Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122230869#Comment_122230869

I dunno if that's necessarily true, but even if it was, all the more reason why they deserved to be slated in the press as they evidently weren't playing to the best of their abilities.

But the 23 they picked that day had 525 caps of experience in it (versus 645 in the Irish side), and some of their key guys were well into their international careers (De Allende - 27 caps, Mtawarira - 95 caps, Etzebeth - 63 caps, De Jager - 32 caps, Kolisi - 25 caps, PSTD - 29 caps etc). Similar numbers for guys like Pollard, Bongi, Kitshoff etc.

The Irish side was pretty callow on the day too - we had Bundee on debut, Sweetnam uncapped on the bench, and the 23 had Conway - 3 caps, Stockdale - 2 caps, Rob Herring - 1 cap, James Ryan - 2 caps and Joey Carbery - 4 caps in the squad too.

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122231100#Comment_122231100

It is, you can't underestimate just how poor most of these players looked under Coetzee and a good portion of them started their career or played a large portion of their career under him. Yes they had a decent number of caps but they had shown very little at test level to show they were top players, only Marx and Etzebeth really. When Erasmus came in he was able to unlock a lot of the potential these players had such as Kolisi, Mbonambi, de Allende etc plus players like PSDT, Kitshoff really kicked on over the next 2 years. Obviously you also had players like Pollard and Lood de Jager who looked really good but they didnt look like star test players at that point and were probably at best 50/50 with their opposite Irish player.

Yes true it did but you have to factor in the SA opposite number looked like complete journeymen for the most part, the SA back 3 was a joke tbf and not within an asses roar of test rugby, so someone like Stockdale/Conway being callow wasnt seen as much of a weakness.

ljsulster

With Henderson and Ahern out and Moloney leaving Leinster does Cormac Izuchukwu make the squad as a 4th lock/blindside hybrid

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122237338#Comment_122237338

I hope so!

pickarooney

He's probably nudged ahead of Murray in any case and with Treadwell and Edogbo injured (neither hybrids, granted) he's certainly putting his hand up.

Dubinusa

While not the stron gest lad, nor the most physical, Izzy to me is similar to Ahern, both athletic and unorthodox. Gangly but good! I can't find the right words. HELP

pickarooney

The first time I saw him I thought of Nakarawa.

Clegg

The Emerging Ireland tour to South Africa has been confirmed. The last one was a great success so I'm interested in seeing who we bring this time round.

https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/1800499137303269463?t=9bCI_VP3Md-K33xWY0LsPQ&s=09

sydthebeat

western force??

interesting they are bring an Aussie super rugby team over to SA to play an Ireland A side??

also a possibility to tap up Ruan Pienaar to return to our green shores as coach….

Podge_irl

Is Easterby not coaching Ireland for the AIs? He'll be missing the Leinster vs Munster interpro during this tour. Not the end of the world, but still…

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122245483#Comment_122245483

Farrell's sabbatical only starts after the AI's I believe.

Looking forward to that EI tour, they're decent opposition at least. Three matches in eight days means we'll need a large enough squad which may generate some discussion here…

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122245557#Comment_122245557

Yeah thats correct, he just misses the 6 nations

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122245557#Comment_122245557

Ah ok, that's fine then.

I'm still not conceptually a fan of these tours but it is what it is. Will be curious to see the squad.

AdamD

Ooof the Munster talking heads on twitter really don't like this tour, do they enjoy anything about Irish Rugby at this point?

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122245859#Comment_122245859

ah youre better off not even giving those idiots any views at all, everything they say is doom laden when it comes to the IRFU. They are not ireland rugby fans at all, only parochial one eyed.

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122245859#Comment_122245859

Fair play make this provincial. It's not only Munster fans not in favour of the timing but if you look for something to be outraged at, you'll find it. Once you find it then you can take it elsewhere to show your outrage

AdamD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122245935#Comment_122245935

Its more a curiosity that the 3 or 4 largest twitter accounts parrot non-stop negativity, wasn't having a go at anyone here.

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122245859#Comment_122245859

Too busy posting daily about Munster being URC champs. Relishing the prospect of softening their cough

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122245946#Comment_122245946

Largest Twitter accounts 😂

Definitely looking for something to be outraged by

Podge_irl

MOD: Munster twitter accounts is not the topic of the thread

aloooof

Just not a big fan of this when it's outside the Test window and impacts some inter-pro's, at a time when we finally have a quality domestic league…

Anyways, lets see who's picked and at least this time round, the Provinces have a lot more notice, so have more time to plan around it.

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122246253#Comment_122246253

I've said this already but the timing is absolutely crazy, just as the URC kicks off we take out a tier of Irish players to head on a tour to SA.

If this was Wales playing an international outside the international window this place would go into meltdown but now that Ireland have started to do it, it's becoming acceptable.

I follow a Cheetah's fan on Twitter and he's not too happy about the timing of the tour either.

I wonder will we see a SA tour to Ireland to play an EI team, this will be out second tour to SA

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122246274#Comment_122246274

If this was Wales playing an international outside the international window this place would go into meltdown

This is objective nonsense. Why would "this place" give a shite what Wales do?

I don't think the timing is ideal either; would prefer it around 3 weeks sooner, but it is what it is. I still think the benefits of the tour to Ireland outweigh the negatives.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122246362#Comment_122246362

I don't think we'd care too much, but people absolutely used to complain about Wales' fourth AI test removing players from the ProX and there was no shortage of schadenfreude when their fourth test against Aus results in them dropping to 9th in the rankings for the World Cup draw. Course we have followed them on that by having a fourth AI ourselves now.

I think the timing is about the only place you could conceivably put it. Realistically you need to have the frontline players back before you can gut the provincial squads like this.

I'm not close-minded to the benefits of it, but it just fundamentally rubs me up the wrong way.

P.Walnuts

The players who go will likely be replaced by academy lads in the senior 23

The more quality rugby we can expose these guys to is important

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122246386#Comment_122246386

I find that bizarre - if they want to hinder their own provinces then that's on them (they've done this in recent times too).

The notion that we're disrespecting the league is a stretch, because the league has been utterly carried by the Irish provinces and the crowds we bring and the buzz we generate since Day 1.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122246482#Comment_122246482

Well, I think it was a product of general frustration at them not taking the league seriously and undermining the whole project.

I don't disagree on the point that the Irish have carried the league, but this is 100% disrespecting an improved league. Now you can argue it's worth it and I think there is a valid argument there even if I don't agree, but I don't think you can argue that it is not disrespecting it.

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122246512#Comment_122246512

How is it undermining the league or disrepecting it?

The provinces can rightly be pointed at by other countries and suggest they have more investment from the IRFU, which allows them to have bigger squad

Which is exactly why a tournament like this gives the provinces the chance to play more of that squad.

If the IRFU pulled funding like Wales, sent all their senior players to England/France to save money while using the league as ana academy then I would agree with disrespecting

But that's not what is happening.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122246532#Comment_122246532

How is it undermining the league or disrepecting it?

They are pulling dozens of players out of the squads in the middle of the season to play mickey mouse games in South Africa. This is on top of severely restricting the top tier of players gametime in general. The answer is rather obvious.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122246512#Comment_122246512

It'll depend entirely on the results. If, like last time, we make front line internationals (who in other scenarios likely wouldn't have played these fixtures) available for them, then to me it's very hard to argue we're "disrespecting" anything.