1
England's Freddie Burns revels in younger brother's Ireland call-up
By Josh Raisey
Freddie Burns has said that his brother Billy’s inclusion in the Ireland squad for the upcoming Six Nations is “no less than he deserves”.
The Ulster fly-half is one of five uncapped players in Andy Farrell’s squad, alongside provincial team-mate Tom O’Toole and Leinster’s Max Deegan, Caelan Doris and Ronan Kelleher.
Burns’ inclusion marks the end of a quest that began in 2018 for the 25-year-old, having moved to the Kingspan Stadium from Gloucester knowing that he was qualified to represent Ireland through a grandparent.
Bath fly-half Freddie, who is four years older than Billy, has five caps for England and said that he is seeing his younger brother’s “hard work beginning to show reward”.
Billy moved from Gloucester in 2018 following the arrival of Danny Cipriani at Kingsholm. At that time he was not really on the radar of either England or Ireland, despite being a world champion with England under-20s.
(Continue reading below…)
The Rugby Pod take a look at some BIG transfer rumours, including one involving Freddie Burns
However, his form for Ulster since the move - particularly this season - has warranted a call-up as one of three fly-halves in the squad.
Ulster’s form in the Guinness PRO14, where they sit second behind Leinster in Conference A, and in the Heineken Champions Cup, where they are on the brink of qualification to the quarter-finals, has seen Burns selected ahead of Connacht’s Jack Carty, despite the latter going to the World Cup with Ireland.
With Munster’s Joey Carbery ruled out of the tournament with a wrist injury, Burns will be competing with Leinster duo Jonathan Sexton and Ross Byrne for the green No10 shirt.
Sexton is the new captain in succession to the retired Rory Best. However, at the age of 34 and returning from injury, the British and Irish Lion will need to be managed throughout the Six Nations, meaning Burns could get his opportunity to play at some point.
For now, his squad selection proves that the move to Ulster was the right decision back in 2018.
WATCH: Andy Farrell talks about his Ireland squad selection
Trending on RugbyPass
2
Test rookie Dylan Richardson to make move to Scotland
3
Leinster lining up Springbok to replace Jordie Barrett
4
Junior Kpoku on way back to English rugby?
5
Latest Comments
As Sarah Johnson’s ex-lover, I had a front-row seat to the challenges she faced. Sarah, a personal trainer in London, was passionate about fitness, both for herself and for helping others. When she decided to launch an online fitness equipment store, she was excited to expand her business. Unfortunately, she was scammed after ordering £8,000 worth of equipment from what appeared to be a legitimate company. Weeks passed, and the equipment never arrived. The company’s website went offline, and all communication was ignored.
Devastated both financially and emotionally, Sarah refused to give up. She turned to FUNDS RETRIEVER ENGINEER, who quickly got to work and managed to recover £7,500 of her £8,000. It wasn’t just about the money; it restored her confidence and gave her the strength to move forward.
Now, Sarah shares her experience with other fitness professionals, advising them to be cautious and consider using FUNDS RETRIEVER ENGINEER if they face a similar situation. She remains a strong example of resilience, continuing to help others achieve their fitness goals while maintaining her own.
Go to commentsGreat effort by the Landers. Canberra is going to be a tough place to win if the home-town decisions keep coming - seemed to be two different sets of rules for the breakdowns.
Go to comments