Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Podge_irl · 18-10-2025 11:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917257#Comment_123917257

Antoine Frisch is not that good and Ireland were completely correct to not cap him. The fact that Kelly has come in and been better should make that clear.

bingobango12 · 18-10-2025 11:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917191#Comment_123917191

I think Coombes potentially is just very unlucky with who is currently in the squad. Does he get ahead of McCarthy/Beirne at 4, Beirne/Baird at 6 or Doris/Conan at 8, in my opinion, no to all. The caveat being Baird hasn’t taken his chances as you said but I don’t think 6 is Coombes best position either.

Should he be in the wider squad and given another shot for Ireland though, yes he probably should.

With Gleesons injury, Conan being pulled from the game tonight and Doris still injured, he could very well see himself at 8 against New Zealand in two weeks.

Clegg · 19-10-2025 12:24AM

Farrell is a brilliant coach and motivator so we're hoping he can coax the best out of this squad again. Selection has always been one of his strong points too. He'll have them ready for Chicago.

But on the face of it, things aren't as good as they could be. A lot of Leinster players look quite unprepared for the start of the new season. Going into a test window off the back of one club game isn't ideal. Especially one where you were firmly second best technically and in the collisions.

ersatz · 19-10-2025 02:48AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123916975#Comment_123916975

Agree he was exceptional for much of the game. The foul for a YC on VDF was brain dead tho, really not acceptable from a coaching point of view. Then his teammate had Josh lined up perfectly for a big hit that was wasted.

exiledawaynothere · 19-10-2025 04:38AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917357#Comment_123917357

Although it seems that the ref/TMO got the wrong player.

ersatz · 19-10-2025 04:57AM

don’t think so, but I might be wrong.

exiledawaynothere · 19-10-2025 05:23AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917371#Comment_123917371

There is a thread on Reddit and a few not sure A I thought it was JOD. Whatever happened was cynical - whether Coombes or JOD but Ryan should have been (at least) penalized for a croc roll.

aloooof · 19-10-2025 05:45AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917265#Comment_123917265

Now do Tom Farrell.

phog · 19-10-2025 06:05AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917357#Comment_123917357

With the scoreline being the way it was I wouldn't call it brain dead at all. Only for the TMO that's missed and Leinster miss out on a consolation try at the end.

One thing I will say JGP put more effort into trying to get penalties from the ref than playing the ball, JvdF wasn't far behind him, though he rightly called his hand been played in that ruck. The ref has enough of them in the first half not to mind by the end of the game. Is this something that's coached into them to milk penalties to get field position? If you took away their scrum penalties last night they didn't offer much punch going forward with ball in hand.

phog · 19-10-2025 06:16AM

Coombes is down for 18 tackles, that's off the bench and he got under JvdF to prevent him scoring a try. I don't know how others can't see that effort from him.

Bart97 · 19-10-2025 06:27AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917319#Comment_123917319

They also beat South Africa in white last week which should provide some confidence!

bilston · 19-10-2025 07:33AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917103#Comment_123917103

I've always thought this. Assume there is a logistical/admin reason behind it, getting the paperwork done for 40 odd people to travel to the US probably eats up a few houes of the day, but yes you'd have to wonder whether a squad picked next week would be different to a squad picked last week. Probably not massively.

geoff2204 · 19-10-2025 07:44AM

Great game last night and delighted with Munster win. I really do think they made a statement to Irish rugby. Please for the interest of the national team can management pick from players playing at this level. If you are third choice for Leinster the expectation should be you need to move away AND become first choice to play for Ireland. It will be better for the national team and encourage competition/ambition etc

pickarooney · 19-10-2025 07:54AM

Are there any right wingers fit? Hansen, Nash, TOB, Larmour... do I need to ask if Baloucoune is fit?

Former Former Former · 19-10-2025 08:00AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917452#Comment_123917452

Since this game involves the Ireland squad missing a round of the URC (including an interpro), giving the provinces a few days’ notice of who’s called up would be very unfair.

clsmooth · 19-10-2025 08:02AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917478#Comment_123917478

The provinces are there to serve the national team not the other way round so not sure this would come into their consideration.

