Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Just like lot of players from elsewhere...? Healy has put in lot more than one performance to be hyped up.

He's been really best out half in munster hasn't put a foot wrong all year and at the end of last year tbh.

And nearly everyone agrees he shouldn't have been in the Ireland squad

(and actually he was comfortably 7/10 v Connacht, but one should have to do more than that to make an Ireland squad)

If he keeps up his form over the interpros and the next 2 rounds of Europe then he'll come into the conversation but he's started 2 games for Munster this season so let's not get ahead of ourselves.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Carty isn't even in the squad.

I think if the training squad was named tomorrow, Carty would be in it. Whether he can translate that to selection is up to him but I think his recent performances are less compelling than they are being made out to be

Assuming H Byrne stays fit and gets a couple of runs I would expect him, Sexton and Carty to be named, but Ross Byrne is playing well and could yet come back into the mix.

Right now, Carty is comfortably the 2nd best out-half in Ireland if everyone is fit. And I include Carbery in that.

So Sexton and Carty should 100% be in the squad and I'd have Carty on the bench.

The 3rd spot is very much up for grabs. As Former said, if Harry Byrne can string some games together (and that's a big if) then he'll likely be there as no.3. If Healy keeps playing like he did v Castres then he could come into the mix.

I'd be surprised if Ross Byrne gets in. He's the 10 who's least in the mould of what Farrell wants from his 10.

I wonder if the likelihood of Carty being involved in a 6N matchday 23 means Farrell might be more likely to pick Marmion or Blade in his squad for familiarity.

If you know the 10 can’t attack the line, it makes defending easier. This will always be the issue with Ross. Both Carberry and Sexton posses a running threat with ball in hand. So teams have to defend that threat, no matter where the ball is going. Also both played flat to the line, the deeper a ten sits, the deeper the players around him sit. Which gives defence more time to come up and slows the attack.

Also RB hasn’t been playing particularly well this season. He was solid against Bath but nothing he has done so far this season screams inclusion. He was playing far better last season.

Ben Healy may come into contention with a few games for Munster. Though I still see him as another RB. Solid player but not athletic enough or dangerous enough with ball in hand to be an international.

A lot will depend on what if any games are played in January. Then how much gametime HB can get in that window.

Given how we are trying to play, I’d say there is a far higher chance of Billy Burns coming back in rather than RB. Though he isn’t playing great either.

Kevin Potts has been appointed as incoming Chief Executive of the Irish Rugby Football Union.

Potts, who succeeds Philip Browne, has been Chief Operating Officer of the IRFU since 2015. 

Lots of comment about the outside half slot for Ireland. The biggest positional conundrum for AF IMO. Will it be Sexton for the next WC?

Just because you have no knowledge doesn't it mean it is true. Kevin played for Leinster in the backrow as a 6 in the late 80's early 90s, he also played for Ireland A. He played Senior rugby for Marys for years and was heavily involved there before leaving a big job to go work in the IRFU.

You do realise most people who played rugby would have a job, I would prefer an accountant to be in charge of the IRFU than a plumber.

John Delaney takes exception to that remark.

I'm not a huge fan of RB but the idea that he doesn't fix defenders by attacking the line is just not true, he does it (occasionally) as every back line rugby player does. He does sit back, loves to kick for his wingers, etc and differs from Sexton in important ways but the way Ireland are playing now is not beyond his skill set. I have to point out that I've seen Sexton make one line break this year in green, a year when he has played some of the best rugby we've seen from him. Sexton takes the ball into contact more than Byrne does for sure and plays more often on the line, etc. But this isn't a situation where Im promoting RB as the answer to our OH problmes, far from it. I'm simply pointing out that his brother has slim hopes of getting the kind of game time that gets him into the 23 come 6N, while Ross is playing very solidly (unlike Burns who is an accident waiting to happen every time he togs out) and, given the bare cupboard, could well be named for the 6N.

"The Lions" or the "British and Irish Lions"