Jordan Larmour in the running for an Ireland call-up
Jordan Larmour looks set to be included in the Irish rugby squad for the first time today.
Head coach Joe Schmidt is expected to unveil his panel for the for the first two rounds of the Six Nations Championship.
Ireland travel to Paris to play France on Saturday, February 3 and then welcome Italy to Dublin’s Aviva Stadium seven days later.
The Leinster Academy back only turned 20 in June, but has been in spectacular form with the Province this season.
Robbie Henshaw and Girvan Dempsey are backing the Leinster back-three star to be included in the squad for the 2018 Six Nations.
“I think he’s not far off. I think his performances have been incredible, so yeah, I’ll be looking for his name,” Henshaw said, while former Ireland full-back Dempsey suggested Larmour was more than ready for Test rugby.
“If he continues to improve the way he’s improving, yeah,” the Leinster assistant coach said. “It’s ultimately up to the national coaches, the make-up of their squad. He’s certainly putting his hand up for selection, which is all you can ask.
“He is a really exciting player to have in the squad at the moment. He brings such energy. He is the last one to leave the field and he bounds out onto the field. He works so hard on the game, does a huge amount of work on his ball skills.
A more pertinent call for Schmidt to make concerns Munster’s soon-to-depart full-back Simon Zebo, whose form would ordinarily demand inclusion.
Zebo’s decision to quit Ireland at the end of the season to join Racing 92, though, has already counted against him with an omission from the squad for last November’s Guinness Series.
Ulster scrum-half John Cooney could be selected ahead of Connacht’s Kieran Marmion.
