Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

I'm reasonably optimistic about the season ahead.

I think if the Porter/Kelleher/Furlong front row pays off then we will have one hell of a foundation to play off.

We are developing an outstanding pack and forwards win matches. The front row above plus Cian Healy is very exciting, when we do manage to get both Henderson and Ryan on the pitch at the same time it usually coincides with our most physical performances. We have two Lions in Beirne and Conan in the back row and there are arguments about whether they'll even get into the team with the likes of Coombes and Doris around. Also, and I know he isn't back in the squad yet, but a fully fit and performing Dan Leavy could be very significant.

The backs are probably less star studded than they have been in the past. A lot of them are quite direct runners, it would be nice to see a centre with a low centre of gravity and genuinely good footwork emerge from somewhere. Can Ringrose rediscover his mojo?...a run of games without injury will give him the best chance. Zebo can bring something different to the back three, perhaps Robert Baloucoune can as well, but I reckon our backs just lack a little bit of sparkle at the minute.

But if the forwards dominate, Sexton plays well and stays fit and the backs run hard and defend well then we will win a lot more than we lose this season. Beyond this year as we need to replace Sexton it becomes less certain, but I'm an optimist and have a feeling someone will step up eventually. I've had the pain and pleasure of watching Ireland since the late 80s and certainly since the days of Elwood there has always been concern about who would replace the incumbent out half, and someone ALWAYS comes along.

A RWC semi final for us is kind of like what a Premier League title was for Liverpool.

The Champions League is probably harder to achieve (grand slam)

But we've done that and experienced that twice now, but winning a world cup knockout game is something we've never achieved and for us right now winning a knockout game at a RWC would be much sweeter because although it may be easier, it's something we've failed to do at every attempt and finally getting over the line would be very special.

So even though I'd say a GS is harder, if given the choice I'd take a RWC semi-final.

Getting to a SF can be a harder thing to achieve. It can also be easier. As has already been said, it is all draw dependent. A SF exit from the RWC is, for that reason, no more or less meaningful than a 2nd or 3rd place finish in the 6Ns.

Anyway, you’re focusing on the glib, throwaway remark in the post and ignoring the substantive part. Not falling as far as everyone else is a positive. Being able to maintain a level of consistency that nobody else has been able to achieve is a positive. None of that means opening up the champagne and celebrating, but things don’t have to be so polar. We can find positives in situations that aren’t fully positive.

Genuine question for all the people who are so critical of Farrell.

Do people think he's unaware that having a 36-year old as your first-choice OH two years out from the RWC is not ideal?

Like, Farrell isn't sticking with an aging, concussion-prone pivot because he wants to. He's doing it because he has no other option. It's not his fault that so many 10s have come, turned out to be shyte, and gone again.

We have Carbery and Byrne in the squad now. Like all younger/inexperienced guys, they need to show that they can step up. Farrell has shown that he'll reward new guys who can deliver. That's what his critics can't (or don't want to) see. If we had someone at 10 who was remotely on the same plane of existence as Sexton, he'd be getting the jersey, but we don't.

As flawed as Carbery is, he's still the best hope. He got two starts in the summer and I would hope he'll get one against Argentina next month too.

Same arguments at scrum-half. I like JGP but he's a million miles off the quality of Murray. Same goes for any of Marmion, Cooney, Blade or McGrath who have rightly been discarded.

He took a lot of flak for persisting with Healy, and here we are on the verge of seeing a Lions tight-head being shifted over to LH and no-one gives a f**k because no one wants to give the guy any credit.

Rugby is the third biggest game in Ireland. Up till relatively recently it was the most popular game in Wales. We both have 4 professional teams. In terms of the professional game there is little or no difference in resources. The only real difference is the provincial structure in Ireland works better.

Totally agree with this.

I've no doubt the out half succession situation causes Farrell a lot more stress than any of us given that his livelihood may depend upon it.

This summarises nicely the issue with the current discussion.

The guy who was picked for the Lions tour, was briefly tour captain and played in all three tests, is the fifth or sixth best SH behind a load of lads who are Pdecent at Pro14 level and no more?

That's bananas. Madness.

Farrell has done the right thing in casting aside the journeymen so that Casey can get the benefit of being in the squad. I'm optimistic Doak can continue his trajectory and JGP will fade out. Giving more caps to the likes of Marmion or Blade is even worse than giving them to Murray.

Ridiculous! Marion and Blade are both in top form and that form deserves to be recognised. Remember that Marmion has also played on the wing (more than capably) for a good chunk of a test against the All Blacks.

That's like saying that Sexton should have been dropped six years ago because he was 30.....