Six Nations 2023 - Wales v Ireland, Sat 4th Feb, KO 2:15PM - TV: VM1, BBC1, S4C

Ooof. Just assumed Furlong was being minded for the 6N. Huge gap in the 23, though Bealham has been playing well for sure.

Murray over Casey and Byrne over Crowley as well are notable.

Imo Aki on the bench is just a bad call but hopefully it works out.

Dubinusa

Ouch! No Furlong. Can't see why Aki is on the bench. I'd have Hanson on the bench with Larmour starting.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191720#Comment_120191720

The spread should probably tighten from -6 you'd imagine post that announcement.

I'm not overly confident in O'Toole off the bench here, and (we've discussed it to death above), but I feel any injury to 11, 13, 14 or 15 is going to leave us looking extremely disjointed.

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191746#Comment_120191746

With all due respect, 1 player being absent isn't enough on its own to cause the odds to shift unless that player is Sexton.

sydthebeat

no worries about Finlay performing, hes been great these last 18 months.

looks like 3 positional changes should keenan have to go off.

That team should win, but hasn't provided me with any greater confidence that i had on Tuesday

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191755#Comment_120191755

And with Furlong out how on gods earth are we going to deal with Gareth Thomas...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191752#Comment_120191752

No, Furlong is 100% in that category. In arguably the second most important position on the field, he is the best or close enough that it doesn't matter.

I have faith in Finlay Bealham, but it's a big test for him on Saturday. I don't have a lot of faith (and I desperately hope I'm wrong) in the third best third head prop in a province with a notoriously poor tight five.

aloooof

Think that's easily a strong enough team to get the job done, even with Furlong missing. He's obviously a step down from Furlong, but I reallty rate Bealham, happy for him to get an opportunity to start a big game.

Beirne selected ahead of Henderson as well. It's not too often we've had all 3 of Ryan, Henderson and Beirne fit and available, and Henderson seemed to have been favoured in the past, but I think Beirne's form means he has to be in the team so think that's entirely justified.

TRC10

There really isn't much between the two teams on paper. Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Porter are the only players who are clearly better than their opposite number. Maybe Sheehan as well actually. But that's a strong Welsh team, let's not kid ourselves.

If we're 10% off it, and they get a Gatland bounce, at home in Cardiff, this could go pear shaped very quickly.

AbusesToilets

Murray and Aki on the bench is pretty disappointing. Hoping POM can regain the form from last season. Be interested to see how Henderson goes.

Akrasia

I'm delighted for Conan. He has definitely shown more form than Coombes this year. Sure they nominate any old eejit for Heineken cup player of the year these days.

sydthebeat

plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191774#Comment_120191774

So Dan Sheehan isn't clearly better than Ken Owens, Tadhg Beirne isn't clearly better than a 37-year old AWJ, Josh van der Flier isn't clearly better than 33 year old Justin Tipuric, Johnny Sexton isn't clearly better than Dan Biggar and Garry Ringrose isn't clearly better than George North (at centre), Hugo Keenan isn't clearly better than Liam Williams (who hasn't played this season essentially)?

Are Ireland the only international team on the planet who picks a sub SH to significantly slow the game down in the final quarter rather than speed it up?

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191766#Comment_120191766

He's our 2nd most important player but we aren't crippled with him out like we are with Sexton as we saw against SA in the autumn. Well he's clearly 2nd best as he's been on the bench when fit every time last season.

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191774#Comment_120191774

I find it funny how you claim to be an Irish fan as for one you very rarely have much positive to say about Ireland...

€10 on the Welsh to win looks all the more appealing right now.

aloooof

One worry I'd have is if we're chasing the game in the last 20 minutes or so. Murray and Ross Byrne don't seem like a complementary pair to inject pace into the game.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191777#Comment_120191777

Well Coombes starts for Munster, Conan is behind Doris, who's far better than Coombes..., maybe Farrell rates Conan higher?

Osborne was nominated for the same award. He's not playing.

