Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

I’d like to say it was nice while it lasted. Though In truth it genuinely wasn’t. Goodbye.

Also paddy Jacksons just not good enough to get imnewr the England squad currently nonsense conversation

Yawn. Coersations done he's not going to play internationaly your not going to change that arguing with guys on the Internet I'm not sure what your goal is

Conversations about players who may actually play for Ireland

It's the Irish team thread. It's literally called ireland team talk

Except its not somethign a rival is or will do

I'd say there's a paddy Jackson thread buried about 3-4 years ago it'd be more relevant there

Someone is trying to be edgy today, if you want to discuss Paddy Jackson start a thread on him.

I dare you.

This will get a lot of likes, posts like it always do but trying to draw some kind of comparison between the 2 is as disrespectful as anything Richie has said imo

Not even a hint of a squad yet, very unusual.

So England announced 6 new caps.

How many, if any, do we think Andy will announce today?

Can't see there being too many.

Is Coombes capped? Can't remember if he played in the summer or not, but I'd expect him to be there. Maybe a second row? Hard to see Ahern getting in if he isnt playing for Munster in Europe. Niall Murray maybe?

In the backs, could we see Jack Crowley called in? I doubt it. I think the 10s will be 3 from Sexton, R.Byrne, Burns and Carty, but I can see an argument for Crowley.

Outside backs...Frawley (again can't remember if he was capped in the summer) should be there or thereabouts and I really hope Lowry gets picked. Mack Hanson (is he fit) and Ethan McIlroy may be possibilities, not sure Jimmy O'Brien has played enough recently, but he may be part of the conversation.

Anyone else?

I reckon of the above Coombes, Frawley and Lowry get in.

Edit - just checked and Coombes did get capped in the summer...my bad...

Coombes was capped in the summer. Frawley was only in the squad in the Autumn but didn’t get a cap. I don’t really see too many debutants involved. We’ve a good few guys with single digit caps still. But we will probably see a few in there in a development capacity so Farrell can take a look. Doak, McIlroy and possibly someone like Prendergast.

The fact that there will be a bunch of guys with single digit caps and more with less than 2 years in test rugby won't stop a bunch of posters losing their **** over the lack of uncapped players. Farrell will be criticised for being conservative.

Fair enough...my bad use of the English language

"On another note, I think Kilcoyne is a better option to back up Porter than Healy. To me, Healy looks labored and slow and has lost his power and explosiveness."

People have been saying this for literally years about Healy and it crops up every single season without anything really to back it up.

Healy is undoubtedly not the carrying, physical force he was 2009-2013. But he is pretty much the exact same player who came back from near retirement in 2015. Once his nerve issue settled down and he sorted out/ compensated for his handling issues associated with that he's been amazingly consistent.

Over the last 6 seasons Healy has been one of our most consistent players rarely getting bested in the scrum and carrying in traffic for incremental gains all the while being ever dependable in defence.

He's not the same player that was heir apparent to the 1 shirt for the Lions in 2013 or sitting McCaw on his arse. But the notion that he's slowing down or past it isn't backed up by any real evidence other than the fact he's 34 and in peoples mind that's when players should start slowing down

I don't think a player that can switch over to tighthead more than adequately (including winning penalties) at 34 can be considered someone whose laboured or losing power.

Our years with Healy are numbered and it's only a matter of time before he falls down the pecking order. But if Kilcoyne (only 1 year Healys junior) was the man to do it he'd have done it by now.

All

Al the dates and TV coverage.