Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Is it possible to be elite with a fair but average out half? That's one for us post Sexton.

I don't know if it is. We aren't blessed with world class players. So, how does a side compete minus their best player? Unlike N.Z and S.A, we have limited options. Even England have struggled when their 10 is not elite.

No! I'm talking about a top 3 team! I.E, A serious contending side that would be threat to win a 6nations or even a world cup.

I think we could execute our current game plan with Burns and Carty. They have an ability to attack the line that's necessary for it to work. Carbery hasn't shown he can do the same, as evidenced in the Argentina game in Nov.

Watching the highlights, which obviously cut out a lot of the game, Carbery barely features at all. His only notable involvement in a try is stepping in at scrumhalf for a few rucks close to the try line. He hasn't shown an attitude to attack the gainline, or to dictate the course of play to the rest of the team.

That's just patently untrue, both at club level and their too brief appearances in green. They are better readers of the game and more fluent in atrack than Carbery.

It was very generous. He was very good when he was moved to 15 for the last 30mins against a beaten Argentinian team who had a player sent off after 60mins. Before that he didn’t play particularly well and all the tries were scored up front.

It was noticeable at the time that we had more shape in attack when Harry Byrne came on after 50 despite him forcing things and making a few errors.

Carbery has been at his best at 15 where he has extra time, can take the ball in two hands and either take a man on or put a player in space. He’s an instinctive player with an eye for a gap. Organising a backline/attack isn’t a strength which is all the more obvious when he replaces Sexton.

Unfortunately his chance to stake a claim at 15 is long gone. His defence is a big question as this stage. Graham Henry didn’t do him any favours with anointing him as the future out half all those years ago. I think Leo and Lancaster got it right when they saw him as a 15 and second playmaker.

Frawley is the only pretender who has really shown he has the stones for Test level.

Not just that, but I feel he's nowhere near his ceiling yet, such is the rate at which he does improve, game to game. And he's a unit.

I can't wait to him see him get a bunch of game time in the early season, hopefully loads of it at 10.

Hansen did ok this summer but I think that 14 jersey is just made for Robert Baloucoune come November.

Obviously we will never know but I'd say Balacoune almost certainly would have started a test if he'd travelled. Hansen has a playmaking ability though that none of our other wingers have, Lowe does as well but in a different way, but Hansen has a really nice pass.

Hansen has showed a very strong nous for playmaking that I don't think Baloucoune (or indeed any of the wing options) have and it's going to make Mack a pretty difficult player to shift.

Looking at the try from the 3rd test, he draws and gives a sublime skip pass at the perfect time to release Lowe.

He's stepped in at first receiver a lot and you can see from his play he's played 10 at a pretty high level which he did for the Brumbies (this is not me volunteering another player to the tiresome 10 debate btw...)

Given he has pace and a killer instinct for the tryline of his own, I think he's going to be a harder player to get that jersey off than most

It might sound ridiculous to some now but if he can somehow get a injury free season, relatively, I wouldn't be surprised if Tommy O'Brien comes from nowhere and challenges. I personally think he would be an international by now if it wasn't for his horrendous injury run. I agree about Mack Hansen and his play making ability is what edges him the 14 shirt over others but I would still say of all positions 9-15 Hansen's is the one that's truly up for grabs if enough players show some good form, if he can somehow find his 2018 form Stockdale could challenge for the 11 shirt but it's difficult to see Lowe being ousted bar a long injury spell.

The jersey is definitely Hansen's to lose.

Farrell doesn't seem to be hugely enamoured with Baloucoune

As an Ulster fan, I'd love to see him in there but I think Hansen's solidly first choice (although I suspect Baloucoune's defence is better).

I wouldn't put players like Keenan,Aki or possibly Ringrose in the same category as Hansen in terms of being able to create opportunities for other players. So I completely understand the attraction of fielding him.

Don't think Farrell is particularly enamoured with Larmour either... he seems to prefer the winger who comes infield and gets involved rather than the guy who's going to score from 60 metres out.

He obviously sees something in Baloucoune but there's a disconnect between his selections and posters thinking he'll be the starting wing.