Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Hansen is unproven while JOB is?

Where does Mack Hansen's moustache rank amongst the greatest in Irish rugby?

Post 1899 & Pre Movember

1. Phil Orr
2. Donal Lenihan
3. Willie Anderson
4. Donal Spring
5. Nigel Carr
6. Mack Hansen?
7. Mick Doyle
8. Des Fitzgerald
9. David Irwin
10. Philip Rainey

Bernard Jackman and Murray Kinsella made some good points on Ireland's attack in the 42 Rugby podcast this afternoon. We don't have the luxury of springing a new attacking shape on our opponents for the Six Nations. We might see refinements and better decision making, but our shape won't change. It will now have been analysed thoroughly by opposition coaches who will set up defensive traps to stifle us.

We caught Japan and New Zealand out last November with how well we shifted the point of attack. Japan weren't up to much anyway, but New Zealand definitely weren't fully ready for the wide game we deployed. Argentina were the last side we faced in that series and even though we thumped them, that was done mainly through our work up front. They did quite well to stop us from getting the ball to the wider channels. They hit up fast in the outside to stop our second receiver distributing to the wing.

We'll need to see further improvements in order to get the best from our outside backs. The other sides will be well prepared for us.

It is stupid! Carberry is not going to take Ireland far in a world cup. Fortunately, Healy and Crowley will be right up his ass in the neat future.

Yes, yes, yes, that's exactly what he said.

I hope you're suitably outraged.

This is strange to me. Ireland brought a new game against Japan. They varied it a little and beat NZ.

Argentina stopped that game and Ireland adapted and beat them in a different way.

So three games and three different ways of playing. One was attacking through the backs, one was through the forwards and one was a mix of both.

For once feel Ireland do t have a set way of playing and can adapt based o the opposition.

Any retractions there now @jimdemp?

Look at the first gif. On first viewing, it is an excellent scramble tackle. Then watch it again and ask, why does he end up in the position to need a scramble tackle at all? Because he's in no man's land when the pass comes out. There's loads of cover but he's marking no-one. He does very well to rescue it, in fairness but he's all over the shop positionally.

I think there's plenty of grounds to think he might be exposed, it's not just about getting stepped by Sheehan... but then Farrell spent years as a defence coach so he should know what he's at.

And if he misses a tackle, so what? He'll work on it and improve, like Lowe did, like Earls did, like they all did.

I’d say people would have an issue with that because it would mean our systems aren’t working. Ideally all our provinces would be using lads born and bred within their own province and be competing at the top with them but that’s an unrealistic thing so we need to prop up in certain areas at certain times. If those players brought in can do a job for Ireland then most won’t have a particular issue with it, personally I’ve no beef with someone who comes, works and pays their taxes here becoming part of the system. It’s maybe not ideal but nothing is.

Eh no?

Was Knox playing rugby in Munster since he was 12? Because Doris was in Leinster.

Stupid analogy