Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Would love to see Frawley get a go, another player who could add a lot to the way we're currently playing.

Also, Sexton pretty much playing as well as he ever has. Mad stuff at his age.

Probably unlikely everyone from yesterday will be fully fit. Can't imagine Earls comes on for Aki if he isn't hurt.

Yeah I get the momentum argument. In all honesty I’m not wedded to any particular approach particularly. If that’s the team that’s named then fine. But for me we still have issues with depth and I’d like to see us put some work into that now.

Argentina aren’t great. They are very physical but they’ve also played 2 in a row themselves with basically the same team. It’s the end of a long season for them so we should be able to beat them without going all out.

I suspect he won’t have to most of the time. Rarely have all 3 fit.

But we can make a lot of changes without fielding a Wolfhounds team as well. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. All of my pack were in the 23 this week. Another 3 of the back line were too. And of the 4 who weren’t there was Henshaw and Zebo. The bench had a good few changes but when they are coming on Argentina should be tiring and they can all bring real impact.

Beyond that there was logic to a number of my selections. The front row were the bench options the last 2 weeks so are a familiar unit. The locks have both played well the last 2 weeks. The back row is effectively just giving Doris a rest. He was very active in close quarters and probably needs the rest.

In the back line the Murray-Carbery partnership is the one we’ve seen close out games the last 2 weeks and are a familiar pairing. Henshaw-Hume is a similar centre partnership to Aki-Ringrose. Zebo is the most similar to Lowe. Can play make and has the canon left foot. In reality the only players we’re really looking at there are Hume and Balacoune. Both have loads of talent and plenty of experience around them.

On the bench I’m looking to give guys game time to develop depth as much as possible. Killer is plenty experienced. Sheehan looks very capable. O’Toole is probably the most dynamic TH option outside of Furlong and I’m hoping the plan is to bring him along on that basis. Baird and Timoney can bring impact, especially against a tiring defence. Casey and Byrne are both guys who can bring real pace to the final quarter which, again based on the assumption that Argentina will tire, could be very effective. Larmour has plenty of experience and can bring real impact if things open up.

So it’s a selection with an eye on development and an eye on winning the game, which I think is how we should be using this game.

I think you're missing my point.

I want us to give 3 or 4 other guys a run this week.

But not 15 all at once.

I want Carbery to start with experienced players inside and outside him.

I want Baloucoune to start in a settled back 3.

I'd like to see Sheehan start in an experienced front row.

I don't want us to throw all the youngsters in at once because it's pointless. It leads to poor disjointed performances and nothing gained.

You have to be smart and balance it.

I think they will make minimal changes to keep the continuity. I think Gibson Park should start with Carbery to give him the best possible chance of slotting into the same game plan. If 10 is the big question, we should change little else to test it.

Yeah I agree with that, its not just to test the players against tier 1 nations but you want to test them playing alongside Irish frontline players. For instance can Balacoune work in tandem with Keenan and Lowe in the Irish back three, can James Hume work with Aki or Henshaw in the centre etc, come the 6N we might be in an injury crisis and might have to throw Hume in there for instance, great young talent but inexperienced at test level, this would be his opportunity to show he can step up to this level. same goes for Sheehan, O'Toole, Baird, Casey etc.

I'm in the fcuk that give it a lash team for this week! Argentina are a good opponent to get fringe lads into tough international rugby!

I'd go with

1. Kilcoyne

2 Herring

3 Bealham

4. Henderson

5. Dillane

6. Beirne

7. POM

8. Coombes

9. Casey

10 . Zoolander

11. Larmour

12. McCloskey

13. Ringrose

14. Balacoune

15. Zeeb

16. Sheehan

17. Porter

18. O'Toole

19. Baird

20. Timoney

21. Murray

22. HB

23. Hume/ Frawley.

Not a young side! Plenty of experience!

What’s with your man McKenna? Does he not like rugby or sport or what?

I would like to use this game to give players who look good at provincial and international level against tier 2 nations as a way of seeing how they function in a first team Irish squad and if they can step up. I would like to see Hume, Balacoune, Casey, Baird (although we did see him in the 6N and he did well), O'Toole get a decent run and ofcourse Sheehan.

MacKenna is not worth listening to on any subject these days. Used to be a good sports writer, but has fallen down the anti everything rabbit hole over the last 18 months.

What's more likely...

52'000 people and another 23 are deluded idiots and he knows better than all of them and when they can be happy...

Or he's a bit ignorant of the history and traditions of rugby?