Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

gameoverdude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120408896#Comment_120408896

Come on aloooof. I was teasing.

It's not like I expected him to perform against leinsters c team.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120408912#Comment_120408912

Maybe I overreacted... I should've taken Scott Penny's career Champions Cup minutes 10 minutes before replying. ;)

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120408979#Comment_120408979

😂🤣😂🤣😂

gameoverdude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120408979#Comment_120408979

All good

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120408759#Comment_120408759

I suspect that's officially where they'll be - but I think they'll be keeping up with plays in some coordination with the team in France. It's not like previous years where we really only had the travelling squad, a LOT of good players will be left at home this cycle.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120410590#Comment_120410590

Don't think there's any doubt that "ready reserves" will be kept up to speed.

I also suspect that they will be managed in terms of game time etc. especially if there's anyone int he actual squad with a niggle.

If someone picks up a knock in the 1st game , whoever is the likely potential replacement to the squad will be wrapped in cotton wool back home to make sure they are good to go if needed

Interested Observer

I saw this question posed on twitter and couldn't come up with the answer - there is one active Irish international who has never scored a try for club or country, can anyone figure out who?

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120422782#Comment_120422782

Shot in the dark, but Tom O'Toole?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120422782#Comment_120422782

It's Jack Crowley!

Saw that reported on him during the week.

pickarooney

Pfff, he's played like 5 games in his life!

Interested Observer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120425152#Comment_120425152

It's just a bit of trivia.

Dubinusa

Anyone care to guess next seasons 6nations squad? There's going to be retirees, contracts etc and of course newer players popping up.

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120425283#Comment_120425283

Sexton is already confirmed to be retiring. And you'd expect guys like Herring, Healy, Kilcoyne, O'Mahony, Murray, Aki and Earls will be moved on for the next RWC cycle too given they'll be 37+ in 2027. The likes of Beirne, Henderson, Conan, JGP and Lowe will probably be phased out more gradually.

If I had to take a stab now at the 2024 6N team, I'd say...

1. Porter
2. Sheehan
3. Furlong
4. Beirne
5. Ryan
6. Baird
7. VDF
8. Doris
9. Casey
10. Crowley
11. Lowe
12. Henshaw
13. Ringrose (c)
14. Hansen
15. Keenan

16.Stewart 17.Milne 18.O'Toole 19.McCarthy 20.Prendergast 21.Doak 22.Byrne 23.Osborne

A position of concern for me for the next RWC cycle is the wing. Our current starting wings are both imports (very good ones at that). But there aren't really any elite prospects on the wings at any of the provinces, and no one has really been lighting it up for the 20s in the last few years. It's not an area where we produce heaps of talent. Baloucoune has ability but he's very injury prone and doesn't get on the ball enough for an Andy Farrell team. Other than the one good year Stockdale had, we haven't produced a world class winger since Tommy Bowe. Either we'll need to find some more IQ guys, or convert some centres/full backs. Patrick Campbell is a guy I think could make a very good winger. I also liked the look of Chay Mullins on last years 20s. I'm interested to see how Andrew Smith goes at Connacht. Aitzol King looks a big, fast athlete too. Maybe someone like Liam Turner could make the switch.

Downlinz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120425918#Comment_120425918

People always underestimate the gravity of transition immediately after a RWC and it tends to be far less than expected. There's only 12 or so weeks between the start of the Six Nations 2024 and the end of the RWC 2023 so limited scope for a great upheaval.

Ultimately the IRFU as always will be thinking about the financials during the Six Nations and will expect an experienced group delivering results. There might be some changes to the very old like Healy or Earls but I would say with near 100% certainty that barring injury POM, Murray and Aki will receive caps in 2024.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120425991#Comment_120425991

Not to mention JGP not dropping out of the match day 23 altogether 😄😄

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120426017#Comment_120426017

He'll be 35 at the next RWC and I don't see him as being so far ahead of the alternatives that he's guaranteed to keep his place. Guys like Beirne and Lowe would be moved on too but they're miles better than the next best.

pickarooney

Unless Fabien Galthié comes on board to replace Farrell I don't see 2027 being of any relevance to the next 6N squad

Wegians89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120425918#Comment_120425918

Calvin Nash would have something to say about that. Also have Russell looking decent

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120427197#Comment_120427197

Yeah I really like Nash and can see him being capped this year. But I don't see him being a world class wing in 2027 aged 30.

