Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

I don't think it's surprising that NZ are still using players that have won the RWC and/or won the World Player of the Year.

I don't think we'd suffer unduly if Lowe or Hansen got injured to be honest. Our wingers don't get the ball enough anyway, they've to go look for it.

And I think the replacements can do that. Stockdale, for all the criticism he got the last day, is well able to go foraging. We've gotten on fine without say Lowe in the past is my point. And as said above, I don't think our wingers are particularly brilliant players so are relatively interchangeable.

Front row, 10 and 15 are a different kettle of fish.

The wingers aren't foraging though. They're stepping in at the right moment to act as another playmaker. That's a different role entirely. I don't think any of our other options, bar maybe JOB, has that in their locker.

Agreed. What sets Hansen and Lowe apart is their ability to pop up and pick the right pass. Not something I would associate with Stockdale for example. They’re footballers whilst Stockdale is more of a finisher for me.

Good question. Playmaker is a better way of putting it but I didn’t want to just repeat Clegg’s post 😀

I’ve heard Stockdale referred to having a big boot in various places. Is he that good off the boot? May be so but I don’t remember too many instances of him catching it cleanly.

I’m of the opinion that 2018 was the outlier where everything he touched went well. There was a period where every chip and chase bounced his way. Would love to see him back in that kind of form but that was 5 years ago now. Is it realistic to think he’ll ever reach that level again?

If he makes the squad I think he’ll be a weapon against Romania and Tonga in the group stages but I’d be worried if he was starting one of the big games for us.

2018 Stockdale was possibly the best left wing in world rugby. So no I don't think he'll hit those same heights again.

I've tried watching him closely this year with Ulster and he really never looked fit/sharp enough. Surprised he got selected but on Saturday, he actually looked in great nick and seemed to be running more like Stockdale of old and looking dominant in the air which I'm delighted about. I think it will be only a matter of time before it clicks again for him.

I don't see AF bringing 3 left wings but expect a big 2024 year from Stockdale

Has the training match taken place against Portugal yet?

Any reports from it?

And there you have a prime example of someone with an anti-leinster bias as a result clearly has a hope that Ireland don't do well in the WC

Took place yesterday, I'm sure reports will come in later today.

The one that gets me is "first name on the team sheet". If you read the posts during the week in the run up to a game, it's usually Furlong, Ryan, Beirne, Doris, VDF, Sexton, Ringrose, Keenan. Every popular player suddenly becomes indispensable.