Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Are you trying to give them heart attacks!! Lol...

No, Pete is better off out of it now, whilst he's still playing well.

The fallout and blame game for what will happen next year is going to be epic when a few of the current 'freak of nature' or 'high ceiling' swans turn out to be ducks.

Better off away from that.

What a waste of a Six Nations this year was,

giving game time to 3 players who you know are retiring,

And letting them run out first was an embarrassment when has this ever happened before

I'll be kind here, this is absolute waffle and nothing but waffle.

Again, just read my comments and you'll see I'm not contradicting myself. I said its okay to have an older player if that player is still playing great rugby at the highest level. Beirne for instance is one of the best players in the world and a certain Lions starter, POM isn't even close to touring…that's the difference in standard. It did work, did you not see the game in SA? That was far more effective a display then anything we've seen with POM at 6 this 6N.

Beirne at 6 is only one of the options I mentioned.

You're harping on about POM and it sounds like you don't understand rugby because other than using cliches you give no real evidence of why he should not be starting.

Oddly enough, our two worst performers from the starting 15 yesterday were our youngest back and our youngest forward.

I understand plenty about rugby actually. I gave plenty if you read my post, for our style to be most affective we need a big, strong , athletic 6…POM doesn't tick any of those categories compared to his pears.

Those "worst performers" at least had their moments where they tried to make something happen…i'd rather that than anonymous Pete.

Where are you going to play Izuchukwu? He plays second row for Ulster. He looked lost at 6 against Fiji.

So Prendergast is next up. He's not having a great season to this point.

O'Mahoney is still strong, he's experienced and he's smart. He just doesn't have anything close to 80 minutes in him but he's a great bench option. He and Conan are a great fit together as a starter and replacement.

He's playing SR due to injuries, he's a 6. Then you play him again, a player of his athletic ability is hard to find. You aren't going to find anywhere near enough about a player based on just 50 minutes of rugby, he's been one of the best forwards in Irish rugby this season so its worth giving him a proper crack. This chopping and changing and never giving a young player consistent time to grow into a position is exactly why we end up having a past it 36-year-old at 6.

Well he's 36 and played over 100 games…I'd expect him to be smart and experience. Is he any stronger than the other players I mentioned? He certainly doesn't have their size or athletic ability anyway so I would hope he is strong to make up for it.

Even Conan at 6 would make more sense.

I'd be promoting conan to start at 6 now. Possibly look at Coombes in a new impact role, but he seems to be out of favour. I just think he would contribute in the right role, he's not an international starter though. I don't like Baird as an international player against the big teams, just don't think he has the fight in him. Great athlete but goes missing.

I wouldn't put POM, Murray or Healy in the 23 for Italy now, they had their home send off and it must be close to 50/50 with some of the replacements

Ryan and Beirne in 2nd row. McCarthy impact sub.

Osbourne and ringrose centres. Henshaw covering a number of back positions.

I'd start crowley at 10 and prendergast on bench in our normal 5/3 split. I see this as a long term partnership between the 2 of them to develop both.

Furlong back into 23 assuming he is fit to come off bench. Although I fear he is in twilight now and we won't see the player we all loved over the years.

Hopefully Lowe and Hansen are available.

There are too many variables next week to think we are realistic championship winners not to make a few changes. Nothing radical there I feel, just freshening up.

Long term, there needs to be 4 competitive teams in Irish provinces. Munster best placed to improve at the moment but short a few top class operators. I think Ahern and Gleeson will make step up by WC 27 to replace the likes of Beirne, Conan.

Without leinster we would be at the level of Wales and Scotland fighting it out for 3rd/4th place but leinster are coming to the end of 2nd golden generation now, a 3rd generation is a tough ask, maybe they will, maybe they won't. France have toulouse and bordeaux up at or above leinsters level to heavily contribute to national team, plus 12 other teams to cherry pick a player or 2 from, like that la rochelle flanker that played centre yesterday, they'll never be stuck once they have their heads in the game.

Lots of kneejerk commentary.

Understandable to a point - it was an upsetting performance - but we were maybe due a stuffing. We had a bad day, France had a good day. They were clinical, we weren't. The French defended out of their skins. Not sure if I'm being one-eyed, but felt like some crucial decisions went against us. The penalty against Porter from the kick-off was farce.

I think we're a long way from panic stations, and if anything, today will be very helpful in the long term. It's illuminated an over-dependence on Lowe's 'something from nothing' ability and a general lack of speed.

I suspect all the angst about the aging squad will fade this summer/autumn. Players like Ben Murphy, Hugh Gavin, McNabney, Postlethwaite, Jack Boyle, Brian Gleeson and so on will be playing against Romania and Portugal. Gus McCarthy, Izzy and Jamie Osbourne will bed in more. The new blood that goes well there will be involved for a stacked Autumn International fixture list, and then on into the 2026 Six Nations. The evolution will accelerate soon.

My main question at this stage: anybody know what's going on with JOB? Last I saw of him, he came back from injury (maybe at the start of this season?) looking sharper/faster than ever.

Another question: any quick/elusive outside backs coming through in the u20s sides of the last two/three seasons?

I don't know why they won't have a look at Coombes at 6. He covers two backrow positions and lock as well but more importantly he gives Ireland exactly what they need, a genuine try scoring threat when camped on the opposition line. We have a massive issue with converting pressure into points and Coombes is someone who could help with that. Yes, he's not the most explosive player but he'll make 15 tackles, carry all day and be a real bastard in the tight. Its exactly what we need. He has a great pair of hands too. What's to be lost by looking at him.

Its fairly obvious to me the day Mike Catt walked out the door after the SA tour, Ireland have regressed. In every way. Attack is borderline one dimensional. At times disjointed. We don't have the slick, fluid, constantly changing the point of attack anymore. Ruck resourcing is poor. Turnovers are high.

Even in defence, we're not as strong. We've gone very narrow. If Farrell doesnt address that we're in trouble big time.

If changes need to be made do it now, and build towards the next WC.

You must have been in coronary care during the RWC watching a 37yo play us

Another one who seems to be of the bizarre opinion that Osborne played badly yesterday.