Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Should have been looking to bring them into the group. Not necessarily them particular coaches but new voices. Irish coaches going well are not getting opportunities though, so will bring in a Goodman, we won’t promote to within the ranks of Irish coaches performing well.

As ugly as my golf.

Ireland are a team obviously in decline and the future looks pretty grim from the underage teams too. Has the look of us going back to no-hopers territory. Hope I'm wrong.

This team has been on a downward slope for a year now in terms of performances. Some of us could see it but most refused to acknowledge it. But now Ireland are now in freefall and I fear we could be in for a drop off similar to Wales post 2019.

Today felt like the end for the team that Farrell settled on around November 2021. Healy, POM and Murray are obviously now gone (that should have happened ages ago but such is Irish Rugby). Then you have Aki (35), Henshaw (32), VDF (32), Beirne (33), Lowe (33), JGP (33), Furlong (33) and Ringrose (30), all of whom's performances have dropped off and likely won't be at RWC 2027. If we chose to stick with all these guys and try to get them through to Australia, I think it will end in disaster. That doesn't mean all of the above guys have to go. But If we're to have any chance at winning a quarter final in 2.5 years, this team needs a major refresh come November. The timing of the Lions tour is ideal as it gives us the summer to bring through some of the new guys who'll be replacing the guys named, before properly bedding them with guys like Porter, Sheehan, McCarthy, Doris, Hansen and Keenan who will hopefully make up the core of the new team ( and some of them need a good look at themselves as well).

But it needs to actually happen. If we kick the can down the road like Irish rugby has always done, than the World Cup will end as it's always done.

We most likely finish 3rd in this years 6N.
A fall of two places in a year where wales are in turmoil, and we have Eng and Fra at home.

We have 3 players retiring and 2 players have popped their 6 nations cherry.

It’s a bit drastic calling it a failure, but it’s most definatley not a successful competition for us.

This year was the year for the beginning of an overhaul. It seems Farrell did not trust Easterby to start the process though in his absence so kept the old guard for one last hurrah.
I thought we would have a very tough tournament so 4 wins in 5 is not awful.
Now, I am kind of thinking we should have told Farrell “no, you have a contract with us”, when the Lions came calling. As it is slowing the transition and well f*ck the Lions.

I blame Ohk Energy and Vodafone ("Together!")

Reality is a bit inconvenient to your edge lord persona

I didn't expect the performances to collapse as they have. Look at what England did to Wales today and contrast. We had posters here saying how difficult the game was and Wales were up for it and the roof was closed...blah blah.

We have been hopeless the last 3 games and today was another low.

I wouldn't be too harsh on this year's crop of u20's. They were missing at least 4 of their best forwards for the entire Six Nations. Our youth development has improved a lot, but we're never going to be able to make up for losing half our starting pack.

The players we were without; Usanov, Niall Smyth, Alan Spicer and Luke Murphy will all be provincial regulars for years to come too. So that's a lot of quality out of the side before the tournament ever began.

Yeah I have always thought that myself - seems to kick across the ball or something?