Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

They aren’t “taking” Leinster’s players. They’re the IRFU’s players, the IRFU pay their wages.

They should be refused when they are taking game time from Irish internationals.

Munster signed Holloway, Arno Botha and Cloete which took game time away from JOD and Coombes? Does that logic apply there too?

Just looking a the high level experience young players have across the 6N, guys like Gailleton, Arundell, Mason Grady, Connone, Ollie Smith and a few others have thousands of minutes in URC/Top 14/Prem matches by the time they are 21 or 22, and test caps quite quickly. Just a totally different scene to Ireland where a 21 year old making starting appearances for Leinster, Munster or Ireland is totally exceptional. It's a real issue in Ireland, and it has something to do with Leinster's relative abundance.

Well those who refuse to turn up to see "Leinster in green", especially down south, should have shown more concern when their own province was not producing players and instead were celebrating signing Boks, Kiwis, argies and aussies to beat the band in the last 15 years. Didn't hear much argument about those signings from the same people who are now upset that their own province are not well represented in the national set up.

I find it easy enough but I live outside the country. If I was to try to explain to my English, French and Scottish supporting Friends that I didn’t support my home country as there were too many Leinster players in the squad they would think I’d gone mad. sure I’d like more Munster players but cohesion is a real thing and a non Leinster player has to offer a point of difference to make the team. That’s the road current coaching group has gone down because as the RTE Panel put it you can’t be expected to develop a game plan in 3 days so you might as well copy Leinster.

Realistically, in the past year, Calvin Nash has a reasonable reason to have a gripe about not getting gametime in November but beyond that, there isn't exactly a whole host of lads who can say they are being wrongly ignored.

Our Biggest concerns for me would be

1. LHP - Porter needs to be able to play some 45-50min test matches.
2. 7 - Really need to looks at Timoney and/or Hodnett in summer.
3. 9 - Need Casey back strong but we also need to see a few younger guys brought through.
4. Centre - Osborne needs to be given gametime at 12 (his best position) given the 3 mainstays are all over 30. There was a whiff of Gordon Darcy 2014 about Henshaw the last few weeks.

At 6, I'd like to see Izuchukwu or ahern play in summer. Injury permitting, just play one of them there in all 2/3 games. Give them a Chance to find their feet.

Who cares so? Sounds like you don't go to any Ireland or Munster games from your statement "I try to watch most games at home" so really it's only your couch that will be missing you if you find it so impossible to support Ireland and Munster. The Chase or Britain's Got Talent might be on at the same time as a match, it may be easier for you to watch.

Have you figured out how seedings work yet? Your friend Jamie Heaslip may be able to help.