Ireland V Australia. Saturday 15th Nov. Build up thread

I think Cian Prendergast probably did enough to earn a bench spot over Henderson.

God I hope so

Australia galvanised around JOC in the rugby championship so it will be interesting to see if he is selected this weekend! If he is, my money is on them.

Looks like SP is going to get selected, which as long it's a rotation selection I wouldn't have an issue with, tbh.

TOB strikes me as a hard working, earnest winger, but he looks like he lacks football & flair tbh. I don't rate his handing at all, as so far he seems to have had more knock ons & dropped balls from passes & kicks than most wingers have in a full season. He really needs to improve this part of his game to be any good at this level imho. I'd rate several other Irish wingers (e.g. Kilgallen, Nash & Balacoune) ahead of him when fit tbh.

I hope the other Prendergast, or someone else, replaces Henderson on the bench, who offers nothing at this level any longer sadly, and hasn't done for some seasons now imho.

But this is Andy Farrell selecting we're living with , where form is only a loose guide to selections for reasons best known to himself, & where he seems to select more from habit, loyalty , Leinster & ratings in Dublin newspapers than anything else frankly e.g. Ronan Kelleher still gets selected as the squad hooker, despite not being able to hit a door with any of his throw ins for several years now. (As well as making many costly mistakes in his world cup QF cameo). Yet some still wonder why Ireland's lineout misfires, well if you pick hookers who can't throw in the first place, it shouldn't be too hard to figure it out , surely!?

P.s. Australia to win this weekend, as while they're jaded, they still have more to play for (ie. A 6th seeding at their home RWC), & also their side has played better rugby more recently than Ireland have , who haven't really performed for over 1 year ago in SA tbh , as England were unlucky to pick up a soft card in Dublin when being beaten.

While next week against South Africa is the biggest match of the Autumn I'd say the most important result is this weekend against Australia.

South Africa are the best team in the world so defeat to them can be explained away unless it is truly awful.

Defeat to Australia will be much harder to justify. I'd say there is a bit of pressure on this weekend for the W no matter how it comes.

Team I'd go for for this

P.McCarthy Sheehan Furlong

Beirne Ryan

Prendergast Doris Timoney

Casey

Prendergast

Baloucoune Stu Farrell TOB

Lowry

Kelleher Porter Clarkson Baird Conan JGP H.Byrne Hansen

It’s this 100% - they’re a side who lost to Italy last weekend who only beat Japan by 4 points a few weeks ago.

They match up well against us IMO and will lift it for us given we’ve beaten them the last few times out, the Joe thing and maybe some Lions spillover, but we need to be a lot better this weekend.

I think James O’Connor had the biggest influence during the Championship. The two games against Argentina really showed it — for about 60 minutes, Australia struggled to find rhythm, but as soon as O’Connor came on, the momentum completely changed. One match turned into a great comeback and the other was just short of another. Nevertheless, he certainly wasn't perfect from the tee and he did miss a couple of kicks for touch.

Both Nick and Tate are big losses, no doubt, but during the Championship their individual influence wasn’t as noticeable — they’re both high-quality players who offer a similar level of performance, so having one or the other didn’t really shift the outcome of the games.

Baloucoune is exclusively a right winger, he is not competition for Lowe (who already has competition in the shape of Stockdale), the only person he can displace is TOB.

Lowry has had some decent form but against very questionable opposition, there isn't really any argument to bring him in over JOB.

Hansen was only injured for three weeks, it can't have been that serious and he's just a vastly superior player to either Lowry or Baloucoune.

Respectfully, you just lack the basic knowledge here.

I’m not “conditioned” to think anything; the guy just never, ever, ever plays left wing. Why that is I’ve no idea but it’s a fact. Not nonsense, fact.