21 October, and the head coach arrives at the announcement with a mounting back-row crisis. Captain Caelan Doris remains sidelined and Jack Conan has become a fresh doubt, leaving Farrell to plan his autumn campaign without two of his most experienced forwards.
The timing could hardly be worse. Ireland open their Nations Championship run against Argentina on Friday, 6 November, before Fiji and world champions South Africa visit Dublin later in the month, and Farrell now needs contingency plans in a position that was already stretched.
Doris ruled out for the rest of 2026
Ireland rugby has been dealt a significant blow with its captain. Caelan Doris is set to miss the rest of 2026 after suffering a fresh setback following surgery on his foot and knee, with an infection in the joint slowing his rehabilitation.
Doris originally hurt his foot during Leinster's URC final win over the Bulls back in June and later had surgery on both the foot and knee. Doris had hoped to return in time for Ireland's autumn Tests, but he is now aiming to play again in January 2027. The injury already cost him the summer tour, and Ireland must now plan for life without their captain throughout the Nations Championship.
Conan becomes a fresh doubt after Clermont heroics
Adding to Farrell's headache, Jack Conan suffered a shoulder injury during Leinster's Champions Cup victory over Clermont Auvergne, with the 34-year-old back-row forced off shortly after scoring a second-half try in Saturday's 48-23 victory in France. The win over Clermont, detailed in our coverage of Leinster's recent Champions Cup form, came at a real cost for the province and for Ireland.
Leo Cullen's verdict
Leinster boss Leo Cullen admitted the setback did not look great, with further assessment needed to establish its severity. Speaking after the match, Cullen said: “He will be out for a little bit with that, I'd say. We'll get the exact extent of that in the next week,” Cullen said. Conan has not yet been officially ruled out of the November fixtures, but the uncertainty leaves Farrell with little room to manoeuvre at number eight.
There was at least one piece of encouraging news for Farrell ahead of the announcement, with Jamison Gibson-Park in line to return from his groin injury against Munster this weekend, a United Rugby Championship fixture at the Aviva Stadium. Jack Crowley remains unavailable too, continuing his recovery from a lower-limb vascular issue that has kept him out since April.
The fixtures awaiting Ireland in November
Argentina, Fiji and South Africa at the Aviva
Whoever Farrell selects on Wednesday will face a demanding run of fixtures. Argentina are first up on Friday, 6 November, with kick-off at 8.10pm, followed by Fiji on Saturday, 14 November, also at 8.10pm, before Ireland welcome world champions South Africa to Dublin on Saturday, 21 November, with that game kicking off at 4.40pm.
The campaign does not end there. Ireland's finishing position in the Northern Hemisphere table will determine their opponents at the finals weekend, with the tournament concluding at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, across 27-29 November. Farrell's side head into the window having taken a narrow 33-31 victory over Australia in Sydney before beating Japan 36-20 in Newcastle during the summer phase.
Who could fill the gaps
With Doris, Conan and Crowley all under a cloud, Farrell may be forced to blood fresh faces. Connacht centre Cathal Forde and Leinster scrum-half Fintan Gunne have both been mentioned as uncapped players pushing for inclusion, while Munster's provincial form has also put Brian Gleeson in the conversation for a maiden call-up. It is a familiar dilemma for a head coach whose own family ties to the sport run deep — his son Owen Farrell's position on Irish eligibility has been a recurring talking point despite never featuring for the senior side.
For now, attention turns to Wednesday's announcement, when the scale of Farrell's selection problems — and his solutions — will become clear. With three home fixtures and a trip to London still to come, Ireland cannot afford a slow start to their maiden Nations Championship campaign.