Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Jenkins there on merit but even if he weren't I'd imagine he'd have been brought in for insights.

Not too worried about the SA game, have done indepth analysis of the two squads and based on the simulations I've been running I suspect we'll hammer them.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119812576#Comment_119812576

Is that Aki and Henshaw selected at midfield? There'll be war...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119813407#Comment_119813407

I think it's Dan Sheehan and Joey Carbery.

Ross Byrne has an arm full of tattoo's. In all of world rugby no one player is less likely to have a sleeve than Ross Byrne but Rugby 2022 has decided otherwise. And it's amazing.

Clegg

Gavin Thornbury has been called up to the Ireland A squad to replace Tom Ahern.

Nathan Doak and Tom Stewart will also join up with the squad.

Dubinusa

About time for Doak! Congrats to Thornbury.

Wegians89

Doak getting a call up might indicate doubts over JGP’s fitness for the SA match.

Wegians89

23s I’d go with this weekend:

SA

Porter sheehan furlong beirne Ryan Pom Doris vdf

JGP sexton Hansen Henshaw Ringrose baloucoune Keenan

Heffernan Healy Bealham Treadwell Conan Murray Carbery Job

NZ A

Loughman Barron Moore McCarthy Thornbury prendergast penny deegan

blade frawley Daly Mccloskey Hume Nash Osbourne

stewart kilcoyne Salomona Baird coombes Doak Crowley Stockdale

herring, O Toole, timoney and casey Not in either 23’s as cover for the squad to play SA. Baird, Coombes and stockdale only on the bench for similar reasons

Interested Observer

You'd surely have to be concerned at throwing Keenan, VdF and JGP into their first game of the season against the Boks?

AdamD

JVDF has started 3 games this season. The other two would definitely be concerning, a lot of running in those 2 positions.

Shehal

We always have this fear before every autumn and more often than not everything works out in this department. The coaches are seeing the players in training, they won't be picked if the coaches think they are undercooked.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119818263#Comment_119818263

Yup. Agree with this - and moreover, unless there is an inherent injury risk, I'd absolutely throw our best players in cold as we may be in a similar situation come the world cup.

ionadnapokot

I'm almost certain Farrell is going to go with Murray from the start!

Considering JGP hasn't played plus Murray is on 99 Irish caps and he has been in all the papers the last few days.

PMC83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119818431#Comment_119818431

I would say Murray reaching 100 caps isn't coming into the selection decision at all tbh

Interested Observer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119818241#Comment_119818241

JVDF has started 3 games this season

Fair enough, I blanked those. Guess the thing with him and Keenan is they are supremely fit, not that JGP isn't but they both feel like guys who could come back in and be sharp straight away.

Happyhouse22

Any injury updates on the Irish squad this week?

From the last report I read last week it made Van der Flier and Casey sound doubtful

ScissorPaperRock

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119818431#Comment_119818431

Please no. All due respect to Murray - he's been a phenomenal player for Ireland - but would much rather see us try to play the high tempo game JGP allows us to play. Would rather not get sucked into an arm wrestle or game defined by tactical kicking.

Clegg

The South African team has been named. The pack is every bit as imposing as you'd expect.

https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/1587410302282465280?t=YR1O9Qt_lGXzFtOwz-hvHg&s=09

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119818459#Comment_119818459

Based on what we know of Farrell I would say it will factor in his thinking from both a personal and squad morale mindset.

We've heard (ad nauseam) over the last three years from Murray, Sexton and Farrell about how this is a "Special Group". In fairness to Farrell he has maintained an excellent squad morale and belief ever since switching to Leinster light in Nov '21.

e.g. Earls and Murray still figuring in match days. The support that Farrell has given Earls is well documented and really admirable. I would have got rid of them both after the WC...and Sexton...and Healy!

We also heard how Farrell has introduced what Lancaster did with England. They get the family members in to present the jersey to debutants and mark important milestones.

I was a somewhat surprised when i read O'Gara's comments last Nov re: Sexton making his 100th cap and how bitter he felt about his experience in 2010. It clearly affected him (and goes someway to explaining his blitherings after the win v Aus at the WC). Im not suggesting Murray is such an egoist but i get the impression that Farrell is big on these type of things and will want to recognise the achievement of someone he clearly feels is integral to the WC squad.

