RWC23 Warmups - Ireland v Italy, Sat 5th Aug, KO 8PM - TV: RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, Amazon Prime Video

He's a better bench option than Byrne in any game that Sexton starts.

He'll make the plane, the question is does he start if Sexton isn't available

Both Stockdale and Earls both were pretty poor yesterday to be honest. I'd love to get a proper look at Nash in one of the games. I think he's quality.

In fairness, Coombes has a humungous body of work as an 8 at high level club rugby at least. What you mentioned is essentially Frawley’s entire cv at 10.

i could see him coming as a utility back tho.

In fairness to Frawley it was his first cap yesterday. I think they will have another look at him. Don't forget there is a lot happening in camp that none of us are aware of.Still wide open for the last few places.

Farrell’s reaction (shown on tv) after Earl’s missed tackle led to an Italian try suggests Earls will not get past 100 caps this year.

Does Stockdale get to blame rustiness and get another shot? I’m don’t think he’s ironed out his weaknesses.

Frawley played very well when he sat into 10, including a disallowed try where he beat the defender (something our wingers were failing to do).

Casey was the big winner yesterday. Great to see the urgency he brought.

the hail to OGara brigade (dominant in the media unfortunately) are already talking up the Crowley performance as if it was perfect. Just an example: a high cross field kick when it is earls as receiver against two defenders is a poor call by Crowley even if the beautifully weighted kick lands on the “helipad”. Brilliantly executed but the wrong play. Yes he didn’t mess up, so might make the squad to ensure wins against Romania and Tonga, but he is not putting pressure on Byrne yet (who is more experienced at higher levels and less error prone).

Very disappointing for the coach that so few improved their chances or put any pressure on the first team. He must have hoped for a few late bolters.

True. I would be surprised but honestly i was surprised he even got the full half ij this one. He has never really shown in games what Farrell loves in him. But yea id agree if he is the back up next week at 10, its a live issue.

I think most likely though he probably comes as 33rd man either way. He can play 4 positions.

Let me preface this by saying I don't think Frawley is a particularly good out half and unless he improves greatly, I hope he isn't part of the succession plan for Leinster.

But I have this nagging feeling that Farrell is seeing something we're not.

Like, he called up Frawley for rounds 4 and 5 of the 6N, literally as soon as he was back from long term injury and when he wasn't really needed for cover. That was a week after Crowley had got a grand total of two minutes off the bench in Rome.

Maybe those two things are connected, maybe they're not.

Gah, I quoted @aloooof

Sorry about that, should have been @Ribs1234

But I have this nagging feeling that Farrell is seeing something we're not.

It's quite simple. He sees in Frawley an out-half of near similar stature to himself. Less a case of him analyzing what value this might bring to an extended world-cup squad. More an indirect message to his comparatively undersized biological son that he will only ever see him as a failed end-product of his genetic contribution.

That’s heavy for a Sunday night.

We need Sexton fit and sharp to win the World Cup. If he is, we will win. If not and we have to turn to Byrne, I think he has shown that he's not up to it when the pressure comes on and if we're anyway on the back foot. That we haven't established an alternative for him is poor planning but all irrelevant if Sexton's ready to go.

Do you really think we will win the World Cup if Sexton is fit?

Yes! This is our time. The Southern Hemisphere teams are below the level they have been previously. We're the best team in Europe. We've destroyed New Zealand away from home. We're the best team in the World. I don't see why we shouldn't expect to win the World Cup. The players are expecting to win.