Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Wasn’t a lesson after the last World Cup that the 3rd choice Carty had never started for us before the game against Japan?

Jack Crowley is 23 in 2 months. He‘s physically developed enough for profesional rugby and looks like a good enough and confident enough to do as good of a job as Carbery has been turning in. Give him a chance. I think he’ll swim and we need options at 10 urgently.

Let's see how it goes against Australia but overall so far I couldn't be happier with this series of matches. The performance against SA was very good. Losing Murray and McCloskey, who had both been brilliant in defense, after half an hour at 3-3 might have been a bigg blow. A word for Murray, he covered a huge amount of ground in the passage after he got injured before play stopped. It was touchline to touchline for a lot of phases in real discomfort but he got to the rucks and made good passes every time.

The match was a battle and Ireland handled it well, South Africa's shooters destroyed our passing patterns in the first half but we looked very comfortable in broken and turnover play, that's happened over the last 2 years. Sexton wasn't allowed to dominate the game at all and we won the match because of that heads up facility. This SA team might have strangled us and they'll be better at it come the World Cup. Winning that match while seeing the areas that need improvement was a best possible outcome. Fiji game also very valuable in giving the wider squad a game which showed that while we have good players our depth isn't where it needs to be in terms of performance. I really liked Farrell going a bit Keano on the players afterwards ('some lads won't be happy'), it really wasn't good enough and it raised real question about our depth in onfield leadership. And for Similar reasons Ireland A getting a shellacking from the excellent kiwis was a useful experience for the wider squad.

So everyone talking up France instead of Ireland suits us because the team's mindset needs to be focussed on continuing to improve and build on what's working and fix the stuff that isn't. Ireland aren't the finished article because SA, France and to a lesser extent the ABs, have shown how to beat us. It's more than just refining and fine tuning a system, which is where we were going into the 6N before the last world cup.

The experience gleaned for some of the lads will be invaluable. I think that was Timoneys 1st start? So he's been involved for a while now and he knows the systems. I wouldn't be bothered at all if he got game time in the 6nations. Same goes for Casey! I'd like to give him a run out this week. He needs the minutes and experience. These 2 are in no way world class but, they can raise their games with opportunities. Ithink Loughman gets into the squad this week. He is becoming a very good player. Deegan too could play this week, a start for him would be ideal to see where he's at.

This week there was Lougjman, Ringrose, Carberry and Timoney all who played u20's for Ireland in 2015. I mention this as I think that years squad was fairly meh. That's good output for a u20 side!

Ehhh, wow. That's too many losses for us to cope with imo, though having said that who knows what Aus will show up.

Also shows the cost of a match v the Springboks...

Carbery and JOB got head injuries against Fiji, Henshaw didn't even play against SA. Vdf and Keenan were carrying injuries already. And if we were worried about Ryan and Sexton picking up knocks, we'd never run a training session let alone a test match.

Be grand, I'd expect nearly all of them to line out against Oz. The HIA guys probably won't.

Hansen, Sheehan, Capuozzo and Arundell are the shortlist for the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year.

I'd give it to Sheehan, but it's most likely going to the Italian.

It shouldnt be but like you said for political reasons he probably will win it. If there was any justice it would go to Sheehan.

Do you not regard Grand Slams and championships as trophies? I do - they're well worth winning in their own right as winning the world cup will be very, very difficult. I wouldn't put reaching the final, or indeed the semi final, as more important than winning either or both next year.

Obviously there isn't really any concern over Sexton.

Expect Aki to slot straight back in but it would be very harsh on McCloskey.

Rough for Frawley.

Wrong thread