OldRio · 19-10-2025 08:07AM

Id like to think there will be a few more call ups after the weekend. Let's face it there should be.

phog · 19-10-2025 08:10AM

The announcement could have been made today, would the bulk of the callups change, hardly likely. Could one or two change, you'd like to think so.

The provinces have to take stock now anyways, all 4 picked up injuries in their games this weekend, would losing one or two more players from a Sunday call up rather than a mid week call.up make a huge difference, probably not.

Would the IRFU/Farrell really care how the provinces feel about a player being called up to the national squad for a game that's being played outside the international window

Former Former Former · 19-10-2025 08:11AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917482#Comment_123917482

Yeah but you also want a basic level of working relationship between the two.

Either way, the squad assembles tomorrow for a flight on Tuesday, they had to name it last week.

Podge_irl · 19-10-2025 08:38AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917383#Comment_123917383

He should be capped. I get why he isn't given his age, but it would make more sense than sticking with Henshaw.

aloooof · 19-10-2025 08:56AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917543#Comment_123917543

And I agree. But the broader point being, just cos Farrell picks him doesn’t de facto mean it’s the right decision / he’s picked the better player etc.

Podge_irl · 19-10-2025 09:00AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917563#Comment_123917563

I said nothing about Farrell's judgement being "defacto" correct. I just think not picking Frisch was correct because I don't rate him that highly, and nothing he has done since moving to France suggests anything different. It absolutely wasn't a mistake to not cap him, anymore than it was with Healy - both decisions I think fully vindicated. That doesn't mean mistakes can't be made going forward

aloooof · 19-10-2025 09:04AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917569#Comment_123917569

Nor does it mean mistakes haven't been made in the past.

Podge_irl · 19-10-2025 09:05AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917576#Comment_123917576

I never claimed otherwise. My literal only point is that Frisch wasn't one of them.

aloooof · 19-10-2025 09:11AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917580#Comment_123917580

Which is fine. The broader point I'm making is that it's oft-repeated on here that Farrell sees them in training / Farrell knows more than us etc. The undertone being we shouldn't question his decisions.

Boards is probably the only place I've come across this notion. I honestly don't think I've ever encountered that attitude in, say, GAA or soccer, say.

Podge_irl · 19-10-2025 09:19AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917594#Comment_123917594

I mean, Farrell does see them in training and know more than us. He almost certainly has a better idea of what they are achieving or not in terms of their goals. That is true of every coach though and it has never stopped me criticising things in the past - because what else can you do? I have no idea if I've ever used the argument, but if I did it was just as a means of trying to understand why he might have done certain things.

Equally I would argue accusations of bias are well wide of the mark though.

Former Former Former · 19-10-2025 09:24AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917543#Comment_123917543

They’re unconnected though. Henshaw’s apparent decline does not make Farrell one day younger.

With Aki going to be 37, Henshaw 34, McCloskey 35 and even Ringrose going to be 32 at the RWC, we just can’t look to a guy who’ll also be 34 for the answer.

It’s cruel because Farrell is a quality player but just unfortunate to have been born the year he was.

aloooof · 19-10-2025 09:26AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917611#Comment_123917611

Well, I can firmly say I have never used the "bias" argument. But, like the point I made to FTD, systems, cohesion, familiarity, parterships, gameplan all are real things that come into coaches considerations too.

Which is often overlooked on here as "he picks the best players".

Look, we'll see how it goes. With the context of everything over the last 12 months, this Autumn Internationals feels like a bit set of games for Farrell, imo. Much moreso than previous AI's.

Podge_irl · 19-10-2025 09:26AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123917622#Comment_123917622

Sure, I don't disagree with any of that. But I think the chances of Henshaw making the RWC are basically zero, and if we are going to play someone who won't be at the 2027 RWC we may as well play someone who is actually playing well.

I wouldn't pick either for what it's worth.

OldRio · 19-10-2025 09:26AM

But if a player is roughly the same age and in better form?

Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

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