Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

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.

I really don’t think many understand concussion

That is the problem in rugby 

Remembering we are talking about a player who had to rule himself out of matches just this summer.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2021/aug/06/rugbys-problems-run-much-deeper-than-concussion-from-the-odd-big-hit

Yes That is his game and people only really started to understand that those’ % doesn’t work’ actually were a percentage decision where cover was available.

What he actually did was not a percentage decision, he just blasted out of the line into no man’s land.

Now he does shoot out to blitz more than ever under Nienaber, but that was not a blitz, it was someone who had just rattled his brain and was running into space.

Just had a look at the first Irish lineout after 56 seconds…is that some sort of joke?

None of the Irish backs 3 covered themselves in glory.

a very average trio.

Prendergast was fairly average last season. He played well vs a rubbish Fiji side that got hammered out the gate, but he was a bit of a disaster come April/May.

He got what all new players with zero analysis done on them get - a free shot. Now teams are hoping he starts. He needs someone to run at him to create gaps with last minute passes. You can literally see his thought process when he has the ball, pass - oh no that channel is blocked, kick - not enough time will be blocked down, take contact? Nope. pass anyway BINGO intercept.

Now teams know to just not tackle him and cover his passing channels. He's like having an extra man in defence.

Now you have teams capitalising off the skip pass with intercepts. I was delighted when he passed his HIA against Munster, I knew we'd win then.