Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Well, since 2020 doesn't matter, let's look at 2021.

Leo Cullen plays him at 12.

Andy Farrell plays him at 12.

Warren Gatland plays him at 12.

It doesn't really matter what I think - but the three coaches who selected him this calendar year did so overwhelmingly at 12.

I think it's then slightly odd to be using words like "baffling" and "blindingly obvious" when the facts all point in the opposite direction to what you're saying.

Very odd train of thought.

I would say Henshaw is excellent defensively at 12 and excellent offensively at 13.

2020 matters if it suits which it does for Henshaw. 2020 doesn’t matter when it suits which it doesn’t for Ringrose. You can’t expect people to be consistent when consistency doesn’t support their position.

I always find it odd when people state things as fact with absolutely nothing backing up the opinion. Which it is. Opinion not fact. I mean you’ve basically looked to shut down the discussion on it entirely above.

I think people get really obsessed over things like line breaks and defenders beaten while also ignoring less obvious things such as the reading of the game etc. Henshaw certainly looks better at 13 when you’re not micro analysing the game. But then of course he does, because he has more space etc. It’s easier to make metres or break the line etc when you’re 1 man further out.

But how does he read the game on both sides of the ball from 13 compared to Ringrose? I’d say Ringrose is a far better reader from a defensive perspective at the very least. And that matters.

Do they play the same way or differently at 13? If different, which style suits Ireland best? Would it be fair to say that Henshaw is more direct and Ringrose more elusive for example?

Ringrose didn’t earn the player of the year last year for the craic. He’s an excellent player who adds a lot. He had a crap year with injury last year. But if he can show he has returned to form then he has a better case for starting at 13 than anyone else. Because he’s been doing it for Ireland for years and doing it very well, to the point that he was deemed the best player in the squad.

That’s not to say there is no case for Aki-Henshaw. Of course there is. But I find it odd how much some want to shut down debate on it.

Less obvious things to people who get one eyed about things like line breaks. Reading the game isn’t less obvious to coaches etc. And it’s an incredibly, incredibly important part of the game. But it’s not the eye catching glamorous stuff that catches people’s eyes. And that’s the problem. The fact that you’re being disparaging about an incredibly important part of the game speaks volumes.

Quite frankly, a bit of form a year ago isn’t worth much now after a year of poor form since.

Tom Farrell, James Hume, and Liam Coombes have all shown some good form this season, I’d rather pick Aki and Henshaw, and select one of them to join the squad than bring in Ringrose, or for that matter Chris Farrell who also hasn’t been very good for a while now.

You don't hate Leinster players. You hate that Leinster players get picked ahead of the Ulster players you think are better. You have a massive chip on your shoulder about it.

You're also not advocating replacing Ringrose with Henshaw, you're advocating replacing Ringrose with Aki who is <checks notes> not a Leinster player.

I'll stop now because you'll infract me.

I was being a smart ass. The question you asked was what was he doing in the summer. He was recovering from injury. At the time that the squad was selected he had onoy just played his second game back from injury too for what it’s worth. So injury could have been a factor. I doubt it, Gatland had his mind made up about the make up of his squad and Ringrose would never have fit into that. But if you’re sure you want to hold Gatland up as the coach to pay attention to over and above all the others then by all means go for it. I wouldn’t personally, but there you go.

Yes and I'm saying he wouldn't have been anywhere near the Lions if either of Deegan or Doris were fit for the Six Nations.

True!