Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Perhaps you should try not talking about him if youd like him not talked about

Was something funny about seeing the players going back into camp yesterday, almost 12 months on from when the season started (camp last year for the RWC started on July 10th).

So many of these guys just have to be physically and mentally flogged, and I would definitely wonder if the enthusiasm levels and energy were at the levels typically expected this week.

Across the entire squad, players played on average of 22 games and 1,294 minutes over the past season, but there are some outliers in there skewing the numbers. 4 players played under 600 minutes (Oli Jager - 440 mins, Cian Healy - 469 mins, Sam Prendergast - 478 mins and Cormac Izuchukwu - 521 mins). Another few guys like Jimmy O'Brien, James Ryan & Garry Ringrose spent significant chunks of the season injured.

3 of our absolute most important players - Tadhg Beirne (29 games, 2,132 mins), Jack Crowley (31 games, 1,983 mins) and Caelan Doris (28 games, 1,919 mins) have arguably been absolutely flogged this season, and a few other guys have very high numbers relative to the attritional nature of their positions - Andrew Porter (25 games, 1,525 mins) and Dan Sheehan (27 games, 1,320 mins).

If Ireland can get up for this series and produce some good performances in SA it will be a huge testament to the hunger and professionalism of this group of players, and to the motivational skills of Farrell & Co, but to me it feels like this tour will likely be a step too far for this group of players this season.

It's hilarious to me reading back into the hysteria of all these posts about including Sam Prendergast on the tour, that there was virtually no similar analysis applied to Cormac Izuchukwu's selection.

Izuchukwu, who is 24 and in his fourth season of professional rugby, has only managed to rack up 29 games in four years, for 814 mins (Prendergast, 21, has played 18 games in 2 seasons for 638 mins).

Izuchukwu has never played a minute in the Champions Cup, not this season or any season, and only started 7 games this year. He had a good run in to the season, starting four games on the bounce and playing well, and that's carried him in here.

I'm not complaining about his inclusion - he looks a special talent, but you would have to raise an eyebrow at the hypocrisy around the teeth gnashing over bringing Sam Prendergast as our likely third choice out half but the absolute radio silence around this inclusion.

One looks physically ready and ended the season a key player for his province and the other is maby a backuo for his province going into next year.

I think the nature of being a 24 year old vs a particularly slim 21 year old is a factor also.

Their not really like with like comparison i think

A key player for his province? He started 7 games last year total. He didn't play a single minute in Europe. He had a couple of nice games at the end of the season, notably against Munster and a good 15 mins before he departed injured against Leinster, but calling him a key player is a massive stretch, and claiming he earned this spot with sustained excellence doesn't stack up either.

Despite their age difference - Izuchukwu has no appreciable experience advantage over Prendergast, he's barely played more games and mins. For the positions they play in - Izuchukwu's durability and conditioning have also historically been concerns.

Hearing this stuff about "particularly slim" is tiresome too - Prendergast has visibly put size on over the course of the season, and is by any definition a really big guy at 6ft 4ins and c. 93kg.

The coaches are the ones who are tasked with determining his physical readiness for this sort of test, and are doing so armed with the knowledge of access to all of his data (gym, training etc), and by seeing him up close and in training daily. That holds quite a bit more credence than armchair pundits saying they think he looks a bit skinny.

Johnny Sexton had that gangly and slimmer frame, and he spent most of his career at 6ft 2 and 90kgs - Prendergast is a couple of inches taller and about 4 or 5 kilos heavier.

He's not being asked to pack down in the front row either, and he's not being selected for his physicality.

What he has shown a great aptitude for early in his career is directing the attack - that's the unique skillset they see in him that they want to see more of.

Prendergast's inclusion in this squad isn't unusual - his is a high calibre talent who has shown significant potential, but, crucially, there is a real gap of viable alternatives / back ups to Crowley. It's highly likely he doesn't play on this tour, but bringing him along makes absolute sense.

Once again - I don't have any issue with Izuchukwu's inclusion. I think he looks to have the sort of elite talent that it's worth taking a punt on. My point was - most of the challenges levelled at Prendergast's inclusion earlier in this thread, especially his lack of big game experience etc is arguably even more valid as a criticism of Izuchukwu.

Alao sexton wasnt as skinny as sam even young. I find 95 kg hard to believe even if it is on a tall frame