Despite Luke Fitzgerald's injury, Joe Schmidt has (so far) resisted the urge to call Garry Ringrose up to Ireland's Six Nations squad. However, it would seem that it's only a matter of time. Speaking last week, Schmidt confirmed that although the Leinster centre was very much in mind, at 21 years of age, the best place for him at the moment is in the Pro 12.
Is putting him in against 110kg of hurtling Jamie Roberts or 104kg of footwork and fend that Jonathan Davies can deliver (the best thing for him)? Or is it sitting in the squad and not playing? Or is it him building that confidence that he's started to demonstrate through the Pro12 and one European start?
This is a great window for him to get game-time.
Having said that, Leinster don't have a game this weekend so it will come as no surprise that Schmidt has taken the decision to call Ringrose up to Ireland training in Carton House today. This won't be the first time that the Leinster man has trained with the senior squad, but the fact that he's involved so close to the Wales game is a very good indication of just how far he has come this year.
Although the Wales game would appear to have come to soon, Fitzgerald's injury means that there is certainly a spot open for Ringrose should he continue to impress. Today's training session is just one more opportunity for the young Dubliner to edge closer to the full squad and, if he does that, it wouldn't come as too much of a surprise to see him included in the squad before the end of the current Six Nations campaign.
