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, 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.
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