Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

hmm, if you think Lowe hasn’t errors in his game then you are deeply one eyed.

take a look at the tackle stats for Hanson/Lowe whenever they have played in 10 internationals.

In fairness, Stockdale's iconic tries are going back 7-8 years, it's no basis for picking a team for tomorrow.

His injury record has been very unfortunate but it's also a fact of life.

He can't really complain about his status.

Is Lowe past his best? It certainly looks like it. But that doesn't mean he isn't still the best option.

Yeah as a leinster fan I love Lowe's strengths but I have to acknowledge his weaknesses. There's always an argument for dropping a player with significant weaknesses in favour of some with different strengths.

I'm not calling for Lowe to be dropped, but he's vulnerable to someone with high end pace and better defence. Lowe's big clearance kicks are a point of difference (but might be mitigated by Osborne having a similar ability). And his footballing (nebulous term which I understand to mean skill to do something like kick, pass or something really tricky in almost no space) is excellent.

A player with significant weaknesses should be vulnerable to being replaced by a player with different strengths. His age brings that dropping closer. It's as much an opportunity as a cause for concern.

It's very possible James Lowe will lose his place over the next 12 months or so, it wouldn't be shocking given his age profile, but I wouldn't say it's nailed on Jacob Stockdale will be the guy to take it.

Lowe can be castigated for his defence plenty, but it's not exactly a shining strength in Stockdale's game either (or Hansen's for that matter).

Neither are particularly quick anymore by international winger standards. While they're of similar size, Lowe is a far more physical player and a much better ball handler who is more creative. He also has a better kicking game than Stockdale.

I think the guy who might step up and take the shirt in time is Shayne Bolton, or possibly even Diarmuid Kilgallen if he can get a consistent run of fitness. Coaches clearly like Bolton; he's quick and strong and a good try scorer. Neither player (Bolton or Kilgallen) have much in the way of a kicking game to shout about.

I think Tommy O'Brien has the most well rounded skillset of all of our wingers; he is one of the very quickest, has a good step, is very aggressive defensively, good in the air and a good jackal threat on the ground. If he can just stay healthy I'd back him to lock down the 14 shirt.

Agreed but I think that's what the ABs need in their blindside. Lakai, Savea and Sittiti are all game changers and Parker is the workhorse.

The greatest back row of all time saw Read and McCaw grabbing the headlines, because they were ridiculously good, but also because Kaino was doing the unseen donkey work.

But useful for putting down players from outside of one's own province.

This was doing the rounds prior to the QF, I think:

Bolton is out there right now with the squad, he played on the summer tour, I expect him to play against Japan potentially too. If he goes well there and has been going well in training so far, it's not outrageous to think he could force his way in for either Australia or South Africa.

@ionadnapoca

Yeah Sittiti has been playing well this season. I think he'd come on for Lakai unless theres an injury or the latter is having a stormer.

Is Semo Sittiti in the blue?

Yep, that's Semo Sititi, Wallace's Dad.

I do think Lowe's out of form / on the wane - he definitely struggled with the Lions, and vs. Munster the other day - but I think he gets a hard time.

His power broke the game open against England in this year's Six Nations, and against Scotland the next week. When our attack was going nowhere, it was his power that was the point-of-difference, the something-from-nothing we desperately needed.

He lacks pace, for sure. And his defence can be suspect. But given his power, his kicking and his ability to pop up in midfield, there's no-one better at the moment.

And, by the way, I think Stockdale has been in really good form, has been very unlucky with injuries, and also has game-breaking attributes… I just think Lowe edges it overall, especially with the 'messy wingers' style that Farrell loves.