Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Calling Crowley's try 'a run in from 5 metres'? Is this just on a casual glance at the game? Crowley manufactured that try and was involved from the start and tracked across the field to finish it.

It absolutely was not a 5 metre run in.

And the Porter try also had huge input from Crowley with long accurate passing Cutting out defenders in multiple involvements prior to the try (the kind of long accurate passing that Sam Prendergast is known for)

Casey was not 'poor'

His passing is more accurate than Gibson Park's, JGP made multiple poor passes last week. His Kicking was good, but his passing was ropey.

Caseywas under pressure because the pack as a whole played very poorly in the first half and we were dropping the ball and losing collisions (like this one where Baird gets bounced)

In the first half it was so frustrating. Jack and Craig were playing well, creating multiple chances and over and over again, handling errors or getting beaten in the air ended up in turnovers.

Jack played to 51 mins, then Sam came on, at that point, Japan were a spent force, their bench quality was a big step down from their starting 15 and they couldn't continue the intensity they showed for the first half.

Ireland's lineout was a complete mess. I think Beirne was calling it, but it misfired on every level, with the team simply not knowing the calls, or not being able to execute them correctly.

Kelleher got pinged for a double movement on the throw at one point, but that was because he got spooked by the fact that nobody was carrying out the movements he thought he was throwing into.

We improved in the 2nd half when Japan stopped competing, and we threw directly to the front in shortened lineouts.

Against better teams, this won't work.

Ireland made Japan look good on Saturday. But Japan are not a competitive team. That is worrying.

It is not the halfbacks that made them look good. We looked poor in the back 3, not winning the contestable high balls, not being able to complete linebreaks, fumbling passes, and losing footing when there were only one or two defenders to beat.

Australia are in a sorry state having lost to Italy this week, so I expect is to beat them next week, but SA will murder us

Former Irish outhalf Barry McGann has passed away.

https://www.irishrugby.ie/2025/11/10/barry-mcgann-rest-in-peace/#:~:text=The%20IRFU%20would%20like%20to,Ireland%20between%201969%20and%201976.

In 1976 he had to withdraw from the Munster squad that was set to play Australia in Musgrave park. Tony Ward made his debut in his place.

He then had to withdraw from the Irish team to play Australia the following week. Ollie Campbell made his debut in his place.

Im sure he will be commemorated fondly at the game on Saturday.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/2025/11/10/tributes-paid-to-former-irish-outhalf-barry-mcgann-who-died-at-the-weekend-aged-77/#:~:text=Cork%2Dborn%20McGann%2C%20who%20was,from%20international%20rugby%20in%201976.

McGann had transferred from Cork Con to Lansdowne in 1969, and it was while playing with Lansdowne that he was named as a replacement on the Irish squad to play France only for outhalf Mike Gibson to withdraw with injury and McGann won his first cap.

He made an outstanding debut and helped Ireland to a 17-9 victory and was so impressive when the superb Gibson returned to fitness, McGann retained the No 10 jersey and the Ulster man moved to the centre where he became one of the finest centres in the history of the game.

McGann won four Irish caps while with Lansdowne but he returned to Cork and Cork Con. He was with Cork Con in 1973 when he lined up alongside his clubmate Tom Kiernan as captain when Ireland took on the All Blacks on a blustery day in Lansdowne Road.

Ireland also included Gibson, Willie John McBride, Ray McLoughlin, Fergus Slattery and McGann’s fellow Corkman Terry Moore that day and when Tom Grace scored a late try to level the game at 10-10, the celebratory crowd spilled on to the pitch to engulf the winger with congratulations.

When the crowd finally cleared, McGann was left with a difficult kick from the touchline in blustery conditions and although it appeared to be on target and sailing between the posts, a gust of wind appeared to catch it and the kick tailed wide at the last moment and the game ended in a draw.