Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

I don't think Farrell is ruthless enough to cut sling with poor coaches. POC should've been fired after the WC, our lineiyt contributed significantly to our loss imo. Likewise Goodman has shown nothing to suggest he's worth retaining. I was very critical of Catt after his first season, and obviously we came good, but I don't have confidence that Goodman will deliver. Leinster were poor under him.

Absolutely. If we had two players of similar quality and age as Crowley and Prendergast in every position, things would be very rosy.

I think they took the right approach in starting Prendergast, he was playing better, and he's done well overall. What screwed things up was insisting on a 6-2 split. It practically committed Crowley to having to play out of position

That's rubbish. Crowley has only played 20 mins at 10 in the tournament so far as a sub against England.

Crowley came on for Nash against Scotland for 15mins and played at 15 with Keenan moving to the wing. He came on for Mack Hansen with 7 minutes left against Wales, again playing 15. In both of those games we had a centre (Ringrose & Aki) in the 23 shirt meaning Crowley was selected as utility sub. Crowley got 24 mins against France at 12, as a replacement for Aki. Again, we chose a 6-2 split and Crowley was never going to play 10 as a result. In those 3 games Prendergast played 80 mins. Given the bench selection for the 23 shirt it doesn't appear if Crowley was selected as replacement no.10 for any of those games. He was picked as utility cover.

His selection at 10 this weekend smacks of desperation to keep him placated. And again we have persisted with picking a single position player in the 23 shirt. This time to Jamie Osborne's detriment.

The selection calls have been very poor. It's hard to argue with facts.

Missing our two wingers and Ringrose, along with Furlong, mean that if France were firing on all cylinders we were in big trouble. Joe Mc brain fart didn't helped but it was further evidence that the cards we are getting are coming from pressure, stress and fatigue that we are not handling as well as we did up until recently. Ten had very little to do with it. France played their best game of the tournament against us and their earlier performances were quality too. That is the situation Ireland are now in, every top team is going to be absolutely on point against us and it's killing us in the biggest games.

Osborne is arguably a better center anyway, ridiculous decision imo

The 6-2 against France was very possibly a reflection of the injury that Doris was carrying and maybe also the 7-1 that we knew France were going with.

He’d be a fairly pedestrian 15.

What I mean to say is, you can't really flip flop between backing Prendergast in the previous games to now backing a total pivot away from that

Let me stop you there.

Go back to any of my posts since the start of the 6N and count how many times I've said I would be happy to see either Crowley or Prendergast starting, how it's a great problem to have, how a case could be made for either of them etc.

You had no problem going back to some fictional bullshit from 2013 to have a pop at me earlier, let's see if you have the balls to go back a couple of weeks, see what I've actually said, and then admit you were wrong. I doubt you do.

The coaches obviously thought Prendergast was the right man to lead the charge for the 6N championship. We are extremely unlikely to win (not because of Prendergast) so now maybe the question is, what can we get from the last match?

Giving a young OH only his sixth start in the 6N (and 13th ever) especially when he's had limited game time up to now? That doesn't sound like a bad idea to me, and it definitely doesn't sound bizarre. I’d go so far as to say it might just even be a good idea.

Hey, it might even give a few of you a reason to cheer for Ireland on Saturday. Who knows, you might even find you like it.

Well, I guess you can do it, but it's hard to take it seriously.

I'm really, really OK with that.

You are being very harsh on Crowley.

Just take a step back and look at what happened him since November.

Started v NZ, replaced after 57 mins by Frawley, it was 13-10, Ireland failed to score after this + lost 23-13.

Started v Argentina, replaced by Sam P after 61 mins, scored try, 3 cons + dg, it was 22-19 when he went off and that's how it finished.

Left out of the squad for the next game v Fiji.

Prendergast handed the start for the next game v Australia, Crowley came on after 65 mins with Ireland 19-15 down, Ireland won 22-19.

Prendergast started v England, Crowley came on after 58 mins when it was 13-10, Ireland won 27-22.

So since the Argentina game he has got 37 mins at 10 out of the following 480 mins. (Prendergast played 443)

With rotations, injury + suspension, only 4 players will have started the 5 games.

JPG - has played all bar 32 mins, Casey was his reserve and he is injured.

Porter has played an average of 70 mins per game, he needs a break

Beirne- the only mins he has missed was a few mins for a HIA.

Van D F. Has played all bar 5 mins, along with Porter & Beirne, they could do with a break before the Champions Cup

It's not Prendergast that has been punished.

Fully agree the outhalf position has been handled diabolically where we now have both players with zero confidence. Prendegast because he has been dropped and Crowley because he's been treated shamefully and entirely overlooked for the No 10. To compound matters they brought him on out of position, barring the England game. By the way he excelled in this game, a point that's lost on many here!!

The current mgmt, excluding Farrell, should hang their heads in shame on how the 6N has gone. What has Sexton contributed???

I really do hope Munster and Leinster meet again this season and Prendegast plays. Munster are hurting now so bad it wouldn't surprise me if they go on to win the Champions Cup

Why should we fear a team that lost 6/7 in a row? Munster are weaker this year but the pschye should always be that we fear nobody. I know the fans will get their hands on tickets and the support could well be 50 50 by match day

Anyways off topic, back to Ireland