Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

That is my point - I am in full agreement with you.

Munster made the right investment based on knowing the IRFU support and protection they had and their investment aligned with the IRFU goals that you noted. That doesn't take away from it being a financial drain on the IRFU budget and overall resources that are shared across the other provinces, including those where the IRFU isn't giving them the same type of deal Munster received.

Similarly, the IRFU ongoing investment in central contracts for their best players also aligns with the IRFU goals.

A set of posters claim the latter is unfair but become defensive when other types of IRFU investment and subsidies are highlighted for their provinces.

The simple fact is that each province get some form of special treatment from the IRFU and I don't think the fans of any province would be happy if that changed for a blanket 'level playing pitch' some claim to desire.

I wouldn't even call Thomond a drain, it is the IRFU spending resources on a province that made sense given their unique situation.

It would have been dumb to tell Munster they couldn't get a loan for a ground development for on site they own because it isn't fair on the other provinces, who don't have their own sites suitable for development. Same logic holds for current spending on central contracts.

On coaching, I agree but the IRFU are damned if they do and damned if they dont, especially at the top coach level. Imagine if Rassie had underperformed and the IRFU made Munster push him out the door and he went on to win WCs. They and we would never hear the end of it.

Where the IRFU should have put their foot in more is around the investment in academies, other provinces were far too slow in following Leinster's lead on this.

True but similar could be said for Munster and they squandered it.

Munster had most of the country supporting them for a period of time and were one of the biggest brands in world rugby. With the right facilities, talent identification, partnerships, and coaching they could have pretty easily built on their success.

Leinster didn't 'get away with it', they made the right bet on how to retain and develop their young players, starting even before the '10s.

At the same time, Munster made terrible bets like maintaining two training bases, splitting players, including academy, and coaches. Schools pathway should have also been huge in Munster, they again wasted their window for it.

Yep, I think where this academy negligence from the 2010s is most hurting Munster right now is in the front row where they have a seriously worrying absence of elite props and hookers. They’ve managed to produce quality players in other positions though- Shay McCarthy, Ben O’Connor, Gleeson, Gibbons, Edogbo Jr., Coughlan, Ruadhan Quinn will all turn into seasoned professionals IMO. From the previous crop you have Edogbo snr., Campbell, Ahern, Crowley, Flannery, Ben Healy, Hodnett, Kendellen, Casey -who have all proven themselves at the highest level. But think they’re behind on front row development.

It'll be interesting to see what locks make the Ireland squad for the summer tour if Ryan and/or Henderson don't/doesn't make it back in time. I'd imagine four second rows will be taken, so there would be two places up for grabs behind Beirne and Joe McCarthy.

Baird could travel as a lock, which would open up another blindside slot for Prendergast or McCann.

Treadwell and Ahern would probably be next in line, but I wonder where the Connacht starters, Niall Murray and Joe Joyce, sit in Farrell's thinking. Joyce seems like an effective player from what I've seen, but I haven't watched him week in, week out. What limitations/flaws does he have?

Izuchukwu and Deeny featured for 'Emerging Ireland', but they are probably well down the pecking order currently.

Loving the cheeky ninja edit after full time :P