Former Former Former

Furlong being out could be a blessing in disguise. Bealham has never started a 6N game (or against any tier 1 side I'd say) so let's see what he's made of from the start. I think he'll be fine. Less sure about TOT if he had to come on early but either way we'll learn something on Saturday.

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191790#Comment_120191790

Not "clearly" no. Marginally maybe. Let's not forget that these lads have won a 6N more recently than our lads have, and made a World Cup semi final. Yes, we had a good year last year and they had a sh*t year. But we learned in 2019 how much that counts for.

Form has a major influence when assessing how good a player is. But form can change very quickly. If someone asked you in 2021 who was a better 13, North or Ringrose, the answer would have been North. Roll on 2022 and it would have been Ringrose. It can swing back just as quickly. Likewise, Biggar was a better 10 than Sexton in 2021. 2022, Sexton was better. But it can change. VDF v Tipuric, Doris v Faletau, Keenan v L.Williams, T.Williams v JGP, Ryan v Beard, Lowe v Adams. There's not much between these guys. We like to think our players are way better, but it's not the case. If this Welsh team clicks, and we're off our game, they will win.

Dubinusa

Not feeling too confident. Furlong should have been left back at Leinster, if this injury was not healing. Furlong has played twice for Leinster this season and a few minutes for Ireland?

Aki doesn't inspire either. Wales are not great but, here we are with Sexton starting coming in from the cold. The exiled Bundee on the bench and Bealham starting.

Casey would have been my choice for the bench. We lose this one and the wheels come off.

phily2002

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191777#Comment_120191777

Conan has been excellent lately as has Coombes. So surely you should be annoyed at POM who's been pretty average this season and was our worst player in the last game against Australia?

aloooof

Herring selected ahead of Kelleher another noteworthy call. A little surprised by that, Herring is a very solid option, hasn't let us down in the past.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191857#Comment_120191857

Kelleher is injured again.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191862#Comment_120191862

Ah.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191822#Comment_120191822

If we're chasing the game, Murray and especially Byrne won't come on.

phily2002

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191867#Comment_120191867

Yeah Tom Stewart got called up as a replacement, although they didn't necessarily rule Kelleher out. Hopefully something minor

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191882#Comment_120191882

more than 3 points, id agree.... less than then id want Ross on the pitch anyway.

Must love hardship

Dissapointed with Aki on the bench.

Can only play in one position.

Unless mccloskey is the one that is injured there has to be a reshuffle of the back line to bring him in.

Would have preferred to see Larmour, JOB, Earls or Osbourne.

But I do acknowledge that Farrell seems to prefer a centre in the 23 Jersey. I would just prefer one of the others who can play centre and wings/fb.

Edit. Also the fact that mccloskey does not regularly play anywhere bar 12 it seems strange that we have 2 players that are primarily 12's in the match day.

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191882#Comment_120191882

If it's a tight game and R.Byrne doesn't get at least 20 minutes, you'll have people criticising Farrell for "not preparing for the World Cup". If Ross Byrne get's 20 minutes and we lose, Farrell will get criticised for taking Sexton off.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191835#Comment_120191835

North played exclusively on the wing in the 2019 6 Nations. He's never looked like an international quality centre.

And "these lads" didn't win a 6 Nations really in 2019 either. The team that played us in 2019 had an entirely different centre pairing, entirely different half backs, and 3 other changes in the pack. Bench was largely unrecognisable too.

"These lads" looked good winning the 2013 6 Nations, maybe that's the one you're thinking of.

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191904#Comment_120191904

Not only that, they've actually been playing this season, and crushing it.

phog

Aki was named in the 23 jersey for two of the 3 games in NZ during the summer and again v Australia in the Aviva

AdamD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191835#Comment_120191835

There hasn't been a day in George North's life where he's been a better center than Ringrose

Clegg

No real surprises, but I didn't really expect there to be. Furlong missing is a blow, but we've enough good players to compensate. Farrell is keeping faith in the players that won the series in New Zealand and swept the November tests.

