Munster's Niall Scannell: 'Andy Farrell said he hoped I would prove him wrong'

MUNSTER’S Niall Scannell revealed that Ireland head coach Andy Farrell told him he hoped he would prove him wrong after the hooker was omitted from the Six Nations Championship squad.

Scannell, who has won 20 caps for Ireland, was a member of Joe Schmidt’s World Cup squad in Japan last autumn.
However, he was not included in Farrell’s Six Nations squad for the on-going championship.

Twenty seven-year-old Scannell admitted he was very disappointed not to be included in Farrell’s first Six Nations squad. 

Speaking at Munster’s press briefing at UL this week, Niall Scannell said: “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t massively disappointed that I was left out.

“In fairness, I had a very good chat with Andy Farrell. He finished the phone call by saying: “I hope you prove me wrong.” That is what I want to do. I want to get back in there.

“It would be great to be able to walk back into camp and shake his hand after improving my performances, and get back in on that radar. But it is what it is now.

“Like I said about the European loss, there is a bit of anger and then you reassess. You have got to get better. Get busy getting better is what I am thinking at the moment. If I do that, hopefully I will be on Andy and Simon’s (Easterby) radar again.

“If there is not an injury or whatever. If it doesn’t happen in the Six Nations then I just have to keep being ready and target the next international block whether it be Australia or further down the line. But I will always want to play with Ireland. That is always going to be on my radar.”

Scannell, who is set to captain Munster in their key Guinness PRO14 fixture with Zebre in Milan on Friday, also revealed the impact former Munster CEO Garrett Fitzgerald, who passed away last week, had on his career.

Scannell said: “Everyone is aware of the achievements he (Garrett Fitzgerald) has had in Munster. I definitely wouldn’t be sitting here anyway.

“I have had a few frank chats with Garrett over the years. I had a very good relationship with him. He used to always tell me that I wanted it all now , now when I was a young fella.

“There was probably a few decisions that I could have made in my career when I wasn’t playing as much and I was a bit impatient and a bit immature.

“He set me straight and I stayed with Munster and obviously I am really grateful to have got over 100 caps now. I have represented my country which was an unbelievable honour for me.

“If it wasn’t for Garrett I am 100 percent sure I wouldn’t be sitting here anyway. We probably wouldn’t be in this unbelievable facility (High Performance Centre at UL).

"And we wouldn’t be playing games in two stadiums like Irish Independent Park and Thomond Park.

“We have a huge amount to thank Garrett for. But primarily (Monday’s funeral) was good for us as a squad to be able to get together and show our squad.

“Primarily he was a CEO to us and a driving force. But he was a husband and a father as well. For us, to see that side of it yesterday (at the funeral), our thoughts and prayers are with Áine and all of his kids.

“Niall O’Donovan said at the funeral mass, he was honest even if you didn’t want to hear it and that was the brilliant thing about him. He did change that landscape.”