Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Might help if the head coach wants to go with a 6 2 split.

The silly mistakes and decision making even when not under pressure was back to the old days of the 90s. Take JBP, Lowe,AKI, out of that side and you have a poor enough side in fairness. Beginning to have serious doubts about Farrell at this stage, last years WC he made some awful decisions and this year the same.

New 10, hansen is huge loss

Keenan out

Ringrose out

That’s a lot of change for the backs and the lack of Sexton plus Hansen plus Ringrose started to look like it in end

Crowley is only 10 caps in or so and he is going one direction, give him a SA tour and a AI before next 6 nations and then he will feel like he owns that positikn

Stick back in Ringrose and Hansen and it will improve but we can’t stand stil, every team in World is after Ireland and looking to shut them down. A change in plan might be called for as Joe used to do…

Ireland look laboured and inclined to run up blind alleys rather than the slick, fast, clever and devastating plays we have become used to seeing. Good v. France but declining in each game since.

That's my stat :-)

I remember watching the first season Italy joined and we thought it was great becuase we wouldn't win the wooden spoon every season anymore, that was the ambition of Irish rugby, some change in such a short time frame

Also from a 6 nations point of view I think it was Gerry THornley who pointed out Ireland have been the most consistent in terms of finishing in the top 3 for a number of years now....France etc have all dropped in and out

Strange game yesterday. We were the much better side in my opinion but execution just not on the level it has been over the last 2 years which is understandable in my book.

It's been a strange 6 nations as is sometimes the case post a world cup cycle. There hasn't been a single game this tournament where I thought we played anything like we have in the build up the world cup. The players are not anywhere near the physical levels they reached. There is also the factor that Leinster are also in the midst of a transition which will have some kind of affect on the Ireland team.

It's easy to forget just how good Johnny was and how much he made us tick in attack. I've kept my thoughts to myself on Crowley thus far. He had a good game vs France but I think he's been only ok in the remaining games and that's more than acceptable at this point. He's very talented and he's earned the right now to grow into the role but I don't think he's the mortal lock of Irish starting out-half at the next world cup that some seem to think is the case.

There is going to be a decent amount of upheaval in the squad I think over the next 12 months. We are in a great position compared to every other team in the 6 nations. There is some serious talent coming through at Leinster in particular. Will be interesting to see what's going to happen now post Mike Catt. Our attack has been sensational at times under him.

F**k that is harsh, he hasn't even played 15 international games yet and Sexton was 50 games in and people still called for him to be dropped

Give him about 20 caps and then we can make a call on him at least, seems a few people are willing to throw him under the bus

THis is his first full season at 10 for both club and country. Last year he spent much of the season playing other roles for club and was only around the squad for Ireland. Playing a few mins in games in WC of course but now he is number 1

It will also take some time for the players around him to get used to him compared to playing with Sexton, some of the plays it looked like the players suddenly expected a move Sexton would play and forgot Crowley was 10, especially under pressure, This is natural after so long with Sexton but so little time with Crowley running the 10 role.

At this stage we seem to have a number of options at 10, Crowley and Harry seem to be the two going for the 10 slot, Frawley as the bench option. Not a bad group of players.

Most people, including me, seen this tournament as one to get a second, bring in Crowley etc and move forward. We have a win and people are complaining.

By the way Ross Byrne is a quality player, a guy who has ran the ship for many seasons in Leinster and I wouldn't change him. People seem determined to downgrade him based on his faults and not what his positives are, a common issue I find, but he has plenty left and I personally hope he continues to show those positives for Leinster moving forward

Look at the points difference, we scored 6 more tries than anyone else. We conceded 6 fewer. We are the best team in the N. Hemisphere. We used 32 players. Replaced Sexton. For me I don't get all the negativity.

Blooding players to get 2nd Clo-Clo suggests is financial sabotage. IRFU earned €3M more winning Six Nations yesterday. That's the money needed to keep the provinces with best players & coaches.

The summer & maybe Autumn series is when to try new players

My opinion of Crowley is clearer now than post France. Wasn't impressed then and certainly not now. Has massive work to do to threaten the line and actually add to our attack. He was totally ineffective at 10 yesterday and a large part in the failure of our attack yesterday. Maybe he will come good but jury is out for me as to whether he will be able to adapt. Harry was in for what 10 mins, and made a horlicks of a tackle so impossible to judge. Needs a run there and considering the way Crowley has been playing I think Farrell missed a trick not giving him a start.

I didnt suggest to blood players by the way, I said that is what people want. The 6 nations keeps the game alive in Ireland and throwing it as some people suggest will have long term ramifications. What Ireland managed to do was bring in new players while winning the competition and people still complain

Plus winning means young kids want to play, the 1990 soccer pushed players like Robbie Keane to play, the players ew have now is because of the success of the BOD teams etc. My motto which I have robbed from molecast, for Irish coach is "win today, win tomorrow"