Six Nations: John Cooney can come back 'bigger and stronger' - Farrell
- Published
John Cooney featured in all of Ireland's pre-lockdown fixtures
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has challenged scrum-half John Cooney to come back "bigger and stronger".
Cooney was pushing Conor Murray for a starting berth before lockdown but was omitted from Ireland's latest squad.
Farrell, whose side are preparing for Six Nations matches with Italy and France, insists he has not closed the door on Cooney or fellow scrum-half Luke McGrath.
"I don't take any pleasure whatsoever from not picking them," said Farrell.
Cooney came off the bench in each of Ireland's three Six Nations matches earlier this year but has seemingly paid the price for his inconsistent post-lockdown form, which led to him being dropped for Ulster's Pro14 final defeat by Leinster.
The recalled Kieran Marmion and uncapped Jamison Gibson-Park have been preferred as competition for first-choice scrum-half Murray.
"I wouldn't say it's a new direction - I think John Cooney is a great player. I think Luke McGrath is a great player as well and Luke's missed out," said Farrell.
"I know that they are desperate to play for their country and rightly so. But you've got to make the call, what's good for the team.
"We look at all sorts of things regarding selection, obviously form, attitude, what the last seven months has looked like, how they've come back.
"My job is to select a team that's going to keep everyone on their toes because competition for places has got to be one of the key factors going forward for this team.
"Some people are going to lose out but I hope that galvanises them and I hope that they come back bigger and stronger and give us a few headaches along the way."
Ireland 'desperate' to put on good show
Ireland sit fourth in the table but only four points off joint-leaders England and France and with a game in hand over their title rivals.
They host Italy in a behind-closed-doors match on October 24 in Dublin before completing their campaign in Paris a week later.
Farrell's men were among the first teams to be affected by the coronavirus pandemic when their initial game with Italy, scheduled for 7 March, was postponed on 26 February.
The head coach said his players have been "brimming" with enthusiasm for the return of international rugby and hopes to give the entire nation a lift.
"We've waited a long time for international rugby to come back and I suppose it's a nice tonic for the whole country to be able to watch the sport at international level come back on the screens," Farrell said.
"We're desperate to put on a good showing for the people of Ireland."