Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

playing these 3 curry cup teams won´t mean diddly squat in the long term. play the lads in real test matches ffs.

But we have too many players on the fringes to play them all in 'real test matches'.

I'm guessing the objective of this tour is to whittle down the chasing pack into those who deserve consideration for the November tests. Even if the opposition is shyte, it gives the coaching team a chance to see these guys up close.

How about we look at a possible squad ourselves? 

Loosehead:

Loughman, Ed Byrne, Milne

The first 2 are guys they want to consider as being in or around the RWC squad. The latter is an upcoming player who the provinces won’t miss.

Hooker:

McKee, Barron, McCormick

We’re pretty well set at hooker with Kelleher, Sheehan, Herring and Heffernan. We might as well take a bunch of promising young lads.

Tighthead:

TOT, Clarkson, Abdaladze

We aren’t blessed with loads of options here. I don’t see Moore coming in out of the cold at this stage. TOT is about the only realistic option behind Furlong and Bealham at the moment. Clarkson and Abdaladze might leave Leinster a little tight there but I’m not sure who else could be in the frame. Maybe McGuire from the U20s?

Lock:

Treadwell, McCarthy, Molony, Whycherley

With Henderson, Beirne, Ryan and Baird having had plenty of time with the squad this group probably makes sense in the short to medium term.

Back Row:

Prendergast, Soroka, Kendellan, Penny, Deegan, Boyle

We’re fairly well sorted at back row with Doris, VDF, Conan, POM and Timoney all looking good. Connors is coming back to fitness and Coombes is injured. Hodnett would be another option for the squad.

Scrum Half:

Doak, Blade

Casey has had plenty of time in camp and probably doesn’t need to travel for this. And like Moore, I don’t see McGrath coming in from the cold either. With JGP, Murray and Casey we are reasonably well covered here.

Out Half:

H Byrne, Frawley

Harry Byrne has been with the squad plenty, but his injury profile and our issues at 10 mean they’ll probably want to work with him a bit more. And Frawleys performances in NZ may have him in the frame for 10 as well. I don’t see Healy going, but Crowley may be in the running too.

Centre:

Tom Daly, Moore, Osbourne, Postlethwaite

We’re in decent shape at centre so the need isn’t huge here. Daly was in last summer, Moore can cover multiple positions and has looked good, Osbourne has been excellent at Leinster a few times now and Postlethwaite could be worth a look after the U20s too.

Back Three:

Balacoune, JOB, Lyttle, Campbell

With Lowe, Hansen, Conway, Earls, Keenan, Larmour and Lowry we have decent cover in the back three. Throw in Stockdale and those are decent options. Like Harry Byrne, I’d say the coaches would like time with Balacoune.

So who does that leave the provinces with then? If the internationals are available (and I’m not up to speed on injury updates):

Leinster 23:

Porter, Kelleher, Furlong, Ryan, Jenkins, Doris, VDF, Conan

JGP, Sexton, Lowe, Henshaw, Ringrose, Larmour, Keenan

Sheehan, Healy, Ala’alatoa, Baird, Ruddock, McGrath, R Byrne, TOB

Munster 23:

Kilcoyne, Scannell, Archer, Beirne, Kleyn, POM, JOD, Hodnett

Murray, Carbery, Zebo, Farrell, Fekitoa, Earls, Haley

Barron, J Whycherley, Knox, Ahern, JOS, Casey, Healy, Daly

Ulster 23:

Warwick, Herring, Moore, O’Connor, Henderson, Reidy, Rea, Timoney

Cooney, Burns, Gilroy, McCloskey, Hume, McIlroy, Lowry

Andrew, EOS, Milasinovich, Carter, Murphy, Shanahan, Madigan, Moxham

Connacht 23:

Buckley, Heffernan, Bealham, Murphy, Thornbury, Masterson, Oliver, Butler

Marmion, Carty, Hansen, Aki, Farrell, A Byrne, TOH

Tierney-Martin, Dooley, Aungier, Murray, Jennings, Reilly, Hawkshaw, Wooton

EDIT: Left out my centres.

I just read one of the article in the 42 on it and it’s saying there will be a number of guys from the last couple of years of U20s who will be going too. It also says that the internationals will be available to the provinces. There is a real chance that this won’t be the big blow to the provinces and the URC that some seem to think.

Of course there’s also still the chance that it will…..

One other angle is that it could be good experience of an away tournament for the coaches.

The more we seem to be hearing about this and the Italian tour, the more it looks like a tour for guys aged 18-22 more than anyone else. I’m sure there’ll be a few older heads in there, but it doesn’t look like we’ll be losing 20+ guys who would otherwise be playing in the URC or anything like that. Hopefully that’s the case anyway.

J think this is a great opportunity for the guys called up. It will cause some disruption to the provinces but that's always the case when internationals are called away.

The squad will get a real sense of what it's like to be in Ireland camp as a main player (not a fringe player or golding tackle bags) and what the requirements are to make it at that level.

It's bound to attract whinging but it's ultimately a very good idea and proactive player development by Ferrell. I hope it gives those emerging players a boost and helps them progress for the rest of the season when they return.

They won't though, because they'll be playing against sub-URC standard teams who they'll each probably put 50 points on. They'll learn nothing about the requirements to make it at the top level playing against that standard of opposition. If it's just about having them in camp, why bother taking them to South Africa? Just get them into camp here and have them play AIL teams.

If they could have organised a 3 test series against an "Emerging Springboks" or "South Africa A" team, that would have been far more beneficial.

I think it a great idea.. strange that AF might not be going himself. But great experience for everyone else coaches, physios, analysts and players involved..

Hopefully they might even be able to revive some of the wolfhound games, even with just the other URC nations during the 6 nations.. especially if the u20 tournament is not played at the same time as the senior 6 nations

I honestly don't see the huge problem. Sh*tting on the league has practically been a full time job around here for a long while now.

Pointing it out is grand, whinging about it as ot it invalidates the point of the tour seems pretty cool around here though.