Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

The team that played Italy plus a few changes should play Romania, then close to the same 23 that will be lined up to play South Africa should play Tonga with a few players benching against Tonga that will be starting against South Africa, and keeping a few back for South Africa. I have Lowe, Beirne and Doris sitting out the Tonga match to be fresh for South Africa, but could equally start them against Tonga, particularly Lowe, or maybe start Lowe against Romania and rest him against Tonga and push O'Brien or Crowley to the bench instead of Aki. It's all just a matter of getting just the right amount of minutes into the players to prime them.

Then depending on how everything is going the team against Scotland could be anything in between the Romania and South Africa selections.

I think it’ll be 18 forwards - 15 backs.

My guess at 33 is:

1. Porter, Healy, Kilcoyne
2. Sheehan, Kelleher, Herring
3. Furlong, Bealham, O’Toole
4. Beirne, Henderson
5. Ryan, McCarthy
6. O’Mahony, Baird
7. Van der Flier
8. Doris, Conan
9. Gibson-Park, Murray, Casey
10. Sexton, Byrne, Crowley
11. Lowe
12. Henshaw, Aki, McCloskey
13. Ringrose
14. Hansen
15. Keenan, O'Brien

Plus 1 more winger; one of Earls, Stockdale or Nash.

I’d guess Earls at this point for his all-round game and experience, assuming he still has decent speed.

Osborne would have been another option for that last spot but I think he will need an injury to get into the final 33.

Frawley is very close to McCloskey too but I think McCloskey has done enough to keep his spot.

These would all need an injury to get into the final 33 in my opinion: Stewart, Treadwell, Prendergast, Coombes, Blade, Frawley, Osborne, Stockdale, Nash, and if I can include Conway for attending a few training sessions. I think Diarmuid Barron was reported to have attended also but I’d say he’d need a couple of injuries to occur to get into contention.

For Reference, the team V Italy was:

Kilcoyne, Herring, O'Toole,

Henderson (C), McCarthy,

Baird, Conan, Doris,

Casey, Crowley,

Stockdale, McCloskey, Henshaw, Earls,

O'Brien.

R: Stewart, Healy, Furlong, Beirne, Prendergast, Blade, Frawley, Nash.

My proposed Team for Romania:

Kilcoyne, Herring, O'Toole,

Beirne, McCarthy,

Baird, Conan, O’Mahony,

Casey, Sexton (C),

O'Brien, McCloskey, Henshaw, Earls,

Crowley.

R: Kelleher, Healy, Bealham, Henderson, Doris, Murray, Byrne, Aki.

My proposed Team for Tonga:

Healy, Kelleher, Bealham,

Henderson (C), McCarthy,

Baird, Conan, Van der Flier,

Murray, Byrne,

O'Brien, Aki, Ringrose, Hansen,

Keenan.

R: Sheehan, Porter, Furlong, Ryan, O'Mahony, Gibson-Park, Sexton, Henshaw.

My proposed Team for SA:

Porter, Sheehan, Furlong,

Beirne, Ryan,

O'Mahony, Doris, Van der Flier,

Gibson-Park, Sexton,

Lowe, Henshaw, Ringrose, Hansen,

Keenan.

R: Kelleher, Healy, Bealham, Henderson, Conan, Murray, Byrne, Aki.