Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

theVersatile · 15-10-2025 02:04PM

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a squad that conservative. Id imagine any of the young guns will be held for the A game.

Third hooker and third nine could be changed but don't see much outside of that. Agree Henderson probably shouldn't be there but also think he probably will be

ionadnapóca · 15-10-2025 02:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123907537#Comment_123907537

I would be surprised because they do need to start integrating some fresh blood. The backrow would be another example.

vdF

The gap down from him is stark.

Irish rugby have had the luxury over the last 25 years of been able to roll between:

Wallace, Gleeson*, SOB, vdF, Leavy, Conners and back to vdF.

*Gleeson had a great stint before the reemergence of Wallace Mark II.

POM

Have to say it - there is nobody in the squad (or in the pipeline) close to POM either. Leadership/Aggressiveness/Edge whatever it is he had; it was a vital ingredient to the team.

Baird

He's such a different player and person to POM. Was disappointed that he didnt grasp his chance v England in 6N. Leinster really need to keep him at 6 and Stop switching him back and forth between lock.

7.Doris & *8.Gleeson*

Is this the future solution to backing up vdF?

IF Gleeson keeps developing . He looks very promising.

Doris is still out 'Shoulder surgery'. (Not what you need as a BR Forward) but he to me is the only guy who could substitute what vdF can do.

e.g.

Top tackler (24), many of them superb. 2 breakdown steals and played big part in a counter-ruck turnover. 14 carries. Broke 3 tackles and 5 passes

Doris to focus more into a tackling, carrying, all-action hero type who will play the 80mins.

*Gleeson

I think he is ready for international rugby already. Why not play him at 8 v Japan? He is showing all the physical characteristics necessary for the role. He will also bring another much needed explosive carrying option.

Im confident if Farrell thinks he's ready he wont be afraid to pick him in the squad.

crusd · 15-10-2025 02:46PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123905457#Comment_123905457

Great to see us planning for the future. Only way it seems to break into the squad now is if someone in your position is injured or retires

AbusesToilets · 15-10-2025 03:25PM

I don't see the value of not trying out new players. We can play the same tired team as last year vs NZ and lose again. Is anything gained from that? Play the younger guys, who are generally in better form anyway. As ever, it's a terrible message to send to new players that it doesn't matter how well you go, the incumbent will get picked anyway if fit.

crusd · 15-10-2025 03:33PM

On the point that ranking may be the priority. Even a worst case scenario where we lose to NZ, Aus and SA by > 15 points, we would still need either Argentina to beat England or Scotland to beat NZ to drop out of the top 6

FtD v2 · 15-10-2025 03:36PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123907781#Comment_123907781

What side would you pick to face NZ in Chicago?

johnh6767 · 15-10-2025 03:36PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123907781#Comment_123907781

Rotating a squad too soon doesn’t sound like a great idea either. Balance is essential

50HX · 15-10-2025 03:40PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123907822#Comment_123907822

V tier 1 teams we don't do squad rotations, outside of the match day 23 there maybe some rotation

darkened_scrum · 15-10-2025 03:48PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123907781#Comment_123907781

Can you name the younger players you mean here please? What would be your XV against NZ?

pickarooney · 15-10-2025 03:53PM

Henshaw always starts the season slow and gets written off. I wouldn't bin him yet but it's last chance saloon

crusd · 15-10-2025 03:54PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123905457#Comment_123905457

Updated with ages at date of 2027 W/C quarter finals.

Forwards

Hookers: Dan Sheehan (Leinster)- 29, Rónan Kelleher (Leinster) - 29, Gus McCarthy (Leinster) - 24. Props: Andrew Porter (Leinster) - 31, Jack Boyle (Leinster) - 25, Michael Milne (Munster) - 28, Tadhg Furlong (Leinster) - 35, Finlay Bealham (Connacht) - 36, Thomas Clarkson (Leinster) - 27. Locks: Joe McCarthy (Leinster) - 26, James Ryan (Leinster) - 31, Tadhg Beirne (Munster) - 35, Cormac Izuchukwu (Ulster) - 27, Iain Henderson (Ulster) - 35. Backrow: Caelan Doris (Leinster) - 29, Josh van der Flier (Leinster) - 34, Ryan Baird (Leinster) - 28, Jack Conan (Leinster) - 35, Nick Timoney (Ulster) - 32, Cian Prendergast (Connacht)- 27.

Backs

Scrumhalves: Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster) - 35, Craig Casey (Munster)- 28, Ben Murphy (Connacht) - 26. Outhalves: Sam Prendergast (Leinster) -24, Jack Crowley (Munster) - 27, Ciarán Frawley (Leinster) - 29. Centres: Bundee Aki (Connacht) - 37, Robbie Henshaw (Leinster) - 34, Stuart McCloskey (Ulster) - 35, Garry Ringrose (Leinster) - 32. Outside backs: James Lowe (Leinster) - 35, Mack Hansen (Connacht) - 29, Jamie Osborne (Leinster) - 25, Jacob Stockdale (Ulster) - 31, Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster) 30, Tommy O’Brien (Leinster) - 29.