If some don't perform well this Saturday they'll be rotated out. No real issues tbh.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191975#Comment_120191975

Yeah, when Henshaw was on the field and Carbery was on the bench, giving you options in the event of an injury.

This time, we've a set of backs with 2 players who are exclusively 9s, two who are exclusively 10s (I know RB has played some URC at 12 and 13 but he's patently not an international level player there), and 2 players who I think it's fair to say are exclusively 13s.

An injury to any of Ringrose, Hansen, Lowe or Keenan is going to cause serious disruption. I know if Lowe or Hansen get hurt Ringrose moves to the wing, but that's not ideal, and probably leaves you Bundee covering 13?

I almost would agree that if he was adamant to have Bundee in the 23 shirt then Crowley would have been the more sensible pick in the 22 shirt.

leakyboots

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191852#Comment_120191852

POM isn't having a 'pretty average' season, that's nonsense

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191774#Comment_120191774

And maybe just Maybe both wingers, the player of the year at 7, ringrose who is playing to level which means a debate about irelands beat ever 13 is now reasonable and sexton are clearly better than their opposite number.

A better way to look at this is how many, if any of that welsh team would be in the Irish starting 15? None.

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191852#Comment_120191852

Oh I completely agree, POM has been rubbish for Ireland. It's a disgrace that he couldn't single handedly overcome the power differential and compensate for a panicked scrum half who hadn't a clue what do do with himself without Sexton playing beside him so he kept just kicking the ball mindlessly away and darting into blind alleys

Which Leinster player do you think should be brought on instead of POM?

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120192013#Comment_120192013

Yeah, when Henshaw was on the field and Carbery was on the bench, giving you options in the event of an injury.

Not for our most recent game, the last AI vs Oz.

Even with someone like Larmour, who's played wing, fb and centre for us, there's always going to be some give-and-take (he wouldn't be ideal cover for centre for example).

Bundee has huge credit it in the bank with Farrell to be fair to him, so I can understand the selection.

lawrencesummers

I think the bundee call is the right one.

We need strong players in midfield and He needs gametime.

Whatever has happened him off field in the last while should have been sorted to allow him gametime espically knowing that henshaw was going to be out.

If mccloaksy gets injured again or ringrose ever then we are in trouble next weekend against france.

Ireland need bundee, and he is a better player than mclockley so its kinda telling that he isnt starting

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120192052#Comment_120192052

ringrose who is playing to level which means a debate about irelands beat ever 13 is now reasonable

Steady on. ;)

phily2002

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120192065#Comment_120192065

Amazingly Dorris and Josh facing the same problems were able to put in huge shifts....

I'd actually start Coombes ahead of him and keep Conan on the bench. Both in far better form as is Baird also

Sangre

Quite a few big names in squad with very limited game time: Lowe, Sexton, Aki. Hopefully they slot back in with little effort.

I suspect selection of very inexperienced back-up OHs has meant Murray will be on bench a lot. Although he probably would have been anyway...

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120192065#Comment_120192065

Mod: You need to engage more constructively without the sarcasm or provincial stirring.

theVersatile

Can see Porter pulling a full 80 with either himself or Healy shifting across to cover tighthead as the game goes on.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120192096#Comment_120192096

agreed.

its unlikely that Keenan will have to go off (god help us if he does though!) and i think its obvious that Wales midfield is certainly an area we can target. Aki offers a dagger there, and also has the deception that can open them up.

in my opinion its more likely George North will have to go off, and that wales will end up with a midfield of Owen Williams and Joe Hawkins, than Keenan going off for us.

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120192124#Comment_120192124

Apologies. I'll do better

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120192086#Comment_120192086

I don't think you can read much into what happened in that game, given how late the Sexton injury occurred. The intention wasn't ever for RB to be on the bench there, it would have been the versatile Crowley on the bench if Sexton hadn't pulled up in the warm up.