Who are the two uncapped hopefuls in Andy Farrell's Ireland squad for 2026 Six Nations?

Hoping to take their first steps into the senior side are Munster's Edwin Odogbo and Ulster’s Nathan Doak, but why has Andy Farrell put his faith in these two talents to step up to the plate?

The 23-year-old second-rower has become a weapon for Munster this season, as he continues to become a part of the Southern province’s homegrown talents.

Born in Cobh, Edogbo played for Cobh Pirates RFC, helping them to a Munster under-18s final. This led to his selection for both Munster and Ireland U18s schools and club representative sides.

In 2021, he started studying Engineering at UCC, and quickly became a starter at their All-Ireland League side. He joined Munster Academy not long after, the first player from Cobh Pirates to do so. He made his senior Munster debut in their away defeat to the Dragons back in September 2022, making appearances in seven games across the year. Edogbo also started in Munster’s historic 28-14 victory over a South Africa XV at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on the 10th November 2022.

He signed a three-year contract extension in January 2023, remaining in the academy for the following season, before two years in the senior side. So far this year, the second-rower has appeared in all of Munster’s Champions Cup games, as well as five URC games. He has scored three tries, including a brace in his 30-minute cameo off the bench against Castres.

Aiming to take his first cap this Six Nations, the scrum-half has made his way through the ranks of both the Ulster and Ireland system to become a regular feature for the Belfast-based outfit. His rugby career at Wallace High School, and was named Ulster School Boys’ Player of the Year in 2020. Doak represented Ireland U18s, U19s, as well as Ulster As in the 2019-20 Celtic Cup, before joining the Ulster Academy in 2020.

He made his senior debut for the club in January 2021, with a 15-minute stint against Munster. Post-Covid, he represented Ireland U20s at the World Championships, playing four fixtures, one at fly-half. He scored 48 points over the tournament, with a 50-metre try against Wales. He started to become a senior regular at Ulster the season after, with 25 appearances in the 2021/22 season. He scored 134 points as Ulster made it to the URC semi-finals and Champions Cup round-of-16.

He earned two caps for the Emerging Ireland team in their 2022 tour of South Africa, where he scored a try. Coming back to Ulster, he started to become a more consistent starter. During Ireland’s 2024 tour of South Africa, Doak was called up for injury cover when Craig Casey had to be sent home, but didn’t feature in a match.

He also represented Ireland As in two matches in 2025. He started at scrum-half in February’s defeat to England As, before coming off the bench in their decimation of Spain in November. 70 points in ten games played for Ulster this season, Doak will have the chance to make his senior debut in green as rewarded for his key role he plays in Ulster’s Challenge Cup and URC push.