Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

I've come away from those interpro's feeling a bit worried for the 6n campaign.

Very few of our front liners are hitting the heights of last season / the world cup which is understandable to an extent but they would want to find some form fast.

Props: Furlong has not played much at all and there are lingering concerns about his form over the past 12-24months. I would be tempted to start Bealham who I believe has acquitted himself really well when asked.

I don't know if I just have PTSD post the world cup but every time I watch Porter scrummage now it's through my fingers. He does seem to bore in a lot but I appreciate there are a lot of moving parts. Loosehead depth is also a concern - Healy is 54. Kilcoyne is injured. Who is the next cab off the rank?

Hookers: We're grand.

Second Row: We're grand.

Back row: POM hasn't played, and I think we should be looking to try some new combo's. Whether that's Baird at 6 who has been brilliant, or moving Beirne there to allow for a McCarthy / Ryan 2nd row combo.

JVDF doesn't seem to be at the races. Hodnett is playing v.well but there are likely concerns about his size. Potentially we'll see Will Connors return to the fold. He had an excellent outing against La Rochelle?

Scrum Half: JGP has also been sluggish, and I don't know who the obvious 2 is. We have to start moving on from Murray but no one is putting their hand up.

Fly Half: It's probably Crowley but he's hardly made it his own. The Leinster 10's are playing pass the parcel with the jersey. No one has owned it. Good individual performances are backed up by shite ones or they are rotated.

Centre: Aki, McCloskey and Ringrose would be my top3. Henshaw hasn't found form, and arguably shouldn't be in a Leinster XV. I'd love to see Osborne given a go.

Back 3: We haven't seen Lowe. Keenan and JOB haven't been shooting the lights out. Hansen has looked good. I'd like to see Nash given a crack. And dare I say it.. I think Zebo has looked good albeit with a limited body of work to go on. But how much better could he look behind a good pack with fast, clean ball?

I have a more general concern with our systems. The lineout across every province is faltering, and it was an Achilles heal during the world cup. WTF is going on? Leinster are not attacking with the fluidity we're used to, and generally some of the attacking plays from all provinces have looked quite anemic.

I think form and age should give Farrell licence to try some things this 6N. The worst possible outcome is a coming 3rd or 4th without having rolled the dice at all.

Form in the next two European rounds could be significant. I think you could forgive established Ireland Internationals dropping their levels in November and December after the WC, but now they need to get back up the hill to peak performance as the 6Ns is just 4 1/2 weeks away now (thankfully!).

Its exactly a month until start of 6 nations - I think Baird will start 6 , POM may need more time to get back up to full test match fitness. Same for Lowe. Bealham may start too. Looking forward to see Jack Crowley at 10

As with the RWC squad, there are going to be guys who are playing well that are left out and guys who aren't playing as well included. Simply going to be a matter of numbers.

The stand out spot to me right now is blindside where each province has a guy that is excelling for their team. But there's very little chance that they'll include all of them...and it's unlikely that they'll even include three of them. Baird, Ahern, Prendergast and McCann are all in the mix although McCann is likely to be out of the running with his ankle injury. Then we have someone like Doris that is looking relatively off colour right now who is guaranteed inclusion. I'd imagine Baird and Prendergast are the likely inclusions. Ahern might get in as a hybrid type guy or if they want to bring 5 locks (only included 4 for the initial squad this time last year).

We've a number of problem positions. Bealham is probably front runner for tighthead right now. Furlong should be included but really needs to prove himself quickly and TOT will also be there. Loosehead isn't as clear. Kilcoyne is injured and old. Healy is just back and old. Loughman isn't really looking anything too special these days and seems to have regressed a little from where he was last season. I wouldn't be surprised to see a left field choice at loosehead to bring someone in and work on developing a high potential player like Boyle.

Halfback is the other sh*tshow. I expect JGP to remain in situ for the opener but it's not a firm selection. A month ago, I'd have backed Casey to start but his form has dipped a bit in recent weeks. Murray has been simply poor and will be included, I expect, but fortunate to be. Blade and Cooney appear to be very much outside the plans for Farrell, on past selections with Blade being closer overall. I would be very surprised at this point if Farrell/the IRFU had not contacted Raffi Quirke about moving over to Ireland. He's eligible for selection in a year and is still only 22 (made his England debut shortly after his 20th birthday).

Outhalf is going to be Crowley plus two. Crowley and RB are comfortably the most suitable candidates but RB won't be back for France which means we're likely to have Frawley and AN Other included with Billy Burns and Harry Byrne the most likely options. Whilst Billy has played the best rugby of any provincial outhalf this season overall, he might just not be viewed as a potential test player after his prior involvements but I'd be happy for him to get another go.

Backs pick themselves at this point with the one note that Henshaw doesn't deserve a spot in the overall squad at this point in time but probably will be in the 23 jersey as it stands.

Mack Hansen was huffing on oxygen walking off the pitch yesterday, looked bad and one would have to suspect his six nations is in doubt.

11. Stockdale, 14. Jimmy O'Brien, 15. Keenan back three? - with Nash, Lowe and Daly/Zebo in the squad.

Think it’s far too early for Ahern to be called up. He has some brilliant moments but he’s a luxury backrow atm. If you look at how Baird and Prendergast have preformed in terrible conditions over the last few weeks, the dirty stuff mixed with standout, that’s far closer to what’s needed at test level. Let Ahern find his feet at Munster for a season or two first.

I think Connors could be the one called up if there’s a new back row brought in from the extended RWC squad, him or Hodnett but think Farrell would prefer Connors.

6 POM Prendergast Baird

7 VDF Connors

8 Doris Conan

killgallen (injured), Bolton and Stockdale other names that are in form. Although Bolton is very much in the power winger mould to replace Lowe, would probably need a longer run to be considered.

It will never happen because they will want to win the 6 nations but there is a world in which a huge number of the internationals from the past 12 months could sit back and new blood be brought in

Players like:

Oli Jager, Roman Salanoa, Jack Boyle, Jeremy Loughman, Tom Stewart ,Edwin Edogbo, Joe McCarthy. Thomas Ahearn, Craig Casey, Sam Prendergast, Jack Carty, Jack Crowley Jacob Stockdale, Robert Baloucoune, Calvin Nash, Jordan Larmour, Stuart McCluskey, Cathal Forde, Antoine Frisch, Ciaran Frawley, Jimmy O'Brien, Shane Daly, Rob Russell, Tommy O'Brien etc...

I'm not saying drop the entire World cup squad but there is plenty of talent in Ireland that deserves more of a chance.

Resting players like Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong, Ronan Kelleher, Josh Van Der Flier, Jack Conan, JGP, James Lowe, Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, Hugo Keenan and others gives them time to get healthy, rest there bodies that have been in war after war after war the past 12+ months and give others a chance, whilst allowing these players to rediscover form isn't the worst idea in the world, especially when other teams in the competition apart from France and maybe Scotland are all in rebuild mode themselves.

Roman Salanoa! You're joking? He's injured 90% of the time.