Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Ultimately what has happened him and other prospects in the 3 non Leinster provinces is that they are playing in poor teams who are being beaten regularly. It's hard to measure up to the competition in blue when your team is struggling.

Munster and Ulster in particular are in the mire. Both former European champions and both are so far from that standard now it's frightening. Us down in Munster are lauding the signing of a new coach but I fear he's in for a rough ride because we don't have the players.

Connacht historically have struggled and that's why their current performance looks favourable in comparison to the other 2 provinces. Munster and Ulster have fallen further back than Connacht have advanced.

All the eggs are in one basket and it has paid off overall in the past 10 years with 6N success. We need four proud provinces though if we wish to go to the next level.

Case in point is Jamie Osborne. Clearly a real prospect for the centre. But not a winger. But because the other 3 provinces are struggling to produce it appears to be the best option to select the man in blue well out of position.

Osborne was one of the better players in the backline lads. Seriously the hyperbole is off the charts.

That seems to be a thing with Ulster though. So many talented players who have been coming through there seem to get a lot of injuries.

But again he's not a winger lacks that pace, he's the ideal 23 as he can cover multiple positions but he can be world class in fullback or centre. I know we had injuries but the fact that we still hadn't a proper winger brought in is telling.

I'd like to see Bolton, prioritised as he's got that power, Tommy O'brien if he can stay fit is a serious option.

I know he's not an out-and-out winger but people are using that as a stick to beat him with which is getting my back up.

I fully agree with you about Tommy O'Brien. If he could stay fit I think he has all of the talent to be the real deal.

I haven't seen much of Shane Bolton but from what I have seen, he definitely looks to have something about him. It will be be hard to replace Lowe though. Very few in world rugby has the raw strength he has.

Today has been in the post for McCarthy.

He had a strong start to his 18 caps, but when is the last time he put in a > 7/10 performance? You're probably going back 6 or 7 games at this point.

Yet he was given a CC regardless. 14 tackles over his last two games. Those are shocking numbers for a lock.

Oh definitely not criticising Osborne, too me it's the coaches have to take the criticism and it's the same with Healy, O'Mahony selected, I'm not blaming the players but like FFS the coaches should be getting stick for not bringing in Boyle, Healy well past it. O,Mahony with age lacks that power for a blindside, this is where Izuchukwu should be giving the chance.

In Ireland we seem to have a bad habit of failing to move on from players past their sell by date or even when they're injured and way off form, we love beating the dead horse.

I think the coaching team have got a lot wrong this season. Objectively looking at this season, we had a few outstanding individual performances cover up poor tactics and poor selection decisions. JGP, Lowe, and Doris have been outstanding. This will go down as a missed opportunity.

I am not revisiting the contentious player selections, but our media have a lot to answer for in bigging up players.

I don’t think it has been mentioned much but I thought Keenan had a good game (I was worried he was off the boil a bit) and had a fantastic 50-22.

it was a terrible selection by the management. They make their mind up about players and don’t look at what is happening on the field.

It's this sort of mindset and attitude that is a plague on Irish rugby and a big reason why we find ourselves in positions like yesterday and continuously bowing out early at RWC's.

POM is the best 6. However, this isn't because he's been very good, it's because he's the least likely to make mistakes none of his alternatives are given much of a chance to take the jersey off him. We give players like Baird & Izuchukwu 1 or 2 caps at a time and then as soon as a big game comes around or these players make 1 or 2 mistakes they are immediately ousted for the "safe pair of hands". Unfortunately, this selection policy is just ingrained in Irish rugby and until we grow a pair of balls and actually move on players like this at the right time we are going to continue to have disappointing days like yesterday. You give France, NZL, SA our player pool and POM isn't even in the squad, yet in Ireland he's starting and getting a big sendoff…and that right there is the big issue. Playing against nations like NZL, SA, FRA you need players that fit your system, players that make the opposition think twice while in defense. Players like POM are their dream, you know exactly what he'll throw at them and will never be more than a 7-8 out of 10 meaning they just need to do their job and they neutralize POM. Players like Baird, Izuchukwu, Ahern on the other hand will ask questions of them, it will make them think twice while in defense, which not only gives us another option, but it makes things easier for the other forwards. Having players like POM is fine when you are playing inferior nations but against the very best you need QUALITY…not "workhorses".

The reason we persist with these players for so long is because we are still a mentally weak nation when it comes to rugby and too scared to make a big decision at the right time…players like POM, Murray, Healy, Herring don't fit the way we want to play yet we persist with them because we are worried about "disrespecting them" or backing younger players because they are prone to make more mistakes.

What sums it all up for me is the uproar about the camera not showing POM going off…we are getting humped in our own back yard and our GS/Championship aspirations are in tatters. Yet POM not getting enough airtime going off…THAT'S the issue for some fans...

In the end the selections of POM and Healy did cost us this tournament, not because of their performances, but because it showed up our mental fragility that we are too conservative to move on from older players who don't fit our system. The fact we still have people on mass defending the selection is concerning, just shows how ingrained this way of thinking is in Irish rugby culture and doesn't fill me with any confidence that we can solve this issue anytime soon.

It's a blessing they are all retiring, probably the only way the management will ever move on from them.

And again case in point the mentality of Irish rugby. Basically, just persist with POM because he's the least likely to f**k up, is exactly how we end up in situations like yesterday. We like to claim we've learned our lessons, and we have what it takes to win at the highest level, yet days like yesterday show that the mentality of "little old Ireland" is still ingrained in us and until is addressed sadly days like yesterday in big matches will be a common occurrence.

And with all due respect, if Izuchukwu hasn't shown form for international selection, then neither has POM…but that's the other big issue, we aren't even consistent in our conservative selection. Its 1 rule for players like POM and another for the younger players.

I take your point that we revert back to the trusted few quite quickly if a newcomer makes some mistakes.

But SA and NZ do the same. And both select workhorse type players. NZ won the WC with a 36 year old workhorse named Brad Thorn in the 2nd row. And SA won it with a 36 year old Duane Vermuelen starting at no.8.

I am not revisiting the contentious player selections, but our media have a lot to answer for in bigging up players.

One of the weirdest things driving the anti-Ireland sentiments on this board is the unshakeable conviction that the "media" influences selections. Absolutely bizarre.

^^^This is little more than fact resistant trolling now.

Healy and Murray haven't played 30 mins between them. How have they lost us the championship?

Which of McCarthy SP or Osborne plays at 6? as you've said you prefer them over O'Mahony

Moving the best lock we have to 6? Because that definitely worked when they tried to force a space for McCarthy last year.. Jesus... Even the biased management gave up on that..

Have you ever actually watched a rugby match?

I've named 4 options that should be ahead of him. Nobody else has been given a proper opportunity to replace him, that's the issue.

As per usual, we wont find a players successor until that player has retired…typical.