Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

If I was Farrell I would play that 80 minute performance from last night and show the Irish players today if they are soft this is what will happen.

I think it will come down to how we deal with SA's physicality. We know they will come and try dominate in this area but what we must do is not lose our head as from looking back at our matches against big sides over the last 3 years it wasnt the actual physicality that cost us points it was the stupid mistakes we made from braindead decision making that cost us. No dropping the ball in our own in goal area, no stupid intercepts, being able to do the basic at ruck time etc...this is the kind of stuff that cost us tries over the years in these matches all from losing our head.

I had without doubt the worst hot dog in my life at the Leinster Munster game. And paid a tenner for the privilege. We were late arriving so couldn't get anything before. They're thieving bastards

You'd be better off waiting until after the game to get food. Walk back towards the city centre. The Square Ball and the Gingerman are far enough away that you won't get much post match traffic.

Not sure we ring the changes for next week but there should imo be some rotation.

Change the front row, start Conan, start JGP, rest Sexton, and start JOB somewhere.

That sounds like ringing the changes but I think it might be the right balance.

I'd say 5 or 6 changes, its not just about giving peoples caps but also seeing if they seamlessly can fit into the first team. We saw in 2017 why making wholesale changes against Fiji is not always the wise call.

Australia haven't been great recently, but they've taken the game to France in Paris. Unlucky not to win.

They'll be a huge threat against Ireland. We'll need as many front liners available as possible. But we also can't afford to completely rotate out the side for Fiji either. They're monsters in contact.

The biggest worry isn't the props. My biggest worry is that there is no way a 38 year old Sexton survives all the pool games and is fit for the QF. Unless Frawley or Crowley come on hugely in the next year we're shagged in that regard. The drop in standard to our 2nd choice fly half is nuts. That's testament to how good Sexton is. And an indictment on how the incumbents are currently not at the races. That's what worries me. Not Finlay Bealham and Cian Healy.

“The boys just kept fronting up, the pack were outstanding and the centres, some of their D was amazing. We gritted it out, and that’s a very pleasing thing to say after playing South Africa.”

Sexton summed it up nicely. Shove it up your arse Erasmus!!

Ringrose was immense in defence and when Sexton went down he stepped up.

I tip my cap to O’Brien. To be parachuted in and then having to play outside centre against SA…on your debut! He’s a WC squad contender now!

vdF, Beirne - World player of the year take your pick.

Brilliant Test match

This evenings game just cements in my mind that Hugo Keenan is a special player. This was his first game of the season and he was so, so good. Pivotal in Hansen's try. Fielded the initial South African bomb then popped up a few phases later to straighten the line, draw a defender and put the attack through.

I think he's the best 15 in the world right now.

He's been super, his consistency is incredible. Watching him in space is a joy, those subtle things he does, like shifting his line just before catching the ball, his long passing.

Doris is a bit like Heaslip in that unless you are watching out for him it might seem like the game was passing him by but in actual fact he’s putting in a shift and doing lots of grunt along with the few highlight reel moments.