Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Probably worth noting Kelleher is the best hooker Leinster have brought through... actually now that I think about it, is he the best hooker Leinster have brought through since the game turned pro? It was a fairly fallow position for home-grown talent, unless I'm having a massive blank Shane Byrne was the last international hooker Leinster have had. Cronin and Strauss obviously not Leinster products originally.

Shane Byrne

Jeremy Davidson, Gary Longwell, Ian Henderson, Rory Best. You probably should have narrowed it down to props, I can't think of a single top quality prop Ulster have produced. Declan Fitzpatrick possibly the closest?

Maybe the best way to look at the whole out half situation is to look at who can feasibly become a real Test level 10 and who can’t.

Sexton - already is Test level.

Ross Byrne - almost certainly won’t ever be Test level. Too slow and doesn’t threaten the line. Stands far too deep when behind a struggling pack.

Harry Byrne - has genuine potential to be Test level option, but injury has robbed him of any chance to show us one way or the other.

Carbery - we know he can at least do a job at Test level despite his form being poor.

Healy - has shown glimpses of potential at league level so could be considered an option. The only real difference between himself and Harry Byrne is that Harry has had a good bit of time in camp and has been capped.

Burns - the best performing 10 outside of Sexton but has limitations. Not the best defensively, doesn’t goalkick and had a real shocker vs Wales. Possibly an option but does he have much room for growth or has he hit his ceiling?

Madigan - not an option and injured.

Lowry - too small and too little game time at 10 really so not much of an option.

Carty - completely unreliable in terms of his week to week performances. Not an option as at 29 it’s all but impossible to see him urning things around at this stage.

Fitzgerald - barely able to get a game for Connacht.

So of the guys who are possible options, only Burns and Ben Healy have been left out. And it’s not like they are shocking omissions. There’s logic for excluding both.

It’s good to see Crowley starting this weekend though. Hopefully he can add his name to the pot over the course of this season. But with the reduced number of games that might be tough.

Crowley is the one that really interests me. He was good at U20 level for Ireland, but like a lot of players in that 19-21 age group he has missed a hell of a lot of rugby due to Covid. But the fact ROG wanted to sign him would make me think he has something about him. I'll be tuning into the Munster to watch him alone.

As for the three 10s picked, IMO they are absolutely the right call.

Sexton obviously is our best 10

Carbery has delivered at 10 for Ireland (6Ns in Murray field, last 20 mins against the ABs in Chicago).in a way that the others haven't

Harry Byrne is a gut pick. Anyone who has watched him will have seen how he has time on the ball even when he takes it to the line. Is he a form pick? No. But he is the right pick in terms of building to 2023 and beyond. However his fitness is definitely a concern.

I m mystified as to how the narrative has descended that Burns does not goal kick. He absolutely does. He stopped doing it a few games back because of an injury to his right ankle that he has carried for a while. He is a pretty decent kicker. Not like Madigan or Cooney but acceptable enough. He probably could get better. He missed a touch kick v. Wales and suddenly he was useless. The opprobrium cascaded on to him was quite shameful. Sexton made exactly the same error in the same game. That was o.k.apparently. Sexton missed a simple penalty in 2013 v. the ABs that would almost certainly have won the game. Sensibly there was no real finger pointing over it. Oddly, the missed kick is from an area of the field on the right from which he has uncharacteristically missed a few.

Quite simply put, Sexton is playing fine rugby, is our best 10. If this is still the case in 2023 he should be our RWC 10. Looking at the pack of 10s behind him is a little disconcerting. It is a pity that Carbery looks a bit adrift at the moment. Ross Byrne is a very good player but has 2 significant gaps in his game. He lacks the acceleration and speed of a top 10 and seems reluctant to attack the line and bring players on from there. I keep hearing about Harry B. and how high his ceiling is. How do people know that. Is there a crystal ball shop somewhere that specialises in the future development of players. We have all read the narrative. "Player A should be picked because he has a 'higher ceiling.' Player B shouldn't be selected because, although he is playing better than player A, his 'ceiling' isn't as high." Player B is always from the other team strangely. Suffering f*ck. Let's hope Harry Byrne produces the goods quickly....or Healy at Munster. WE need to protect Sexton as much as possible while at the same time getting on with one or 2 of the others in green.

JVG reads boards clearly.

Fair play to him anyway

Still should have started Healy last week

That might mean moving from Leinster.

And only Sheehan breathing down his neck too, who looks an animal himself

I think this would be a good plan. And I think it could be a bigger threat to the ABs than going with the veterans.

He was exceptional around the park, but again the lineout was hardly seamless.

He should start for Ireland now, but the lineout needs to be spot on.

Keenan really impressed me. Has he got quicker? His acceleration is really something. For me he is probably one of the first names on the teamsheet in terms of the backs. He is turning into a top top player.

Ringrose was quiet enough, some nice touches from Frawley.

Baird's hands maybe let him down on a few occasions, but he is a huge threat on the carry.

Don't think Stockdale or Larmour are fb material! If Keenan were out I would pick Haley or Addison! Kellerher is a beast, but the line out is yippee? Perhaps that's down to Glasgow having huge men in the pack? Gray and Harley are monsters.

Glasgow are great at disrupting opposition lineouts. They caused havic with Ulster's in the first round.