Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Frawley has a lot of strengths and did very well in NZ considering his lack of game time. He’s big, very good defence and a running threat. Great place kicker too. He can only improve.

I would have agreed about Bryne, before the HC final. He was atrocious when he came on, and played no small part in the losing of the match.

he was poor in fairness but sexton had made a few mistakes before he went off too and the momentum had definitely swung in LR's direction

id argue the ref not having any bottle lost the game for leinster much more than any of either sexton or RB's mistakes though tbh (and thats coming from a massive munster and o gara fan) - how LR only got one yellow is beyond me

What's holding the current crop of lads back is their ability. Plain and simple.

The idea that Healy is only second choice at Munster because IRFU insist on it is the greatest load of nonsense.

Eh? How is it revisionism? Carbery started the 2016-17 season in incredible form.

As for Burns, he's a grand player but saying things like he's the second best we have and it's not even close is way over the top.

The idea that Carbery is there purely on the basis of sunk costs doesn't really hold up. Farrell took over in November 2019. Carbery played his first game for Farrell in July 2021. Is it really logical to think that he just discarded nearly two years of other out halves playing and training for him, because Joe had put a lot of time into him?

Simplest explanation is usually the correct one.

Well that's the thing about Carbery, he gives his understudies plenty of chances.

IIRC Healy started two pool games in Europe this season and the away leg in Exeter, plus numerous URC games.

And yet here we are.

this +1

ehh........youre kinda reinforcing my point? carbery gets straight back into the team without earning it

carbery gets straight back into the team without earning it

Carbery gets straight back into the team because no one takes their chances while he's gone. Ben Healy sure as hell didn't.

Except Healy and Crowley have a massive handicap of playing in the current Munster set up.

The IRFU had absolutely ZERO to do with him in the 22 shirt in Leinsters HC and play off games that season - its been confirmed a number of times that this isnt the case, im pretty sure either rob kearney or schmidt (or maybe even both) said it in their book(s). leinster had RB as their second choice 10 in euro all year and suddenly hes not in the squad come the knockout games? cmon, it has to be obvious to even the most diehard supporter of carbery at 10......

and the versatility thing doesnt really hold up too well either tbh seeing as most leinster squads at the time were stacked with 15s - QF nacewa, lowe SF and final nacewa, larmour, henshaw (at a push) - so they were well covered since nacewa by himself basically covered the whole backline

and byrne covers centre too, either himself or by moving sexton to 12

there was union meddling going on

Joey wasn't ousting jonny - it was even further than that though, leinster knew he and they were much better served with JC at 15. ive seen almost nothing for munster to suggest that cullen and lancaster were incorrect in this view

Well, it looks like Carberry is the heir to the throne. I wouldn't think he's going to hold it for long, mind. He's not very good! He wouldn't get a glance if he was English.

Our other out half are bang average at best. The one lad I think can get to the requirements needed is Healy. It's troubling that our 10's cannot raise their standards.

At the risk of controversy Ill say that I thought Carbery played fairly well in NZ. I know he didn't start and the first test was not very impressive (that tackle) but particularly in the third test he did fairly well. Several of his moments could just as easily have come playing at 15 and he never gave the impression that he was ready to really take a game to the ABs from the kick off but I was left thinking that he'll come home from NZ in a much better state of mind and with some confidence. Regardless he is still the default #2 but I really hope he progresses or we will be having this same conversation for another year and a half.

They'll drop him when he's no longer the best option available to them. The previous regime would have done the same.