Its a massive problem

Podge_irl · 15-10-2025 03:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123907877#Comment_123907877

He didn't end the last one particularly well either.

Clegg · 15-10-2025 04:01PM

Delighted that Doris is back. World Class player who makes us immediately better.

Big call on Paddy McCarthy too. There's a place available as Porters back up. Has looked good in his appearances this season.

https://twitter.com/IrishRugby/status/1978475655621931055?t=rZQMycbQlH7J2k74l-Jsdg&s=09

Podge_irl · 15-10-2025 04:01PM

Reasonably uninspiring. I would feel better if they were at least playing Osborne at 12, but they aren't going to I imagine.

Former Former Former · 15-10-2025 04:02PM

a few differences vs Thornley

Clegg · 15-10-2025 04:04PM

Shayne Bolton, Edwin Edogbo and Brian Gleeson will travel with the squad as well. Looks like they're this test windows development players.

Former Former Former · 15-10-2025 04:04PM

Paddy McCarthy the big surprise obviously.

Blade is a bit of a head-scratcher.

FtD v2 · 15-10-2025 04:05PM

Shayne Bolton, Edwin Edogbo and Brian Gleeson travelling to Chicago as training panelists too.

crusd · 15-10-2025 04:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123907893#Comment_123907893

Caolin Blade…..need to maximize the over 30's involved at this stage in the world cup cycle!

At least including Ahern and McCarthy is a positive i suppose

AbusesToilets · 15-10-2025 04:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123907811#Comment_123907811

I feel like chasing rankings is such a pointless exercise. We're not going to drop out of the top 6, being realistic. The way the draw works, there's always the likely hood that there's a team playing badly when the bands are finalised, that will be playing better come the WC, who gets thrown into a pool of death. There's too much vagary involved to stress about it.

To be brutal, it hasn't mattered when it's come to losing QFs what our ranking has been. We've been up, we've been down, the results have been the same. Perhaps it would be better to focus on building a better team, than chase ranking points.

Clegg · 15-10-2025 04:08PM

Squad announcement also stressed that Keenan, Joe McCarthy, Izuchukwu and Nash are all unavailable due to injury.

Former Former Former · 15-10-2025 04:09PM

Also:

The Ireland XV squad to face Spain on Saturday, 8 November in Leganés will be named next week.

AbusesToilets · 15-10-2025 04:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123907902#Comment_123907902

Where is Blade coming from? No shade to him, but seems very left field. I'd have brought Harry over Frawley too tbh.

1 new player in the backs is crazy imo. There's so many guys tearing it up, that are just being ignored again. There's what, 20ish games before the WC, and we're wasting a fifth of them without any real changes. I don't see what Stockdale has shown over JOB either for FB, not to mention Jimmy covers more positions.

aloooof · 15-10-2025 04:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123907926#Comment_123907926

Presumably he feels he needs some experience at SH, with Murray retiring; but I go back to the point I made about Casey only getting 22 mins vs Tier 1 Nations last Autumn. He was unlucky to be injured during the 6N's, but if he had gotten more game time and experience in the AI's (and he's been excellent for 12-18 months now) it might've freed Farrell up to selected Murphy, Devine or Gunne as the 3rd choice now.

And therein lies a broader point; conservatism can compound further down the line.

It's a pretty underwhelming squad, tbh, and not all that surprising.

TRC10 · 15-10-2025 04:19PM

They do make it hard to get excited about Irish rugby don’t they

crusd · 15-10-2025 04:27PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123907822#Comment_123907822

Picking players in their 30's who are not going to make a first choice 23 is not balance. Its bizarre

AbusesToilets · 15-10-2025 04:28PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123907941#Comment_123907941

It's a great point. Younger guys don't get picked, due to lack of experience, so they never get experience. I like Blade a lot, but he's really unlikely to challenging for a starting berth in 2 years. Casey should be, one of the younger guys could be too.

shootermacg · 15-10-2025 04:31PM

Andy and the friends he's made along the way :D Any chance of DJ Church for the banging tunes?

Former Former Former · 15-10-2025 04:31PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123907926#Comment_123907926

Unless Murphy is injured, I presume Blade is there for an experienced head who can cover against the ABs in a pinch (which he did quite well against SA last year, in fairness to him).

As for "so many guys tearing it up, that are just being ignored again", I'm not sure there are many tbh.

Podge_irl · 15-10-2025 04:34PM

I don't see what the point of the 4 octogenarian centres and Frawley is. Just leave Henshaw out, he doesn't deserve to be there (and he absolutely can not cover 13 anymore).

Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

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