THE SURPRISE, AND ruthless, omission of Sean Cronin from Ireland\u2019s squad for Sunday\u2019s Six Nations clash against France in Dublin was a decision based on building squad depth, rather than due to the Leinster hooker\u2019s performance in Rome.<\/p>\n
Cronin wasn\u2019t in Belfast with Joe Schmidt\u2019s Ireland last week and was left out of the 37-man squad for the round four game this weekend, with Ulster\u2019s Rob Herring joining captain Rory Best and Munster\u2019s Niall Scannell in the panel.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cronin finds himself out in the cold after Rome. Source: James Crombie\/INPHO<\/p>\n
The 32-year-old, who made his first Six Nations start against Italy last time out, has seemingly paid for a poor performance against Conor O\u2019Shea\u2019s side, but Ireland forwards coach Simon Easterby today insisted Cronin\u2019s axing was not down to form.<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess we\u2019re looking continually to build some depth in positions,\u201d Easterby said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cSean has been involved in the first three games, he has started in Italy, and in a specialist position like hooker, we\u2019re just looking to continually build some depth and find out a bit more about players that we need to work with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Easterby didn\u2019t agree with the assessment that it was a harsh call.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, no, my reasoning is what I said \u2014 it\u2019s to do with building some depth and we know a lot about Sean,\u201d he continued.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t exclude him from next week and it certainly doesn\u2019t exclude him from us going forward. We need to keep building that depth and knowledge of those players in that position.\u201d<\/p>\n
After being rested in round three, it was always expected that Best would return to Schmidt\u2019s starting XV for the visit of France to Dublin, with Munster\u2019s Scannell now set for a place on the bench. Herring is also back in the mix having impressed during last summer\u2019s tour of Australia.<\/p>\n
It is a particularly cruel setback for Cronin after earning his starting opportunity against Italy, but again Easterby stressed it is purely to look at other options.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cListen there are lots of things players would be unhappy about in games. They are their worst critics,\u201d he said of Cronin\u2019s performance at the Stadio Olimpico, during which Ireland lost five of their lineouts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Easterby speaking at Carton House earlier. Source: Dan Sheridan\/INPHO<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Sean has gone pretty well. There would be a couple of lineouts that have gone astray but some of them is strategy. But when you look at what happens in a lineout there are so many combinations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you get one of those things wrong, the lift, the jump, the throw, the movement, well it\u2019s probably the hooker that gets a little bit of the pressure. I\u2019d say we\u2019ve been pretty happy with Sean and what he\u2019s produced prior to coming in and while in camp.<\/p>\n
\u201cAgain, I come back to having the opportunity to develop some depth in that position. I can hold my hand up in terms of strategy in that Italy game.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe opposition read a couple and that sometimes is the case. Just looking at pure figures, what you guys see, you just pick out one thing and the lineout is more complex than that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cian Healy sympathised with his Leinster team-mate.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a tough one,\u201d the prop said. \u201cThat\u2019s the competition of the squad.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIt speaks volumes of the players that are here to know that Nugget can be left back with Leinster training and someone else can step in of the same quality.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you know people are so close to you and everyone\u2019s vying for that shirt, everyone has to keep it up.<\/p>\n