One of the most notable changes in Irish Rugby that has occurred under Andy Farrell has been the building of player depth in the current Ireland squad.
Ireland now have a multitude of options at each position, all of whom are trusted to perform at test level when called upon. That makes a huge amount of difference at top level rugby, as it means that one injury will not destabilise the whole team.
While this is no doubt a positive for the side, although it means that some quality players have found playing time difficult to come by as a result. Others have also had their international careers derailed by injury.
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Will Addison is someone who many thought would have a lengthy career with Ireland, with the English-born back being drafted into the squad soon after joining Ulster in 2018. He qualified to play in green through his Fermanagh-born mother.
Capable of playing at centre, fullback, or on the wing, he seemed like an ideal utility player to have in the fold. However, caps have been rather hard to come by since then.
Having featured in games against Italy, Argentina, and the USA that autumn, it was expected that he would rack up the caps in the years that followed.
The player would suffer an unfortunate neck injury in January of the following year that would keep him out of action for 15 months, and while he would pick up a couple of Ireland caps after that point, he has not featured for the side since 2021 after fracturing his leg in October of that year.
That injury would keep him out for the best part of two years. Now, his window for an Ireland recall looks to be closing.
Rugby Pass are reporting that Will Addison is in talks over a return to Sale Sharks this summer, the club he began his career with before making the move to Ulster.
Addison captained Sale during his time with the team, a side who are currently in the midst of a squad overhaul ahead of the expected departure of Manu Tuilagi.
A move to England would likely bring to an end the player's Ireland prospects, one that could have been very different were it not for those two serious injuries.
At 31-years old, he may feel that now is the right time to move onto the next chapter in his career.
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