Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Oh my god way to miss the point.

Nobody is saying Carty is better than Sexton.

It’s really too far away to worry about, the players need to perform for their province to a high enough standard to overtake Sexton.

I think it’s a bit ageist to keep banging on about a player’s age and ignore his form.

Same with Earls.

The extra-long pre-season might have given them a boost.

Right now we should be thinking about doing our absolute best that we can against New Zealand, and rightly or wrongly I see Japan as a warm-up match for the team that will take on NZ.

Like every match against NZ, we absolutely should select the best team available, forget about blooding players.

the Argentina match is that opportunity.

I’d be telling the players that if they perform over the Euro’s and the URC fixtures they will get an opportunity in the 6N’s, and again for the Summer and Autumn series next year.

plenty of time left.

still have another 6N’s after that and a warm-up series before the RWC to get primed for that.

Andy Farrell ignored form when he selected Carbery over Jack Carty

Ok hear me out I'm going to try to explain this as best I can

At some point in the next 2 years, it might be a month from now, it might be a year from now or 2 years from now..

one of 2 things is going to happen.

Sexton is going to pick up an injury and miss a big game, simply because he's old and injury prone, it's just inevitable

or his form is going to fall off a cliff, because that's what happens when you're that age, look what happened to ROG.

and when that happens, somebody is going to have to take the reigns. And that person is going to be inexperienced and undercooked.

Well if thats all the case Farrell better hope Ireland perform versus NZL as if they go out with a whimper after wasting this Japan test on playing a team of pensioners then god help him is all ill say.

It isnt a big assumption, any team that has any aspiration of doing well at a RWC should be assuming they get out of the group.

H Keenan; 25

A Conway, 30

G Ringrose, 26

B Aki, 31

J Lowe; 29

J Sexton, 36

J Gibson-Park; 29

A Porter, 25

R Kelleher, 23

T Furlong; 28

J Ryan, 25

T Beirne; 29

C Doris, 23

J van der Flier, 28

J Conan 29

There are 3 players 30 or above in the starting 15. Sexton is the obvious problem. But if you start a different 10 and they have a stinker then you are also severely limiting the benefit for all the other backs. Playing Sexton helps the rest of the backs get up to speed also.

I would encourage people who say "Carty isn't remotely good enough for test rugby" to go and watch the Japan game at the World Cup (it's on youtube)

The guy plays well and couldn't be less the reason we lost that game.

And even if you don't rate the alternatives, that's largely irrelevant because one of them is going to be leading us into the RWC.

He also came on against France and played well and started v Wales and played well.

The guy who came on for him v Japan was visibly poorer and Carty played that same guy off the park in Limerick a few weeks ago

If we're not picking Carty because he "isn't international quality" than by that logic Sexton should be the only 10 in the squad

OH at the moment isn't great but we are still 2 years away from the world Cup, you want to play Carty as you think he's number 2 but the truth is after Sexton the pecking order changes each week as none of the others are showing any consistency. Carty has had 2 good games so he's flavor of the month.

Japan match was always going to be a prep match for the NZ game due to lack of matches. NZ would be a huge plus for Farrell who was always going to go full out to win(which I think we will).

Any experiments were always going to be USA(cancelled) and Argentina. NZ was always putting his choice best team out as this is the big prize and Japan was always going to be the build up to get a bit of consistency together.

Gas thread this............

If I was coach and trying to solve the 10 riddle for now and the World Cup Cycle here is what i'd do.....

Sexton starts if fit in big games - he is our best out half period but for games like Japan and Italy in the Six Nations I'd be looking at resting Sexton and keeping him for NZ Big Six Nations Fixtures etc etc and also where it allows giving the sub out half a good 30 mins.

For me you have to be thinking about which outhalves you take to the world cup - they will take three.

For me you have Sexton (if he plays on) and then behind that you have two hugely talented youngsters in Harry Byrne and Healy. You then have Ross Byrne as a steady eddie backup who never lets you down. I personally don't think Carty, Carbery or Billy Burns are long-term solutions or have the talent to play as an international 10. Carbery is out of position for me - he is a 15. The other two I just don't think are good enough.

I would try and let Healy and Harry play off against each other for the sub 10 (behind Sexton) safe in the knowledge that you have both plus Ross Byrne as backup.

Yes you keep an eye on Carty and anyone else but right now that is how I see it.

Just an opinion and gut feel on inherent qualities I see in the players.

This problem to be frank has stemmed from having who I think has been the best 10 Ireland has ever had (by a very comfortable margin) and one of the genuine greats at 10 in the modern game (Sexton, Wilkinson, Carter, Barrett for me are the great 4 modern 10's). Not having a clear backup path is a side effect of this as Sexton is literally on a different planet to the other 10's we have (and we ain't that badly off).

If japan is a warm up for NZ then james Lowe shouldnt even be a water bottle carrier this weekend.

I dont have an issue with sexton playing against japan, but it would be more beneficial to the squad to have him on the bench and give him 30 mins.

Any team that has aspiration of doing well at a world cup will have a squad that can compete not just a first 15.

The 10 is always responsible for our losses, except when the 10 is Sexton.

Still find it laughable how Carty is scapegoated for the Japan loss yet Sexton is given a free pass when he played a huge roll in our **** show of a performance against NZL, any other 10 would have been crucified if they made even half the mistakes Sexton made in that game.