Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

aloooof

Tomtom364 wrote: »

Shane Daly.

13/14 Weeks in Ireland camp since October

Opponents
Italy - 2020 6 Nations
France - 2020 6 Nations
Wales - Autumn Nations Cup
England - Autumn Nations Cup
Georgia - Autumn Nations Cup
Scotland - Autumn Nations Cup
Wales - 2021 6 Nations
France - 2021 6 Nations
Italy - 2021 6 Nations

And Farrell gave him 17 minutes off the bench against Georgia.
I know every player wants to be in that squad but that must be very frustrating for him.

He did brilliantly at FB in Aug / Sept last year for Munster when Haley was out, and there was an argument that he played himself into the first choice 15 jersey.

In the meantime, Haley has come back and is playing great stuff, so Daly now is more likely to start for Munster on the wing now, competing with Earls and a returning Conway. He'll be extremely disappointed, you'd imagine.

awec

Tomtom364 wrote: »

Stockdale straight back in at 15? :rolleyes:

With Keenan on the wing? Maybe. I think Keenan is doing fine where he is.

bayern

Stockdale over Lowe for me.

sebdavis

awec wrote: »

I'm trying to think of a reason why you might select Stockdale over Balacoune and I'm struggling. Balacoune is the braver, smarter call.

Is Farrell so concerned about the next 2 games that he wants experienced heads where possible?

Balacoune was out for longer.
I think, maybe I hope, the IRFU have somewhat learned from rushing players back into international games after a long time out with injury. henshaw lost a few seasons because as soon as he was anyway fit he was shoved into an Ireland jersey to break down. Same with Carbery.

Balacoune from what I know has been out for a significant period. Better to let him get some good game time for Ulster and then bring in

salmocab

awec wrote: »

I'm trying to think of a reason why you might select Stockdale over Balacoune and I'm struggling. Balacoune is the braver, smarter call.

Is Farrell so concerned about the next 2 games that he wants experienced heads where possible?

There only 2 weeks left, Balacoune has spent very little time with the squad and it’s unlikely he was getting game time whereas whether he’s in the immediate plan or not stockdale has been a member of the squad regardless of missed time recently. Balacoune will I’m sure be in the next set of games when they happen. Honestly I’d have been surprised if he had gone the other way.

thomond2006

I know you cannot select exclusively on form, but leaving out Baloucoune and Daly over Stockdale and Conway suggest that these decisions were made prior to the weekend.

bayern

Daly is injured.

ionadnapokot

Tomtom364 wrote: »

Shane Daly.

13/14 Weeks in Ireland camp since October

Opponents
Italy - 2020 6 Nations
France - 2020 6 Nations
Wales - Autumn Nations Cup
England - Autumn Nations Cup
Georgia - Autumn Nations Cup
Scotland - Autumn Nations Cup
Wales - 2021 6 Nations
France - 2021 6 Nations
Italy - 2021 6 Nations

And Farrell gave him 17 minutes off the bench against Georgia.
I know every player wants to be in that squad but that must be very frustrating for him.

If Baloucoune was picked i'd expect a similar fate v Scot and Eng

Personally i'd have had him on the bench v Scot and Eng
15 Kennan 14 Larmour 11 Lowe 23 Baloucoune

Tomtom364

bayern wrote: »

Daly is injured.

Bar a tag line on the42 I don't see any injury mentioned anywhere for Daly. Nothing in the IRFU release about it.

Interested Observer

I didn't notice Conway back in, that's an even worse decision than Stockdale. Farrell has brought in a few new faces and is giving them gametime which is good (though even looking at the France game, it's experience first and fill gaps second), but if you're an established player it seems you just need to have all your limbs attached and you're in the squad.

OneLungDavy

Are people honestly suggesting Balacoune should have been picked ahead of Stockdale, earning his first cap in two must-win games?

Interested Observer

OneLungDavy wrote: »

Are people honestly suggesting Balacoune should have been picked ahead of Stockdale, earning his first cap in two must-win games?

Yes.

Fairly simple really.

bayern

Yes, why are they must-win?

Yeah_Right

sebdavis wrote: »

Wasnt he going to play for NZ but he was injured. The NZ public are still a little sore he left.

