Not much to argue about there.
I quite like the side tbh, but feel we're too lacking match sharpness to push the All Blacks this Saturday.
Great to see Paddy McCarthy up there - exciting chance for him to kick on now.
15. Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster)(8) 14. Tommy O’Brien (UCD/Leinster)(2) 13. Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster)(67) 12. Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster)(21) 11. James Lowe (Leinster)(40) 10. Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(26) 9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(43)
1. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster)(75) 2. Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(32)(captain) 3. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster)(79) 4. James Ryan (UCD/Leinster)(72) 5. Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster)(61) 6. Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(29) 7. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)(73) 8. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)(51)
Replacements:
16. Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)(39) 17. Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)* 18. Finlay Bealham (Corinthians/Connacht)(51) 19. Iain Henderson (Academy/Ulster)(85) 20. Caelan Doris (St Mary’s College/Leinster)(51) 21. Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster)(20) 22. Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)(9) 23. Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht)(65).
* denotes uncapped
Big boost for McCloskey to leapfrog both Bundee and Henshaw (prob injured)
Paddy McC another to leapfrog.
Would have picked Clarkson over Beahlam.
Team is named. McCloskey actually is starting. Probably our strongest available. We'll see how it goes.
Huge day for Paddy McCarthy as well. Shot up the ranks so quickly, but there's a gap in the squad now Healy is retired. Nice to see a young player get there fast.
Cant say I watch allot of French rugby myself but the demise of Joey Carbery to my mind was (and has since been) exaggerated before Farrell jettisoned him from the 2023 6N squad.
It was an error of judgement because he effectively chose Ross Byrne as his replacement.
Ross who wasnt even in the 2022 AI squad until the last game v Australia. He played 6 mins and brilliantly nailed a pen to win the game. Thats what basically got him ahead of Carbery.
It wasnt that Carbery was playing badly at all. In fact, I thought he was really impressing again that season.
For Connacht supporters to think they couldn't benefit from Carbery is a little ridiculous. They desperately need a place kicker and having watched the Munster game they desperately need someone who can kick for territory (even a little!).
Carbery is just turning 30. Connacht and Irish rugby would be better for having him playing in the country.
The third choice RWC Outhalf position is very much up for grabs.
He had well over 1000 minutes for Bordeaux last season and was in the matchday squad for pretty much all their most important games.
I think Connacht would be mad not to go for him to be honest. Doesn't need to come in as the presumptive starter or anything, but he is still a decent quality player who can cover multiple positions. Great bench option.
Even if you go back a further 2 years to the AI's where we beat NZ 29-20, the starting 15 was as follows (it was mentioned on some podcast during the week, I forget which one):
The likelihood is we'll see a very similar looking team announced for this weekend, so it is hard not to think this team are post-peak and in need for some new blood, imo.
Yeah fair enough. If connacht don't want him then it's not a runner.
I haven't watched any French rugby so don't know how he's playing.
I watched clips of Ireland v SA in the last World Cup and the pace from the key playmakers in passing , running and decision making just looks very different to today. 2 years ago they were at their pinnacle and today it’s hard not to feel that they are not post peak. Still great players. But post peak and 2 years down the line is quite worrying. Hopefully the introduction of the younger players will help bridge the gap
I really don't have a good feeling about this. Too many guys lacking form and gametime.
Aki over McCloskey would be a mistake, Henshaw on the bench would be an even worse one.
Would hope Stockdale gets selected instead of Lowe. Lowe was awful against Munster and Stockdale has impressed me of late.
I'd rather start Doris and get a good 50 minutes out of him. We've seen Conan have major impact off the bench relatively recently also. He and Sheehan turned the England game around for us.
Would also rather McCloskey at 23 or a different utility back. Henshaw looks to be on the decline as a player. Maybe an impact role from the bench for 20 minutes might work? Don't like it though. Thornley hasn't always gotten these calls right. Hope he's incorrect on this one in particular.
We're going to miss McCarthy for this one. Finished the season well and carried that on for the Lions.
Think Connacht would be mad to go for that. Has he had a good full season since leaving Leinster 7/8 years ago? Hopefully Gilbert slots in quickly when he comes into Connacht so there is no need to even think about taking a risk on Carberry.
Wasted on the wing??? Spoken like a forward. What about his kicking for touch, catching and positional play? Is he James Lowe good at that kind of kicking? But, more seriously, maybe it’s the start of something new?
