Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

I'd agree. Centre depth is excellent.

Back 3 has been better.

Take the lions as an indicator we had 2 centres on the tour and ringrose missed out after having been our player of the year in 20 (hemshaw in 21).

We haven't had many back 3 players starting for the lions last year or 5 years ago.

Id say There is potential in the back 3 but it's not worldclass yet anyway.

Certainly is potential in the back 3. Hard to believe how good the options are when Stockdale is out injured. I think the quality has improved at the underage level. I wouldn't think that we lose a lot without the starters.

Really should have know that. Although it just shows the power of the mind. You can erase someone from your memory when you try!

The three-quarter line. not back three...to be specific & pedantic!

It's the level of depth across that line as a unit that is most impressive to me.

I would be equally confident in each of these lineups for sat:

Conway, Ringrose, Aki, Hansen

Baloucoune, Ringrose, Henshaw, Lowe

tiny bit less in:

Larmour, Ringrose, Henshaw, Lowe

& again in:

Baloucoune/Larmour, Henshaw, Aki, Lowe

With the weakest been; Larmour, Hume, Aki/Henshaw, Earls

Keenan can also play wing when needed.

Who is going to be the next 12 to get capped. Moore?

While I agree on the centres would either of our wingers, or even our full back have started for France last week?

I think both teams are evenly matched but they have dominance in the back 3 and 9 positions.

I'd take Keenan over Jaminet but agreed on the wingers, Penaud is the best winger in the world to my mind.

Load of nonsense, Ringrose is well aware that the 2 midfield defenders have been turned infield allowing him space outside.

He tucks the ball to allow the hand off if needed and also for more speed, he sees the gap and backs his pace, top class heads up rugby.

Ringrose is our most gifted player at the moment and probably the best defender at 13 in the world.

NZ tour. Three Tests in Auckland, Dunedin, and Wellington ...as well as two midweek games.

Didnt know that. Māori All Blacks and the other against a Super Rugby side. It appears that the three Tests are slated for Auckland, Dunedin, and Wellington. 

On the basis that he has been in camp already (may have been capped in the summer?) then it should be Ciaran Frawley. However Stewart Moore is building a compelling argument as well.

But let's not forget Chris Farrell or Stuart McCloskey.

I'd rank our centres

Henshaw

Ringrose/Aki

Hume

Farrell

McCloskey

Frawley

But there are some decent options below that as well in Moore, O'Brien, Daly, Curtis and Will Addison could play there as well if needed. Flip even Luke Marshall is still about! Oh and Jamie Osborne coming through as well, maybe at 15 though.

I didn't see the 20s on Friday, but were the centres any use?

So excited for this tour, really think we can do well. I love that 3 series tours have made a comeback over the last few years. Wish the SH teams would do the same when they come North.

So you’re saying a centre with 38 caps, 11 tries, just happened to do the right thing at the right time and scored an excellent try but it was only by luck?

I think the Ringrose "lucky" is a result of us Leinster fans flashbacks to the 2019 European final when he butchered a simple overlap. However, in the context of this match, I think Ryan is the lucky player. He had two outside him to convert a simple score and got try line fever, It ended up being a try a few minutes later but it was a bad miss

lol , Are actual facts not allowed?