Versatile Osborne gets chance to prove wing credentials

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Osborne has played most of his career at centre or full-back

By Matt Gault

BBC Sport NI senior journalist

Published 20 minutes ago

Given that he has started the past seven Ireland games for which he has been available, Jamie Osborne's inclusion in Andy Farrell's latest line-up is no great surprise.

But the position he has been asked to fill against Australia in Sydney on Saturday will raise a few eyebrows.

Osborne, 24, has excelled at full-back for Ireland, most recently in this year's Six Nations when he scored four tries in five games while deputising for the injured Hugo Keenan.

The majority of his work with Leinster this season has been done at centre, but with fit-again Keenan reinstalled at 15 and the Stuart McCloskey-Garry Ringrose midfield axis maintained, Farrell has shifted Osborne to the left wing.

The number 11 shirt, of course, was up for grabs following James Lowe's departure from Irish rugby and Tommy O'Brien's injury - and Farrell was not short of options.

Jacob Stockdale has spent much of his career patrolling the left wing. Jimmy O'Brien and Zac Ward can also play there.

But it's Osborne who gets the nod. A versatile and intelligent player, the Kildare native is defensively solid, has a huge left boot and has try-scoring credentials at this level.

He does not possess Rob Baloucoune's blistering pace. Neither did his predecessor, but Lowe's muscular running style helped him break clear of defenders.

After such a productive Six Nations campaign, perhaps Farrell just wants Osborne in his line-up, but it will be interesting to see how he fares against Australia's Max Jorgensen on Saturday.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Sam Prendergast (left) has been picked ahead of Ciaran Frawley (right)

Osborne will be part of a Leinster-dominated backline that includes Sam Prendergast at 10.

Prendergast has endured his fair share of chastening outings in his first two years at Test level, but with Jack Crowley's injury having opened the door, the 23-year-old comes into the summer on the back of an outstanding display in Leinster's URC final win over the Bulls.

There will be much focus on Prendergast's defensive output having previously struggled in that department against the likes of France and South Africa.

And with a trip to New Zealand's Eden Park coming later this month, Saturday is a big chance for Prendergast to prove he can excel in the grittier areas of the Test arena.

His older brother Cian is the notable inclusion in Farrell's pack. Like most of his team-mates, the 26-year-old back row struggled during Ireland's Six Nations loss to France in Paris earlier this year.

But his displays for an improving Connacht side have been impossible to ignore in recent months, with Farrell hailing his form as "outstanding".

Beyond that, Farrell has largely stuck to a tried-and-tested formula, with none of the five uncapped players - Billy Bohan, Sam Illo, Sean Jansen, Bryn Ward and Zac Ward - included in the 23.

Coming up against his old boss Joe Schmidt, Farrell clearly wants to start the summer with a statement win and perhaps use the Japan game on 11 July to tinker.

Big performances from the Prendergast brothers and Osborne will go a long way to achieving that.

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