2025 Nov 01 | AI's Round 1 | Ireland v New Zealand | 20:10 GMT | VM in Ire / TNT & Discovery+ in UK

Baird has showed very little in 30 caps, and got what? 2 turnovers yesterday? That's good, but take PoM, he'd give you those turnovers and give you more on the ground. You guys are just show pony watchers. We've got Bairds coming out of our arse pockets in Munster.

Edogbo showed more in 40 minutes against those same internationals than they showed in the same 40. Also got a jackal turn over, which is something missing from this squad. When was the last time Ryan scored a turnover? Or Baird?

Also, I don't need to make a case for sacking Andy, he's doing that on his own. He's probably shortened the career of his starting team through lack of proper rotation. Porter is a shadow of the machine that he used to be, Andy is to blame for forcing him to do 70 minutes in game after game.

If he starts his first team against Japan, he really should go.

I've re-watched the game and I'm left feeling very so slightly more optimistic than I was at full time last night. We played in roughly the right areas of the pitch for most of it. Eked out plenty of penalties to put pressure on New Zealand and forced them into errors, especially in their handling. They found it very hard to break us down for 55 minutes if the game and until the final quarter they only looked threatening when we were down to 14 men.

What really let us down was our execution. Our attacking lineout was awful. New Zealand always seemed to have a jumper in the air right where ours was positioned. From what I remember our lineout completion has actually been decent this season. It was 65% yesterday and that's just not good enough. Couldn't convert our possession or territory into points. The fact we've fixed those issues before makes me think we'll do it again.

A lot of our strategy was based on kicking for territory and to contest. Unfortunately that wasn't executed well either. They were simply too long and didn't allow us the chance to compete in the air or to put the receiver under pressure. I would hope that's something we could fix as Crowley looked completely shot of confidence the further the game went on.

Our issues with execution were summed up for me with an attacking set piece move we had off a scrum on the New Zealand 10 metre line. JGP feinted to go to the side of the pitch with more space, but went back to the short side where there was a 4 man strike move planned. The ball went to Crowley who subsequently passed behind everyone and to the ground. I don't know if it was a poor pass, miscommunication on the planned move or the initial receiver of the Crowley pass overrunning his mark. Maybe a bit of everything. But that's a move they would have run dozens of times in training and the first time they broke it out it was botched.

My biggest gripe with respect to Andy Farrell and his coaching team is that they haven't addressed the issues in this team that led to our QF exit to NZ 2 years ago. We lost again last night for many of the same reasons we did in 2023.

A lineout that couldn't reliably secure possession or provide a platform in the oppositions half. A scrum that keeps getting pinged on the LH side. And worse than that, an attack that has become more even more blunt in the opposition's 22. That for me is unforgivable.

If we truly want to get over our WC QF hoodoo then we need to be far more ruthless when the required coaching changes are not being made. It will never happen but if these same failings persist beyond this series and into the 6N then serious questions should be asked about continuing Farrell's tenure. We can't afford to waste another WC cycle.

Not yet, but the buck stops with him for the failures of his coaching staff. Like I said, come the 6N if these same issues are failing us then some ruthlessness needs to be applied.

I think now too the lineout is a foregone conclusion with POC in charge. It's become a psychological thing and the players must have lost all confidence in their system. A new voice is needed there, I can't see any other solution.

If a player is going to have "ups and downs" then they aren't good enough to be a starting player. The team needs reliable winners in every position, it isn't a training squad for underdeveloped players.

By that rationale we would never select young players…

We don’t have anyone who fits that bill though. It’s either Crowley, Prendergast or someone even less proven.

It’s a big problem with no easy answers

You select young players that are good enough. Being young isn't an excuse for not being good enough or reliable, certainly not past 21 or 22.

That sort of attitude is how you end up with +35 year olds in certain positions.

He’s been one of the best young players in Irish rugby this season so far…based on that he is good enough.

While we definitely need to figure out life at SH post JGP, I can categorically say Craig Casey is not, and will not be the answer. Good club scrum half, not at the level at all for international.

Peter Stringer was, and won 99 caps for his country and was a key player for several years.