Six Nations 2026: Andy Farrell relishing return despite Ireland's injury crisis and transitional period ahead of France opener

Ireland boss Andy Farrell is relishing his Guinness Six Nations return as he negotiates a lengthy injury list and an ongoing transitional phase.

Farrell missed last year’s championship having temporarily stepped aside to lead the British and Irish Lions’ triumphant tour of Australia. Before that, he had guided Ireland to consecutive championship titles, including a Grand Slam in 2023.

Under interim head coach Simon Easterby, Ireland won four of five matches in the 2025 Six Nations but ultimately finished third following an emphatic round-four home defeat to eventual champions France.

Farrell, who was back to oversee an inconsistent autumn campaign, takes his side to Paris for the opening match of this year’s tournament on Thursday February 5.

The Englishman has plenty to ponder amid a host of absentees and suggestions Ireland are a team in decline ahead of next year’s World Cup.

“Not being involved last year and being on the other side of the fence, I think the appreciation of the Six Nations just grows really,” Farrell said at Monday’s Six Nations launch event in Edinburgh.

“The older you get, the more privileged you are to be involved in this competition, the more you realise how special it is.

“Things are forever moving and changing and you’ve always different dynamics. There’s always injuries. It’s just the type of sport we have.

“Whether that injury list is a bit bigger than normal…you have to bring players in that might not have got that chance. It is what it is.

“People are always retiring, loss of form, all of that. We’re at where we’re at.

“We’ve got some good experience there making sure we learn from these experiences together as a group and connect together as a group and hopefully gel together for the here and now and the not too distant future as well.”

Farrell has major front-row concerns after Jack Boyle joined fellow props Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy in the treatment room.

Centre Robbie Henshaw will also miss the start of the tournament, while Calvin Nash, Jimmy O’Brien, Ryan Baird, Shayne Bolton, Mack Hansen, Jordan Larmour and Tom Ahern are all sidelined.

Connacht prop Billy Bohan, Munster second-row Edwin Edogbo and Ulster scrum-half Nathan Doak are the three uncapped players in the squad.

Captain Caelan Doris insists there is plenty of belief among Ireland’s players, despite November wins over Japan and Australia being bookended by dispiriting defeats to New Zealand and South Africa.

“Evolution is the most important thing,” said Doris, ahead of joining the squad at a pre-tournament training camp in Portugal.

“Off the back of November, it was mixed results-wise, it was mixed performance-wise, so keeping things moving in the right direction, plenty of areas for growth, and that’s going to come from hard work.

“We’ve obviously got France first up which sharpens the mind, and we’re looking for a strong performance away from home. Momentum is so important in this competition.

“At the core, I still feel there is a lot of belief there. There’s an understanding and an awareness that we need to grow and need to get better, and there’s a willingness to do that as well.”