On Russell, it's very hard to see him breaking into the Leinster 23 any time soon.

Interested Observer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120426043#Comment_120426043

You think he's just going to be totally jettisoned immediately after the RWC? C'mon now.

Sangre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120427741#Comment_120427741

Yes. By shooting him out of a canon back to New Zealand. As is tradition.

Fun fact. Logan’s run was based on the IRFUs selection policies in the 70s.

Clegg

Might sound harsh, but tonight's game between Leinster and Ulster showed why Baloucoune isn't good enough to start for Ireland. Conditions were awful and he barely got a touch of the ball all game. But he never went infield looking for the ball unlike his Leinster counterparts or teammate on the wing.

Was disappointed with Michael Lowry as well. Despite being a player with prior experience at flyhalf he has no real kicking game and his default option is to run the ball back. Leinster exploited this tendancy and hunted him down multiple times to make big territorial gains.

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120429743#Comment_120429743

I strongly suspect Calvin Nash might now be ahead of Baloucoune in Farrell's mind. We already know the Irish coaches rate him. He's a robust, tough winger who gets on the ball. Not to mention he's a threat with ball in hand. He's been Munster's best player in their last two games. Very likely he gets capped in one of the warm ups.

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120429743#Comment_120429743

Is that entirely fair on Balacoune tho? If the system isn't built to facilitate him coming into the line, you're just going to end up with a lad faffing about out of position. Do Ulster use their wingers like that?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120430362#Comment_120430362

Tbf it’s been the same issue on his handful of chances for Ireland.

Athletically we don’t have a winger like him, but he just never looks to involve himself.

Feel like yesterday was a big step backwards for guys like him and Lowry in Ireland recognition, with Hume, Timoney, Treadwell not doing anything either to elevate their status.

Similarly in the Munster game, except for Calvin Nash you’d have to figure anyone who was already on the outside is even further away now.

Munster backrow are highly touted but they’ve been obliterated at the breakdown when it mattered two weekends in a row.

Stockdale had a good game, his regather led directly to Ulster's first try but otherwise wasn't a game for wingers. Lowe had an impact, Larmour and Balocoune were quiet. Lowry had one or two howlers and didn't really manage to make much of an impact on the game, quite a bit of daylight between him and Keenan you would think.

Thought Hume had a decent game all told, Leinster 10 - 12 - 13 didn't make much in rounds. McCloskey the stand out centre for me, but over all I think Ulster edged the mid field battle.

From an Ireland perspective, Herring had a good game and O'Toole was so so (discipline all over the place but then Ulster were playing to disrupt). Doak also had a very good game, more a natural successor for Murray than a half in the mould of JGP or Casey.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120430466#Comment_120430466

Yeah, I like Doak and thought he was pretty good yesterday. Easy to forget just how young he still is to be such a key player for a good side.

Dubinusa

I thought Hume played well. Lowry though, I believe is way off the pace for international rugby. Stockdale was very good. Someone mentioned in another post that Treadwell was anonymous. He wasn't at the races at all.

Leinster just stuck to the plan. Nothing special, just getting the job done.

durthacht

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120430466#Comment_120430466

I think that's a little generous to Stockdale as, while he did gather a high ball to set up the cross-field kick for the first Ulster try, his missed tackle on JGP led to the third Leinster try. I understand the conditions made tackling very difficult, but he had a clear sight of JGP and decided to commit to the tackle which he then fell off leaving the Ulster goal line unprotected. I think that reinforces concerns about his decision-making and execution in defence.

The only other thing I recall him doing is running 40 meters to start a row over a collapsed scrum where he could have got a yellow card, and such poor discipline does not impress the Irish coaches.

He is has been in competition with JOB and Larmour for a world cup squad position, and I suspect he lost some ground yesterday because of defence and discipline.

Clegg

Wrong thread