Gerry Thornley thinks Doris will start on the bench, otherwise as expected
IRELAND v New Zealand (possible): JOsborne; T O’Brien, G Ringrose, B Aki, J Lowe; J Crowley, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, D Sheehan (capt), T Furlong; J Ryan, T Beirne; R Baird, J van der Flier, J Conan.
Replacements: R Kelleher, J Boyle, F Bealham, I Henderson, C Doris, C Casey, S Prendergast, R Henshaw.
Interview with Goodman. Which is remarkable. Remarkable because I cant say I've ever heard him talk in any detail before.
He starts at 10:00. Gets a bit more interesting around 15:00 min mark.
Experience. Test Match Animals like Owen Farrell. Sniping Scrum-Halves (what a revelation!). Transitional Attack. Counter Attack. Seeing the space. Putting people in the best places like Jordie Barrett.
3:20min most interesting part is Jason Holland (set-piece, attack etc and who does what). Joe Schmidt mentioned as a replacement. Please go get him Leinster.
ROG gets a mention!! And Goodman!
There are fans in France too who think Thomas Ramos' best position is at 10, and the French side are stronger with him at 10 and someone like Attissogbe, Barre etc at 15.
Good point (despite the source 😁). You could argue that France are the only top team who know their 10 at the moment (albeit we’re still two years out from RWC2027).
He was looking for a spot in the Premiership and it looks like nobody wants him there either.
I certainly don't want to see him in Connacht. I'd rather we give our young lads a shot than bring him in.
He is not being offered a renewal at Bordeaux by all accounts. I think his chances of forcing the issue are well gone, he is looking back to Ireland cause he isn't wanted.
The AIs is the time to give young players an opportunity. If they play well give them another shot and if they perform well again then they need serious consideration for the six nations.
I think Baird has to get his opportunity at 6. He's been brilliant there over the last six months or so. I think he's our best at the position now.
Yeah the possibility of a third or fourth contender would mean they'd probably need to make a decision to drop one of the contenders.
Bernard Jackman is talking about Connacht signing Carbery for next year. I like the idea but I've no idea how realistic it is. He might force the issue if he came back on great form too.
But the world cup isn't tomorrow, so they'll continue to develop both of them. I'm mostly fine with that
Exactly, we don't need to do anything different, the RWC is two years away. If one of them makes a very strong claim in the interim and makes the jersey his own, that's great, but ideally we'll see very strong competition between them up to 2027 and beyond. Hopefully Murphy, H Byrne, or someone else can come into the picture too.
I'd go along with the above as well. Henderson is good bench cover, but I can't see him starting - and if it pushes Beirne out to 6 I just don't get it. I know he played well for the Lions there, but he has seemed wasted there for Ireland.
I'd be pretty surprised if Henderson starts tbh; I think we'll see Beirne move back to the row in McCarthy's absence so in that regard, I'm expecting:
Osborne, TOB, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe, Crowley, JGP, Porter, Sheehan, Furlong, Ryan, Beirne, Baird, VdF, Doris.
Yeah that's what the evidence shows. I don't mind them giving Prendergast a chance last year. The thinking was sound. He showed great talent in some areas of 10 play in his early career. He was genuinely a cut above the rest in 10 specific play at U20s level (passing, kicking and organising the backline).
I think they knew about his obvious deficiencies in carrying and tackling and hoped they would develop over time. And now we're in the phase where if those aspects don't develop then it's a failed experiment. But the experiment was a good idea. Until he develops those other crucial aspects (if he ever develops them) he is likely to be behind Crowley, who is more rounded.
There will probably be some more sharing the jersey to give him the chance to either reduce the deficiencies or find mitigations before the world cup. If the world cup was tomorrow and you had to pick the strongest 15, Crowley would be the man to start. But the world cup isn't tomorrow, so they'll continue to develop both of them. I'm mostly fine with that
I agree and feel it has to be crowley who I think is the far more rounded player
It could all be reversed come 6N time depending on how the next few months go but isn’t that what we want in every position on the pitch?!
I think there's an argument that at 10, moreso than any other position, you want a settled selection building towards a RWC, given how pivotal a position it is.
I remember George Hook* as far back as the 2011 RWC making the case we were the only Tier 1 nation who didn't know our first choice 10 going in to the RWC.
*Yes, consider the source, but there is the crux of a point there.
For this AI's I still think I'd like to see both starting 2 games, but the closer we get to the RWC, I think we need a settled option.
I think it would be a huge gamble, and if it doesn’t come off, then it’s a mistake. Farrell has never been afraid to take gambles and for all we know Prendergast is running the show in training as we speak, but he looks very short on confidence and I wouldn’t pick him.
