Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

I think for the Boks we'll need to beef up the pack a bit. Whether that means Coombes coming in, or Beirne shifting to the backrow with one of POM or VDF being an impact player from the bench. Henderson being injured probably makes the former the more likely. But if Beirne was to move to 6, the options at lock to go alongside Ryan would be Treadwell, McCarthy or possibly Ahern. It would be a big ask for McCarthy or Ahern to debut against South Africa. But I'd have no fears over Treadwell starting after how well he went over the summer and his form over the last year.

Anyway, I'd go with something like

15.Lowry 14.Baloucoune 13.Ringrose 12.Henshaw 11.Hansen 10.Sexton 9.Cooney 1.Porter 2.Sheehan 3.Furlong 4.Treadwell 5.Ryan 6.Beirne 7.VDF 8.Doris

16.Herring 17.Loughman 18.Bealham 19.McCarthy 20.POM 21.Casey 22.Crowley 23.McCloskey

Probably but that's my team

i know the general line is to select a bigger pack against SA but i dont see that as a good idea. if we try and take them on with sheer physicality thats never going to work so we would be much better off picking a fast and skillful set of forwards to try and outsmart/outplay them. the pack from the summer has alot of that with a few decent ball carriers mixed in when needed

I'm not saying we should change our gameplan and go after the Boks at their own game and try to take them on physically. I'm saying we should consider getting maybe one bigger body in the pack to prevent us getting bullied. It's not the same thing. Picking Beirne at 6 doesn't prevent us playing our game, it just beefs up the pack a bit. I'd be quite concerned about a back 5 of Beirne, Ryan, POM, VDF and Doris going up against the South Africa pack. I think they'd find it very tough to live with them.

Looks like Beirne has an injury! So if Henderson is out also it would be Treadwell? I think McCarthy will get a shot too. The injuries are piling up.

i dont think adding one extra bigger player would make much of a difference though to be honest, while it would take out one of our best players from the summer. im not saying its a terrible idea but for me its a bit too much of trying to play against their gameplan rather than playing to ours, much as i take your point

and quite rightly imo unless he starts playing there more for leinster

if ringrose/hume are in the 23 jersey and a winger got injured, id personally prefer to bring carbery on at 15 (presuming he's the 22) and move keenan over, think ringrose is too important at 13 and potentially hume would be too

So much of this is about form and Ringrose seems to be off to a flying start this season, but all things being equal is there that much between him and Henshaw at 13?

Right, and Ringrose just blew the lights out on the wing for Leinster, it's not unreasonable to consider whether he might show up on the wing for Ireland if circumstances force Farrel's hand for whatever reason.

agreed, although im not against trying hume out against strong opposition either, ideally from the bench imo