___________________________________________________________

"There was a full seven years between my 100th cap for Ireland and the November morning in 2017 when I sat down in Christchurch with Kieran Read and Sam Whitelock for a first chat as a new Crusader coach.

As keen as I might have been to tap into their rugby and culture, Read was quicker off the mark, quizzing who was the Irish coach on the occasion of my 100th Irish cap off the bench against South Africa in 2010. Momentarily, I wasn’t sure where he and Whitelock were going but it was soon evident the store they placed in someone reaching 100 test appearances for their country. This was a huge honour, they said. How dare Ireland start you on the bench for that game.

It is a conversation that stayed with me for a few reasons. First off, the Crusaders leadership had done their due diligence on the new assistant coach, and also, they understood perfectly well what it took in terms of personal effort and sacrifice to get to that stage of an international rugby career. It also stirred up some unwelcome feelings of bitterness in me, emotions that have resurfaced a bit this week when I see how Ireland are doing right by Jonny Sexton on the occasion of his 100th cap against Japan tomorrow.

With your family in the crowd, and 99 international experiences in the rear-view mirror, Kieran Read’s — and dare I say the All Blacks’ — way of looking at these moments was: respect the achievement in the right way, it doesn’t happen very often."

____________________________________________________________

Note: The incredulousness of Kiearn Read -'leadership consultant'

Interested Observer

SA team named.

https://twitter.com/CianTracey1/status/1587410679484583936

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119818647#Comment_119818647

He's going to the WC as the 21. and at this stage i dont really see the harm in starting him for this game.

Park didnt play many minutes after NZ win in Nov '21 and Farrell started Murray v Wales in opening 6N. JGP was on the bench. JGP started the next game v France and i thought he looked off the pace.

Prepare yourself for pages and pages when the team is announced!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119818871#Comment_119818871

The harm is his form has been atrocious this season. I don't think he's turned in a single good performance.

If JGP isn't trusted to start, then I'd love to see Craig Casey get the nod.

Interested Observer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119818907#Comment_119818907

Is Casey fit? Would tend to agree anyway. I honestly don't care how experienced Murray is, it doesn't make up for the way he is playing and quite frankly the way he has been playing for some time.

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119818910#Comment_119818910

And continuing to select him when he continues to disappoint is only going to encourage him to continue playing that way, if anything JGP and if he's out even a Craig Casey starting would hopefully give him a rocket up the ass.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119818871#Comment_119818871

and at this stage i dont really see the harm in starting him for this game.

He cannot play the game that Ireland have been playing and largely winning with for the last year? He can close out games, but he simply cannot play the style that we are accustomed to.

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119818907#Comment_119818907

Ah i know that...& as we all know its not just this season either. Farrell has made his bed with both Murray and Sexton. They are going to the WC regardless of form.

Farrell hasn't invested enough time in Casey to now (& i think he's also injured) consider him an automatic starter if JGP is injured. He is vital to how this team plays, his partnership with Sexton and vice versa. If and when either of them are not available this side is under prepared.

Interested to see what sort of A side is named for Friday night against NZ A. My prediction below:

15. Michael Lowry, 14. Shane Daly, 13. James Hume, 12. Stuart McCloskey, 11. Jimmy O'Brien, 10. Jack Crowley, 9. Caolin Blade, 1. Jeremy Loughman, 2. Tom Stewart, 3. Marty Moore, 4. Joe McCarthy, 5. Gavin Thornbury, 6. Cian Prendergast, 7. Scott Penny, 8. Gavin Coombes

Reps: 16. Diarmuid Barron, 17. Dave Kilcoyne, 18. Roman Salanoa, 19. Ryan Baird, 20. Max Deegan, 21. Nathan Doak, 22. Ciaran Frawley, 23. Jamie Osborne

Think this would be an exciting side to watch.

Brief_Lives

I have to pinch myself, whej I read that we are no1 in world rankings....

i am just about old enough to remember the 90s...

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119819011#Comment_119819011

Remember 2018?!? It's great but meaningless really.

France are the best side in the world anyway

TRC10

South Africa have been very inconsistent this year. They're experimenting a bit with that selection and are missing some vital players. We should be wining this at home.

If Willemse gets hurt, are they turning to Kolbe or le Roux at 10, or would it be Hendrikse with Faf coming into 9?

Lukhanyo Am is a big player for them to be without. Kolbe could be terrifying at 15, picking his moments to come into the line etc to find mismatches.