Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

AbusesToilets

made for counter attacking though, which we've shown plenty of ability for.

fitz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120367383#Comment_120367383

And their kicking game isn't that accurate... our back three will punish loose kicking. van Poortvliet's box kicking in particular is going to give plenty of counter attacking opportunity.

Interested Observer

A remarkable stat from this year's tournament: tries conceded

Ireland: 6

France: 14(!!!)

Scotland: 12

England: 18

Wales: 19

Italy: 22

Incredible from Ireland to limit to 6 tries conceded all competition.

blackcard

I had hoped that Ireland would win the 6 nations but there were a number of bonuses.

*Average winning margin of 16 points

*The large number of line breaks we created

*Bealham, Tom O'Toole stepping up to the mark.

*Only conceding 6 tries

*Our scrum holding up

*Conan showing signs of returning to form

*Baird showing he is not out of place

*Consistent performances by Byrne

*Murray return to form

*McCloskey showing up well

phog

Grand Slam winners 🏆🏆🏆

Farrell had this team humming.

mr_edge_to_you

I have haven't always been a fan of how he does things and still have some concerns about how we handle central contracts but was great to see Nucifora in the box beside Farrell as the game drew to a close. He does play a major role in the success of the national team.

Former Former Former

I think one of the most satisfying things is that we won the Grand Slam AND managed to learn a lot about the depth of our squad. Guys like Bealham, O'Toole, Baird and McCloskey made a major contribution that maybe we wouldn't have predicted two months ago.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120375065#Comment_120375065

Yea. McCloskey did great! Bealham also. That was a great sight to see. How about O'Toole? He was brilliant! That's the key, building depth all through the team.

In my opinion this six nations could not have gone any better. We may get knocked out in a RWC quarter final, we may struggle in our pool but we've left ourselves in the best possible position going into the tournament and we've picked up a grand slam along the way. An achievement to be savoured and one which every other team along with their supporters would love to be enjoying right now.

England were never going to follow up the France loss with anything other than an ultra aggressive attempt at a statement and we still comfortably beat them. We've comfortably beat every team this year with a score buffer in the championship minutes of all tests. Remarkable.

Despite this, we were pushed. I'm surprised it took until Scotland for teams to invest huge energy in slowing our start. After the Summer tour and the Autumn internationals I thought it would have been plain as day that you don't let Ireland get a fast start and yet Wales and France did just that. Scotland and England coughed up their last 20 minutes by curbing our enthusiasm in the first 20. Fine by me.

We were nervy yesterday but we were a bit nervy against Scotland too lets not forget. I don't think it was the fixtures, build up and expectations alone - I think it was the intensity with which we were met with in those early encounters that upset our rhythm. Teams got under our skin early doors, were recklessly abrasive and made life difficult but credit to the character of the squad that every time questions were asked they rolled with the punches and then ramped up the pressure when opposition began to wither against the intransigence of our defence.

Only occasionally at our out and out best, regularly under pressure but consistently the better outfit. This is where we want to be going into a World cup - tested, tried and triumphant. With all the firsts for Irish rugby the last while I'm going to wait until were looking up the driveway of the next big challenge before I move on from savouring what Irish rugby has achieved since February. This is as good as it's ever been folks, enjoy it, appreciate it and celebrate it - whatever about golden generations of players, this has been a golden age for supporters.

MattressRick

Sorry if this was asked already maybe yesterday, but why did the untogged players refuse medals? Henderson was first to refuse and then Ringrose followed by the rest who pretty much all made huge contributions to the Grand Slam.

They'll hardly not take medals home with them surely.

pickarooney

The TH position is now Bealham's, IMO and Furlong will have to come back with a bang to win it back from him. Hopefully O'Toole can make the position at Ulster his own.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120375864#Comment_120375864

As a vocal advocate of Bealham and a repeated pointer toer of his evolution into a serious quality international tighthead I will say that his best performances have not reached the level of Furlong's best performances. Furlong was acceptable whilst pretty average yesterday but at his best he is quite likely world no.1 in his position and I honestly wouldn't say that about Bealham as much as I rate the mad Viking.

I'm glad we have them both, and hope they're both fit and firing come September.

foxyladyxx

Strange feel in the aftermath. Disappointed that Ireland didn't play better in the first half. But, look, England were a beaten team towards the end. We won fair and square.

