Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

What in the world has Stockdale done over the last 4 years to show that there's "not a huge difference" between him and Lowe?

If a Leinster player's form dips even slightly for a few months, people are demanding they be dropped. We saw it with Ryan, Conan, Ringrose and we're seeing it with Furlong currently. Yet Stockdale can do absolutely nothing for 4 years, runs into touch twice and misses an easy tackle leading to a try. While Lowe performs consistently at a very high level, playing a key role in a very successful period for Ireland, scoring vital tries, and yet apparently there's "not much between them"?

The whole Stockdale hasn’t done anything since 2018 thing is rubbish.

He didn’t score as many in 2019 and 2020 but was still making big plays.

Missed all but 1 2021 six nations with injury, was straight back in scoring in the summer of 2021 before missing the rest of that year and 3/4 of 2022

Yes he’s not playing as well as what he was but give him a chance to get full fitness and confidence back

Our wings really wouldn't scare anyone. Stockdale in 2018 scared everyone but, he's not been good since. At least at that level. Every option we have is incomplete! They all have some kind of weakness. In my mind, Hanson is the best wing atm. In saying that, I believe he can get to a higher level as he's still young.

What if Stockdale got held up by a 9 over the try line?

Well under Schmidt it was his kick-chase that was hugely important. Himself and Conway (pity he didn't get back fit in time to get a look in) were both given that role a lot.

It's funny though that your line about being a threat and run-in trys is exactly the kind of point I was making about Kearney a few years ago.

He's also a decent 13 in an injury situation.

I guess in the case of Earls here, it's different to kearney in that there are few people who think he should be in the first team. I could see value in having him in the squad as a leader for one of the rotated games like Romania.

"A Leinster player can play poorly for multiple games and some fans want other players to play in their place."

Sweet God, the temerity of them.

Stockdale isn't in near as good form as Lowe currently, and is deservedly behind him in the pecking order. I would not at all argue with that.

But "Lowe has been very consistent since 2019" is just literally wrong. He was dropped, fully fit, for the last game of the 2021 Six Nations because his defence in the first four games was so poor. Instead, Stockdale started and they won against England 32-18.

Stockdale has a lot of ground to make up, and he might very well not manage to do so. But, as a separate issue, the ridiculous airbrushing of posters' favourite players' careers on this forum can be really aggravating. 90% of this forum, I'll wager, remember screaming at their TV watching Lowe ambling back after Johnny May, making zero effort, when England beat us in November 2020. If your parameters of being "very consistent" encompass Lowe being dumped from the team for poor defence during the Six Nations after he'd not long broken through, then fair enough, but it sounds suspiciously like you're just cheerfully spinning a bowl of rugby word salad.

There's a difference between a dip in form and "playing poorly"

I just think it's funny that people have no problem excusing Stockdale of 4 years of blatant averageness, yet Leinster players are afforded nowhere near the same leniency.

Can't for the life of me understand the calls for Earls to go. He's looked absolutely finished physically anytime I've seen him recently. He is really struggling in contact.

It's actually one of the more bizarre scenario's I think. All of Balacoune, Larmour & Nash are considerably better than him now. Conway too but he just can't stay fit.

Appreciate there are other intangibles such as him being a big influence and personality in the camp etc but I do not think he is good enough anymore for top level international rugby.

I do hope he gets his 100th cap though because he is completely deserving of it. Fantastic servant and player.

Where did I say Stockdale has played as well as Lowe in the last four years? Where did I say that he would be a like-for-like replacement for Lowe?

You should direct those comments and statistics to someone who does think those things.

I'm leaving it there - I've nothing to gain from this.

Sorry, I got confused when you said

"the point in making, that you dont seem to grasp,"

I was somehow labouring under the impression that when you replied to my post, and said "you", you meant me. Who did you actually mean by "you"?

He has terrible tackling technique, constantly putting his head on the wrong side. That's just another example of it.

Looks fine to me 🤷‍♂️

(I jest - I actually agree from a player safety perspective that he can get caught in some awkward positions, but I still would not call him a bad tackler).