Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Dubinusa

I'm not sure who I'd go with. I suppose Crowley will get into the squad. He's not played much at 10. He won't get picked as a center. I hope Munster start him next week

RB is limited. But he's better than Carty and Burns. Neither should be involved. HBB doesn't have the minutes. I reckon it's Carberry, Crowley and RB.

TRC10

If Farrell picks Ross Byrne to start at 10 it would be a huge departure from what he's been doing over the last 18 months. I can't see it happening. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the three 10s are Carbery, Crowley and one of Harry Byrne and Frawley.

Ireland would need to radically change their play style to accommodate Ross Byrne at 10, and that won't happen at this stage in the cycle.

Interested Observer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120054641#Comment_120054641

Leinster don't radically change anything when Ross Byrne starts. Why would Ireland have to?

Though I tend to agree it seems very unlikely. It'll be Carbery for sure, beyond that there is absolutely no way Crowley is a better 10 at the moment then Byrne but seems he's tending in that direction.

Former Former Former

The starting OH will very likely be Sexton in a Phantom of the Opera mask. If not, I'm not sure why we'd deviate from Carbery.

That said, if RB gets a call up and impresses in training, I don't think he'll be miles behind Crowley.

Buer

It will be Carbery.

This isn't even a debate.

ersatz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120054834#Comment_120054834

No-one expects anyone but Carbery at #2, it's #3 that is still up for grabs.

pickarooney

Torquemada for backup OH it is

Buer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120054883#Comment_120054883

They clearly do based on the last page.

phog

I don't see why Farrell would change the order of things now, he had an opportunity to do it during the AIs and didn't, Sexton getting injured hardly changes that.

Clegg

I'd expect Carbery to start, but I just don't think he should be given the opportunity anymore. He's had so many chances and underwhelmed that I'd like us to try Ross Byrne again. Just to see if he can pull out something better.

letowski

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120055220#Comment_120055220

Carbery hasn’t played badly either. In the occasions he has come in for Sexton last season, he played a solid game. Contrary to a lot of the narrative, he has been performing fairly consistently for Munster, not pulling up trees, but none of the other backup options are either. Carbery is second choice on merit, whether people like it or not.

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120054808#Comment_120054808

They do. Leinster play a lot more conservative and direct when Ross Byrne plays. They don't go wide as much and use the driving maul and pick and go a lot more. Because it suits Byrne's strengths, and he doesn't suit an expansive, high tempo game. If Ireland are going to move towards that sort of game, then there's a case for R.Byrne. But that sort of game won't win any trophies.

Carbery will start at 10 away to Wales. And I'd argue Wales are now favorites for that game.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120055373#Comment_120055373

The recent Munster Leinster game was a prime example tbh; very direct, lots of one out carries.

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120055385#Comment_120055385

And the Racing and Gloucester games. Pretty much every game Byrne plays.

Then look at the games Sexton played. In the Sharks, Munster and Connacht games Leinster opened up more and played a lot more rugby.

Yeah_Right

Has there been any news on Sexton's injury and how long he is expected to be out for?

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120055400#Comment_120055400

All home matches.

The last home match that Ross Byrne started was the Gloucester game and there's no way you can say leinster played tight that day.

Before that in home games against ulster we had 7 line breaks and 30 defenders beaten against 16 defenders beaten with 9 line breaks last night.

When compared like for like there is not a huge world of difference in how leinster play with Johnny versus Ross , other than johnny being very very good at rugby.

Dubinusa

If Sexton misses significant time, we will struggle to compete with the French. But in a world cup year, it could be a blessing. Sexton is 37! He's fantastic, he's the best out half in the world and he's liable to have a drop in form at this age.

Rugby takes a toll physically and mentally. At 37 years old, Sexton has played a world class level for 2 or 3 years longer than most of us expected. The gold rush will dry up eventually. It's a credit to the man that he's been this good for so long.

While I don't believe Carberry is in this class, a run of starts may help him. I can't see Crowley getting a start as he hasn't started much at 10 for Munster. Ross Byrne would be an option. A bench option at least. Our world cup dreams rely heavily on a soon to be 38 year old. The risk of a loss of form is there. It's more likely that Sexton does go into some kind of tailspin soon enough. Hopefully, not too soon. The injury could be devastating for Leinster too. I hope not.

naughtyboy

If sexton misses the whole of the 6 nations it will be a blessing , I don't care who Ireland replace him with

We need to see how Ireland perform without sexton for a full tournament, let's see who his back up should be for the world Cup and how the squad perform in his absence for the whole 6 nations.

I believe if farrell does not rotate his squad for the 6 nations he will regret it come world cup. He needs to really test his squad depth

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120056612#Comment_120056612

What's he been doing for the last two years then??

Clegg

There's no universe where Sexton being absent is a blessing in disguise. He's our most important player and any possibility of a trophy depends on him.

Leinster could potentially get away with it, but you need that extra quality at test level and Sexton is the only fly half who has it.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120056700#Comment_120056700

Yup, its ass backward "logic". All Sexton missing gets us is a reduced chance of winning trophies.

Jump_In_Jack

It will be great for all the Sexton fanatics to eat a bit of humble pie when the sky doesn’t fall down without him.

naughtyboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120056700#Comment_120056700

Exactly and that is why it is so important to see all viable options before the world cup

Sexton furlong porter van der flier and Gibson Park are all crucial to Ireland and the drop off from them to their back ups is massive , nothing can change that but as many minutes as possible of the genuine pressure of 6 nations rugby

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120056764#Comment_120056764

Childish post.

I think Sexton is one of the best 10's (and maybe the best) in the World and far better than any other 10 in Ireland. People can decide whether that makes me a fanatic or not but nothing would make me happier than if we won the six nations or grand slam without him, in particular because he's about to retire.

You're confusing a genuine acknowledgment of his talent with the petty grievances you project onto others.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120056857#Comment_120056857

We’ve seen them.

ersatz

I'm really annoyed at Sexton, honestly. How many of his head injuries have been from this same crappy tackle technique? A guy playing some of the best out half rugby on earth still hasn't learned how to tackle safely, it's a real failure.

Anyway, it makes the Ireland situation interesting. Joey is the presumptive starter, followed by Crowley and Frawley/RB, I'd say. When is the squad announced?

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120055530#Comment_120055530

France started Ntamack at 10 in 2019 despite only having 4 starts from a possible 27 games at 10 for Toulouse.

pickarooney

Ntamack is a good player though

irelandrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120057281#Comment_120057281

France were a **** show for years leading up to that. We'd be dropping one of the best and most in form Outhalf in the game to do that.

And that's ignoring the fact that we recently started munster's third choice Outhalf against Australia.

molloyjh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120056857#Comment_120056857

Then they’ll have earned enough XP to afford the relevant upgrades to their crucial stats. If they’re lucky they might also unlock some new special abilities too.