Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Tom Farrell, the inaugural United Rugby Championship Playmaker of the Year  for the 2024/25 season, rolls his eyes.

I don’t think you can blame the management for Crowley’s performance last night down to being dropped last year. He came into the game in great form unlike last year. It’s up to him to take his opportunity and he’s struggled to do that last night and on other occasions since he broke into the team.

Consistency seems an issue with him. When he’s good, he’s very good but he’s prone to errors at this level especially from the boot. He had a lovely offload last night which shows what he can do with ball in hand. Hopefully he can iron these errors out and put in big performances against Australia and SA as I think he needs it if he wants to keep his place going into the 6N as you’d have to assume Prendergast will improve before then. Definitely a weak area for us at the moment but both players should improve in the following 2 years with experience.

That's one hell of an accusation to make for a 'I reckon'

Which part?

I'd go for pretty much the same team. I'd probably have Bealham ahead of Furlong for the Japan game, Furlong will be expected to play a lot of minutes in the subsequent two games so taking it easy next weekend would be good for him. Also, it means Bealham is better prepared if Furlong goes down early in either of the other two games. Kelleher probably should start against Japan for the same reasons.

Crowley should be told that he's getting a rest next week but will be starting for the other two games. He needs to be backed, he seems like the kind of guy who will respond well and rise to the challenge.

We clearly need new blood at 12, that has to be Osborne. McCloskey did well yesterday but we need to be looking to the WC. Aki and Henshaw should be put out to pasture. Osborne playing 15 again would be a waste of time, he won't be playing there when Keenan is available. Osborne should be our starting 12 for the 6N and that process has to start next week - I don't care if that means playing Henderson at 15.

We obviously need to transition away from Ringrose at 13 too but there are no other options in the squad currently. That's a corner AF has painted himself into unfortunately. Tom Farrell, while a very good player in excellent form but he isn't the answer. James Hume needs to be seriously looked at, pity it isn't happening now.

'I reckon' part.

Well ok. I do think he was. Look back at that hit. There is no way he didn’t shake his own brain. It’s just different levels of concussion.

He was absolutely miles off when shooting out later. That’s really not like him

I think Osborne is a fine player. The question many will ask is why should he be selected in the centre by Ireland if Leinster don’t select him there? I don’t think the current set up in Leinster is helping Ireland nor the elite and highly talented Irish qualified players in the Ireland squad.

Why would furlong need a rest. He has played about 10-12 games this year.

The question many will ask is why should he be selected in the centre by Ireland if Leinster don’t select him there?

Because he is likely to be Ireland's best 12 come WC27... He may be our best 12 right now, the only thing is McCloskey is still playing very well but he's likely to decline a fair bit over the next two years. Also worth noting that Osborne isn't Leinster's first choice 15 either.

It should be even more clear cut at Leinster, Osborne is not only a better 12 then Henshaw now, the gap seems to be growing every month. Osborne should be Leinster's undisputed first choice 12, that he isn't is another question mark hanging over Cullen (I think everyone agrees that Leinster's deficiencies are carrying over to Ireland but LC and AF are acting like it is still 2018). Osborne's future isn't at 15, playing him there is wasting time which could be used to develop him as a top class 12.

This series should have been about transitioning to the players who you expect to be playing in the WC27. Give them the next two 6Ns to develop, not flogging guys who are already past it.

Frawley was given the chance at 10 for Leinster and never nailed it down. He showed flaws in his passing game that meant it wasn't worth persisting with. Lancaster and Cullen had every chance to persist, but decided Ross and Harry Byrne were better options.

I like Frawley as a player. He's a good passing and kicking option from 12 and a decent sized athlete. But people need to stop acting like he's never been given a shot at flyhalf. He got one and it was quickly decided he was better elsewhere.

I understand why Farrell likes him. He's a 'messy' kind of player. It's the same reason why I and many other Leinster fans rate him. He takes risks and isn't afraid of making the big play. But his control or the game isn't good enough to make him a provincial 10, let alone a test one.