It's a worry, yes. But at the same time what can Ireland do? Since Farrell took over they've tried Ross Byrne, Billy Burns and Joey Carbery. None of them have played well enough to bother Sextons position in the slightest.
I am droning on about this now but Doris got through a disgusting amount of work with VDF not far behind.
Ireland can do, but won't.
We may lose a RWC semi for moral reason, it's a honour or a waste, whatever you think.
But as a pure rugbystic POV, we never have to forget we've lost the real back-up 10 who's Paddy Jackson. Olding may have been a contender à la Noel Reid too.
I mean we have to remember is not really a fault of "lack-in-depth" under normal circonstances
For the record these are the players who got a chance at 10 internationally (with the number of caps they got beside them) in the Sexton era.
Paddy Jackson 25
Ian Madigan 31
Joey Carbery 36
Billy Burns 7
Ross Byrne 13
Harry Byrne 2
Jack Carty 11
Ian Keatley 7
The McCloskey and Sexton combination was very effective, particularly in defence where we saw the benefits of having a unit at 12 who can hold people up all day long, but also able to take dirty ball and still make some yards.
Wouldn’t be surprised to see this pairing tried again, given we know we’ve to play the Boks again at the World Cup.
Big Stus problem always was concentration, if he has sorted that out with his experience then he’s unquestionably another weapon in Irelands arsenal.
Yeah add 5 years of absence and it's so easy to see Jackson would have had 50+ cap
Olding doing ok in France too, so might have been tested at some point
I just had a look to see what had become of Rory Scholes since he left Ulster. He's currently playing in the 5th division in France.
McCloskey got through a ton of work in his 27 minutes yesterday. I'm just not sure where he gets another rub if he isnt fit for Fiji. Aki will be available for Australia and I don't think we know Henshaw's situation yet. But 9 tackles in 27 minutes! No wonder he hurt his shoulder!
Not a great 24 hours for Mike Lowry. A bit of a stinker in the RDS and then Jimmy O'Brien equites himself brilliantly (albeit at 13) against the Springboks.
You'd have to think JOB is now the backup 15, and will probably start there v Fiji.
We have nothing left to prove now this November. Sexton, Furlong, Murray and Healy should be sent back to their provinces to rest up and for us to start building depth.
For Fiji
16.Herring 17.Loughman 18.Moore. 19.Beirne 20.Timoney 21.Casey 22.Crowley 23.Nash
I’d be thinking Keenen plays again next week to build fitness along with a few other frontline players, it won’t be a different 100% 15 anyway, 6/7 changes definitely
Optimistic Prendergast, as 6/8 back-row who did quiet ok on friday, gets the n°20 jersey
I think we go full strength against Australia but I agree that we give some people a week off for Fiji.
I'd start Loughman but go with our first choice second row. Loughman has a chance of overtaking Healy imo for the RWC and needs the gametime to have a chance. One of the few players to come away from Friday's game with credit in the bank from Friday's game.
I also think I'd play O'Brien on a wing and start Keenan at 15. I always like an experienced 15 leading some more fringe wingers.
I’d give McCloskey a go against Australia tbh. I think he’s shown enough to suggest he’s a real option.
If we have the slightest shred of sense about us, Sexton won't play again this November. We've had a fantastic 2022. Nothing will change that. The result of the Australia game does not matter. It's literally the perfect opportunity to give a start to another 10. Our reliance on Sexton has only increased over the last 12 months. We need to give someone else a run, even if that just means just means the team learning to function with a 10 that's not Sexton on the field. Because at the moment, we can't function without him.
McCloskey is better than Aki and should be the 3rd centre going forward.
At the risk of'a lynching, Deegan is currently ahead of Coombes for third choice number 8.
Coombes did not impress at all on Friday. Would say deegan and Prendergast should be a head of him
None of the backrows who started against NZ on Friday played well. Sometimes you just don't/can't win the collisions and that's ok. But the inaccuracy at the breakdown was a huge issue and the backrow must take a lot of responsibility for that mess.
Deegan made a decent impact off the bench. But it's hard to gauge because New Zealand were already well ahead. At the very least, he won some collisions and looked to try and run at soft shoulders, rather than head on. I thought Coombes was particularly guilty of that.
Id have sexton on the bench for Australia.
Your going to be down the experience of Murray at 9 for the next 2 games.
No harm in having an experienced 10 coming off the bench with one of the less experienced 9's.
Otherwise you could have a Casey/Crowley(Depending on Frawleys injury) combo trying to close out a game v Australia who just ran France to a point at the weekend..
Have to say, I was particularly hopeful Coombes would put a hand up but maybe he's further off than we thought. Would still think he's worth a go against Fiji but if he was ahead of Deegan before I think the water is fairly muddied now. I think the selection for Fiji will be very interesting.
And separate point, I see people saying the Aus game is irrelevant, totally disagree. We need to be winning these games.
From not even being in Irelands 40 man squad to new Zealand initially (nor in fact any summer tours as far as I can recall) to starting against the world champions and laying down a marker imo. Could it be conceivable that a back line player who really can only play one position parachute himself into a 33 man world cup reckoning? Seems unlikely right now but how McCloskey played in that opening 27 mins has got people talking, I hope!
the fact that all our other options can play 12/13 at a reasonable level means that we could afford to bring a specialist 12 in the squad. SMCC could easily play inside aki, henshaw or ringrose.
we bought 4 centres last time, with earls a possible stand-in in as well. with the extra 2 men allowed this time, it will be interesting if we see bring 2 extra forwards, considering the games we have ahead of ourselves. SA and Fr/NZ.
I think everyone would agree McCloskey played very well up until he got injured but I still wouldn't be shocked if he didn't make the RWC. I just do not believe he will overtake Henshaw and that leaves him with a versatility problem.
I see them taking two 12s - Henshaw plus one, probably. So McCloskey's in with a reasonable chance. He really has to beat off Aki. Or I suppose if Henshaw is absent or playing 13 with Ringrose unavailable both McCloskey and Aki could go.
Frawley could cover inside centre from another primary position, but he's not really a like-for-like replaement for the truck-it-up 12s.
ffs yes Aki has too much enthusiasm in tackles sometimes, but he does not let Ireland down 95% of the time
he will go to France
Aki is centrally contracted so yes baring injury or another on-field assault he will go. But success at world cups is not born from guaranteed team sheets a year out. Competition breeds success and McCloskey should be provided with adequate opportunity given his current form. World cup squads need form players playing.
Small caveat; Aki is likely to go but not because he's centrally contracted. Jack McGrath and Devin Toner have dispelled this myth.
I hope Loughman gets into the squad this week. I would like to see a little mix in the squad. Something like,
1. Porter
2. Herring
3. Bealham
4. Treadwell
5. Beirne
6. Doris
7. Timoney
8. Conan
9. JGP
10. Carberry
11. JOB
12. Big Stu, if available. Frawley if not.
13. Henshaw
14. Baloucoune
15. Keenan
16. Sheehan
17. Loughman
18. O'Toole
19. McCarthy/ Molony
20. Deegan
21. Blade
22. Crowley
23. Frawley if healthy. Osborne if Frawley is out.
V Oz, I hope Casey gets to start. He's been around the squad for a while. I think a shot against Oz would benifit him more than a tilt v Fiji.
Doak would be worth a look too. But I think he's behind Blade and Casey.
So one good carry trumps 5 years of excellent performances in a green jersey.
The disrespect Bundee Aki (test starting Lion) gets on here is mind blowing at times.
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