Yeah Lowe was called up to the wider squad for a match against Samoa, I think, but he got injured and didn't play. I think it was the week after the Super Rugby final so a bunch of first choice ABs were being rested. I don't think he was ever going to get many caps with the ABs as there are simply better players in NZ than him.

sydthebeat

OneLungDavy wrote: »

Are people honestly suggesting Balacoune should have been picked ahead of Stockdale, earning his first cap in two must-win games?

must win?

OneLungDavy

It's a must-win for Farrell and co. It would be great to see some experimentation, but we know it's not going to happen for these games.

sydthebeat

OneLungDavy wrote: »

It's a must-win for Farrell and co. It would be great to see some experimentation, but we know it's not going to happen for these games.

is it a must win for farrell ??? who says so?

hes contracted to 23

awec

sydthebeat wrote: »

is it a must win for farrell ??? who says so?

hes contracted to 23

He's contracted until 2023 but if he lost 4 games he'd be under serious pressure.

MaybeMaybe

Prize money?

OneLungDavy

sydthebeat wrote: »

is it a must win for farrell ??? who says so?

hes contracted to 23

Ok so his job is not directly on the line but it's the 6 Nations and winning these two games is the difference between a calamity and a positive tournament.

sydthebeat

awec wrote: »

He's contracted until 2023 but if he lost 4 games he'd be under serious pressure.

under pressure, sure... under more pressure than he would be if he won the next two games...

but guaranteed the sack if we came 5th? which is a very real possibility...

nah i dont think he is.

Podge_irl

Given their respective performances, Balacoune is more likely to help you win than Stockdale.

sydthebeat

OneLungDavy wrote: »

Ok so his job is not directly on the line but it's the 6 Nations and winning these two games is the difference between a calamity and a positive tournament.
.

POMs action is the current different between a positive tournament and the precarious position we're in.

personally i think we'll beat scotland ... and hopefully by the time we play england eddie will have thrown a strop and brought in a rake of young lads and use inexperience as an excuse when we beat them

molloyjh

awec wrote: »

I'm trying to think of a reason why you might select Stockdale over Balacoune and I'm struggling. Balacoune is the braver, smarter call.

Is Farrell so concerned about the next 2 games that he wants experienced heads where possible?

I think this is why. We need to win these games and we need to get some good performances to show real progress in how we are playing. We need full focus on that right now. If, after that, we still aren't showing any progression then we need some fundamental changes in the set-up. Not necessarily through sacking coaches but possibly just by reviewing how we are looking to play the game. Theres no point and probably no time to bring in guys unfamiliar with the set-up at this point as a result of this.

I dont doubt that Baloucoune will get his shot. He deserves it and the coaches have already shown a willingness to bring guys in who have shown their potential. But right now the short term trumps everything else. We've got to bed this team down once and for all.

theVersatile

Has there ever been a non-injury enforced new cap brought in for the final two games of a Six Nations campaign, excluding where Italy is one of the two remaining games?

Bazzo

bayern wrote: »

Yes, why are they must-win?

They're must win for Farrell to keep his job(or at least one of them is) but he's the one who selects the squad and team so...

sydthebeat wrote: »

is it a must win for farrell ??? who says so?

hes contracted to 23

Not nearly as material with the IRFU's famous 6 month get out clause

awec

theVersatile wrote: »

Has there ever been a non-injury enforced new cap brought in for the final two games of a Six Nations campaign, excluding where Italy is one of the two remaining games?

This is a bit of a loaded question cause when was the last time Ireland were going into round 4 with 2 defeats and their only win being against Italy?

ClanofLams

Ireland haven’t gone one win four losses in the twenty years since Italy joined the 6N. Near certainty Farrell is out if that happens.

Tomtom364

sydthebeat wrote: »

POMs action is the current different between a positive tournament and the precarious position we're in.

personally i think we'll beat scotland ... and hopefully by the time we play england eddie will have thrown a strop and brought in a rake of young lads and use inexperience as an excuse when we beat them

oh yeah. 100%. all POM. nobody else what so ever had anything to do with it. Sure didn't he go out and play for France and all as a 16th man. The scoundrel

sydthebeat

Tomtom364 wrote: »

oh yeah. 100%. all POM. nobody else what so ever had anything to do with it. Sure didn't he go out and play for France and all as a 16th man. The scoundrel

glad you agree tom