Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

With the Leinster/Ireland team failing to deliver for the umpteenth time, is it time to rethink how we select our national squads, and select the form players from all 4 provinces, rather than on "cohesion" from a group of players who have proven time and time again for club and country that they can't get the job done when it comes to the crunch?

No.

Let's be clear, Leinster lost a final in extra time to the most successful team in European history who are also filled with internationals.

What have the other provinces shown in knockout rugby? Munster were given a big helping hand last year by facing the leinster 2nds in the URC semis. Ulster and Connacht are poor at the moment.

Do you think we'd have beaten NZ in the world cup with a more even split from all 4 provinces?

Ireland are also a team of almost. It's a perfect storm. The Ireland team is the best players from the best team and unfortunately, they are lacking. There's a hump they can't get over but, selecting lesser players from the other provinces is not the answer. Fortunately, there's a glut of u20 lads from this generation that look like they have it.

Few things to address here,

A team littered with Internationals, what exactly is the Leinster team then?

What have Munster shown in knockout rugby? Winning a cup with all the games away from home.

An even split? Doesn't have to be an even split it just needs to be the 50/50 calls don't always go the way of the Leinster player.

Ulster and Connacht are poor at the moment, doesn't mean they don't have players good enough.

Using that logic both Aki and Hansen wouldn't be in the national team and we'd be far poorer for it.

Munster went on an unbeaten run last year away from home. Leinster fans constantly complaining about how it was their seconds who lost is about as graceless as you can get and one of the main reasons for the lack of magnanimity and support from fans of other provinces.

The reality is that Leinster have failed in their biggest games over the last half decade. The Irish side has had a similar issue at world cups and more recently with the grand slam game against England. Given that a very large portion of the national team is made up of Leinster players it seems reasonable to suggest that there is an issue with mentality there. The introduction of fresh faces would be a positive step in the eyes of a lot of supporters and reward players from other provinces who's form merits a call up, including those with recent provincial silverware.

I never said Bundee and Hansen shouldn't be starting. I'm using it as an example that if you are the better player you will be picked. They are both better than their leinster counterparts.

Is it any less graceless than munster fans et al flooding forums to piss off leinster fans any time they lose?

I'm not denying at all that there is an issue with leinster not performing in finals. But losing to toulouse in extra time in the European Cup final is not a good reason to axe leinster lads from the Irish team when they are the best in their position. Do you honestly feel any of the other provinces would have done better yesterday?

The introduction of lesser players is not the answer either. It should be gradual with any changes. Bringing in Munster players is not the answer either. It doesn't matter if they beat Leinster B, players like Coombrs have had opportunities and failed. If any Munster lads should get a look it should be Ahern/ Hodnett. From Ulster it's McAnn and Timoney. Timoney is a good player and I think is undervalued here.

But losing to toulouse in extra time in the European Cup final is not a good reason to axe leinster lads from the Irish team 

You're very dishonestly making out that this is all a knee jerk reaction to one loss. It's not. It's a reaction to them losing 4 finals in a row and failing to get past the quarters in a World Cup which they were favourites for. This group of Leinster players have consistently shown that they don't have the minerals to get over the line in the biggest games, and it's perfectly valid to question whether the Ireland coaches should continue to favour Leinster "cohesion" over quality players from the other 3 provinces.

 it's perfectly valid to question whether the Ireland coaches should continue to favour Leinster "cohesion" over quality players from the other 3 provinces.

This idea that players get picked becase of "cohesion" is entirely a social media invention. It's absolute nonsense that collapses under under the least scrutiny.

We pick the best players, nothing more.

The idea that we should drop players who lost a European final - purely because they lost that final - and replace them with players who've never gone beyond a quarter final - because by definition, they haven't lost a final - is curious logic, at best.

Maybe we should just continue to pick the best players, whoever they may be and regardless of which province they play for?

So who deserves be in the Irish 23 from outside leinster who hasn't been given a chance in the last 12 months?

Also keep in mind the Irish forwards coach is a munster legend. Surely he wouldn't tolerate a leinster bias in selection?

We pick the best players, nothing more.

No. We pick the same bottlers every game and have no idea if there's better players because no one else gets a f*cking chance.

Players have had chances, and haven't taken them

Name THREE players who haven't had a chance and who are they replacing?