Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

I wish people on here would stop conflating what a few overexcited posters on boards want with what the actual wider supporter base want, or certainly what the players themselves want.

This idea that everything is utterly broken and we have to tear it all down and start again is a complete fallacy. I personally would have brought Coombes into the squad this week, and I'd like to get a closer look at O'Toole and Timoney at this level too. I wouldn't have started Sexton because of the concussion concerns.

But the idea that we need wholesale changes is nonsense, not least because we don't have an extensive amount of quality to replace players with.

On this point I think we just see this entirely differently. For me, guys who struggle at a URC level or who aren't shining at that level do not warrant inclusion into the highest form of test rugby, just to see if they might possibly be able to hack it.

Obviously some guys are in tougher situations, where they can't always elevate themselves above the performance of the team, but I do still generally believe that a right to start a test match at the highest level has to be earned.

I'm saying this as someone who has said multiple times I would have made some form changes this week; including potentially Coombes, O'Toole and Timoney in the match squad, and starting Carbery at 10 because of concerns over Sexton's health. Also, if not for the unfortunate injuries to Hume and Baloucoune then I absolutely would have wanted to see both of them start test matches here in NZ.

No, I don't think that's the case. Guys who showcased exceptional ability (Ronan Kelleher and Dan Sheehan two relatively recent examples) were parachuted virtually straight into the test team at the highest levels. Sure, Rory Best's retirement was a factor, but there have been numerous examples of guys who've made the leap straight into the test side.

I think Nick Timoney had an exceptional season, and probably deserves a crack, but he's unlucky in that one of the few guys who had an even better season than him happens to be the guy he's competing with in JvDF.

Guys like Harry Byrne & Craig Casey for me are in that latter category, where they haven't as of yet demonstrated exceptional ability to justify being parachuted into a test team. What works for one player doesn't necessarily work for everyone else.

Kelleher made his Irish debut just after his 22nd birthday, which is pretty young for a front row forward. He's been a mainstay in the side (when healthy) since then. I don't see how you are using him as an example here, as to most people he's clearly an example of Farrell actively backing youth.

On Coombes, yeah he's probably a little unfortunate not to have picked up more caps at this stage, but he really only became a regular fixture for Munster from the 2020 season, and as good as he's been, he's effectively lost out to Caelan Doris over the same time period. Doris is actually 5 months younger than Coombes, so it's not a case of an older established player being backed, just a judgement call by the coach, which is his prerogative.

Whatever your views might be on Doris' recent form, it's hard to argue that if you look back over their respective careers that Doris hasn't been the superior player so far on form and performances at this point.

No, I don't believe Ireland under Andy Farrell have been overly conservative in selection.

In his time in charge, he very quickly elevated guys like Ronan Kelleher, Caelan Doris, James Lowe & Hugo Keenan to the Irish side when it was evident they were up to the level required. He has also been proactive in switching Andrew Porter back to loose head.

He identified Jamison Gibson Park as the scrum half he needed to suit his style, when JGP was still second choice at Leinster. He has picked guys like Jeremy Loughman & Kieran Treadwell who aren't first choice for their provinces because they evidently suit the game plan he's trying to instill.

On this tour, 5 players have pulled on an Irish shirt for the first time, including guys like Joe McCarthy who has played very little rugby at a senior level, but shows a lot of promise.

He has shown an inclination to pick on form where applicable, as is evident in his dropping and recalling guys like Peter O'Mahony and James Lowe.

He has given debuts to Dan Sheehan, Ronan Kelleher, Tom O'Toole, Ryan Baird, Gavin Coombes, Caelan Doris, Nick Timoney, Craig Casey, JGP, Harry Byrne, Ciaran Frawley, , Mack Hansen, Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Michael Lowry, Robert Baloucoune, Caolin Blade, Fineen Wycherley, Paul Boyle, James Hume, Eric O'Sullivan, Shane Daly, Billy Burns, Will Connors & Max Deegan. That's 25 new players, plus the 5 uncapped he's brought on this tour.

What he hasn't done, is go for the kind of chaos theory approach you seem to be pining for, of just tossing guys into the wolves as soon as they show a modicum of promise.

On another point; is all of this extensive back and forth that seems to be happening across roughly three different threads at the moment about Gavin Coombes / Caelan Doris?

Because while people seem to be suggesting there is some greater malaise going on here, when asked what specific changes people want to see, they typically only provide a very small handful of examples.