Steward should have got a red and the second offence was lucky not to be red carded also.

Any knock to the head has to be red. No if or buts in the interests of player safety. A professional player knows exactly what he is doing when he leads with an elbow to the face.

In the meantime I will try to savour the win as I now wait for the Under 20 match at 5pm.

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120375817#Comment_120375817

The 23 from the game get medals in the stadium.

The rest get medals after the fact. The extended squad weren't initially supposed to be there or announced for the trophy being picked up.

The guy giving out medals only had one left (for Sexton who as captain was last) when the members of the extended squad were called to join the team for the trophy being hoised and the wider squad pictures but they all walked by him.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120375864#Comment_120375864

In the four months between the Autumn internationals and yesterday's game Furlong has only played 18 minutes of club rugby. A six day turnaround with sixty minutes of intense international rugby back to back was probably just more than his body was prepared for. It's a testament to his incredible fitness that he could even manage it.

I've been singing Bealham's praises for years but a fully fit Furlong is still ahead of him. Finlay is almost he perfect replacement but Tadhg at his best can deliver a little more across all areas of his game and has a bigger engine. Finlay also needs to cut out the one unforced error - a silly penalty or bad pass in his own half - he has in almost every game. With Tom O'Toole starting to deliver on some of his promise, it's a brilliant situation for Ireland to be in.

Neil3030

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120374330#Comment_120374330

You can add Irish tries conceded from 2022 (4) and 2023 (6), which comes to 10.

We'd still be lowest on that list....

stephen_n

What’s the story with Belham, he was still wearing a full brace on his leg yesterday. How long will he be out?

Dubinusa

Congratulations to Sexton. What a fuppin magnificent career.

pickarooney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120375977#Comment_120375977

Furlong has potentially up to 9 games to get back to his best so plenty of time to win his place back. Although if Bealham is that seriously injured...

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120376341#Comment_120376341

He already has his place back.

Maybe there would be a question mark if Bealham had not been injured, I think Furlong would have started this game regardless (though probably from the bench last week). Ultimately an unknowable, but Furlong is again the incumbent.

Neil3030

How many scrum penalties did we concede with Furlong on the pitch yesterday, was it 3?

O'Toole really seemed to steady things when he came on.

Gap between all three of the tightheads is a lot closer than it used to be, imo.

Cosmo Kramer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120375917#Comment_120375917

How deep do they go with medals - is it everyone that made a matchday 23 or are the wider squad credited also?

Are Sexton, Healy and Earls classed as three time Grand Slam winners because they were in the extended squad in 2009? Earls could be a one time Grand Slam winner or a three time winner depending on how it's decided.

Is Osborne counted as a winner even though he's uncapped? Just curious as to how it works. Personally I'd say anyone that made a matchday 23 should get a medal and draw the line there, but that might not be how they do it.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120376987#Comment_120376987

Not a like for like comparison really though, is it?

Not knocking O’Toole in any way, who has held his own at scrum time every time he has come on. He has been a real bright point in this championship.

gameoverdude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120376341#Comment_120376341

There is no winning his place back! Great to have a great couple of backups though.

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120377149#Comment_120377149

I think its players who got onto the pitch.

I'm not certain.

Sexton and Healy are 2 times grand slam winners while Earls is a one time grand slam winner.

pickarooney

I'd say Farrell has shown that anyone can win or lose their place in the side. I hope and expect Furlong to up his game fairly lively but that performance yesterday was below anything Bealham has put in lately.

Henshaw on the other hand went a good way towards regaining his place in a much more competitive position. McCloskey was good but not good enough to be first choice I thought. Aki looks to be holding the shirt but for how long?

Neil3030

Aki had an absolute stormer yesterday. Was my MOTM on second viewing.

Former Former Former

Ironically, even though we've seen a lot of great depth, I think the first choice XV is even more set in stone than it was a few months ago.

A lot of the marginal calls have crystallised, e.g. Sheehan v Kelleher, Beirne v Henderson.

I don't personally think any of the starting jerseys are up for grabs right now.

pickarooney

I don't think Beirne v Henderson is even a question now, it's more Henderson v Baird.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120377651#Comment_120377651

Yeah exactly, the only open questions at the moment are on the bench.

A long way to go but if the RWC was tomorrow and everyone was fit, I don't think there's a single selection debate in the coach's mind.

(I think Henshaw is 100% the starting 12)