Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

So... this is a problem? Should the other provinces get dibs first on the schools talent. It's funny that this argument relates to the schools when the pathway to pro rugby is changing. Furlong and Frawley are good examples. Aitzol King another. I get the point of the advantages for Leinster. Surely, these school kids should not be held to a different standard. Should we ban school trained players from playing at Leinster? I know the resources are not there at the other provinces. How is this the fault of the Leinster school system? What's the answer?

Ben Healy would rather go to Edinburgh than play for another province. Who's to say that the Leinster players wouldn't feel similar? Karl Martin went to France. So did Will Hickey, Wales in his case. It comes back to forcing lads to move?

Coombes has 5 years on Conan, its shaping up to be a natural replacement at the moment and looks to be a mater of when not it.

And literally no-one is saying that the coaches decisions cannot or should not be questioned, but that is what people on the other side of the debate to you are being accused of.

I’m excited to see Penny in camp, personally I think he’s past due a call up, while I’m really enjoying Hodnett’s performances lately I’d prefer that he keeps motoring away with Munster for now.

He’s getting great exposure at the moment for Munster, and it opens a door for Connors to get a couple of starts for Leinster while Penny gets experience training with the Irish coaches.

Timoney should feel aggrieved, I really think he’s a great back row, but unfortunately for him Ulster are going through a terrible run lately and he’s not shining through, and in all likelihood it’s equally a kick up his backside as it is a casting the net wider to get a closer look at another quality option.

I suppose what’s on everybody’s mind is that there will be very few opportunities to get noticed before the RWC squad gets selected, and the door will almost certainly close to anyone that hasn’t already been in an Irish training camp after the 6 nations, barring injuries.

Hodnett’s time will come if he can keep his current level going strong for another season or two.

How many games has Hodnett started in Europe when POM, Coombes and JOD were all available? Hint - it isn't an impressive number

So the core of argument on minutes is based on the pure luck of the players ahead of him being unavailable for european games

I think you make good points. Within Leinster there are also imbalances, which partly relates to the hype machine around certain players in the big schools. JVDF, from unfashionable Wesley, was very much seen as second/third best when Dan Leavy emerged (who to be fair did have one good season) as well as Max Deegan - both from Michael’s.

They absolutely are saying this selection is damaging, especially because they are using it as evidence towards 'a trend' that is only real when people put their blinkers on and ignore when the shoe is on the other foot when it comes to camp, first team selections, and even central contracts.

I agree it is impossible to know what the implications are regarding selections, however I completely disagree to suggest that we're heading towards some doomsday scenario for Irish rugby. It didn't happen when the Irish starting team was mostly Munster players, it isnt going to happen now.