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Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

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Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 5,526 ✭✭✭ionadnapóca


    Just a normal week in Irish sports!

    46 points v Australia! Hat-tricks!!

    I started last week a bit downbeat about the rugby and completely indifferent about the soccer.

    Winning the world cups is definitely on the cards now!!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 616 ✭✭✭darkened_scrum


    This nations championship thing completely passed me by I must confess.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,168 ✭✭✭✭bilston


    Do the 6Ns matches count as well towards the competition or is it completely separate?

    Edit - never mind it seems it isn't considered which I thought was the original plan.

    Im talking to myself now but it looks like all 6 NH teams play the 6 SH teams and are then ranked 1st to 6th in each hemisphere based on those results. Each country then plays the equivalent ranked team in the other hemisphere in the play offs at Twickenham at the end of November.

    It's not actually a bad format, but as per above the travel for the NH teams is problematic



  • Subscribers, Paid Member Posts: 44,281 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    According to the indo Ireland will play Australia and Japan in Australia, before travelling to new Zealand.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,294 ✭✭✭Former Former Former


    Ah that's better I guess. Sort of screws Japan over but that's their problem.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,662 ✭✭✭Brief_Lives


    • HUGE amount of travel for the European teams (except France) in July.
    • Top 14 final finishes just a week before, so France sending out a B team (I've no problem with this, Top 14 is incredible)
    • Reduces opportunity for a Test Series
    • Similar to the world cup

    some good

    • Gives Fiji and Japan access to top tier tests.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 13,238 ✭✭✭✭AbusesToilets


    It's a load of ****.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,662 ✭✭✭Brief_Lives




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 13,238 ✭✭✭✭AbusesToilets


    I hate it so much. Only way it could be worse was if the games were played in a Gulf State. Which is probably coming too. Completely freezes out all of the teams on the rise, like Uruguay, Chile, Spain, Portugal, Belgium etc. Continues to give Japan and Fiji the shaft. Massive amounts of air travel, **** your climate concerns.



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 31,769 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    It is absolutely coming. They will have these "Grand Finals" in some gulf state before the decade is out.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 5,526 ✭✭✭ionadnapóca


    SA suspensions look a little up in the air.

    https://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2025/1117/1544410-springboks-hit-at-out-unfair-treatment-over-red-card/

    The team v France.

    Damian Willemse; Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Kurt-Lee Arendse; Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cobus Reinach; Boan Venter?, Malcolm Marx, Thomas du Toit; Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager; Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jasper Wiese.

    Replacements: Johan Grobbelaar; Gerhard Steenekamp, Wilco Louw, RG Snyman, Ruan Nortje, Andre Esterhuizen, Grant Williams, Manie Libbok.

    I presume SA will revert to type with 6 forwards on the bench.

    Is Pollard going to start v Ireland?



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 31,769 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    image.png

    Expected, but still a pain in the tits. At least Ringrose is back.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 42,018 ✭✭✭✭eagle eye


    What do we expect to happen moving forward? Does Mack Hansen move full time to 15? O'Brien looked well up to it at 14.

    Was it the same injury for McCloskey or is he potentially made of glass? Maybe Osbourne gets his shot there now.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 1,639 ✭✭✭Ben Bailey


    Feck .. would like to see Stu again (with more offloads)



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,879 ✭✭✭FtD v2


    McCloskey another one of those guys who if he didn't have bad luck he'd have no luck at all.

    Feels like there was a real opportunity for him here to make that 12 shirt his own right now, but the constant niggly injuries always set him back.

    This happened back in 2022 too (against the Boks) - he was playing really well and had to come off with injury after 26 mins. Was playing well against the All Blacks a few weeks ago and had to go with the game in the balance, and now same here, and misses a game next week where he'd have been a big factor for us.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 4,353 ✭✭✭Jump_In_Jack


    Mack to stay at fullback, and McCloskey's groin injury recurred.
    Ringrose is back so Henshaw will move back to 12, or they might start Aki at 12.
    Osborne is out with injury.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 52 ✭✭shimmieandshake


    Mack was class the other night, but moving him full-time to 15 is premature - he has a long way to go to usurp Keenan, when Hugo's fit.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,294 ✭✭✭Former Former Former


    That’s a killer for McCloskey but looked bad coming off, so would expect:

    Hansen

    Lowe Henshaw Ringrose TOB

    JGP Crowley

    Porter Sheehan Furlong

    Ryan Beirne

    Baird Doris VDF

    Maybe Aki for Henshaw and maybe Prendergast for Crowley, but I’d go with the above.

    Post edited by Former Former Former on


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 31,769 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    I don't know how you could possibly put Aki ahead of Henshaw after their respective performances on Saturday. And I was pretty down on Henshaw beforehand, but to be fair he did pretty well. Aki was not good.

    I think Farrell ultimately wants to start Prendergast as he fits what he is trying to do better. However not sure Saturday was enough for that (particularly as Crowley did quite well when he came on).



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 42,018 ✭✭✭✭eagle eye


    Henshaw played 13 not 12 against Australia, completely different. And Henshaw hasn't been good at 12 for quite a while.



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  • Moderators, Sports Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 31,769 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    I would have expected him to be even worse at 13 given his problems mostly revolve around his loss of pace. Aki was pretty much awful when he came on though - I don't know how you can go with anything but Henshaw/Ringrose (and I'd have JOB on the bench over Aki, though I expect he'll get that role).



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 42,018 ✭✭✭✭eagle eye


    Aki wasn't awful by any stretch. Do you have a problem with him or something?

    He didn't have a great game, he was pretty quiet. Gave away a stupid penalty but made a great run for Baird's try.

    Henshaw has had a lot of poor games at 12 for Ireland in recent times. Aki has been far better than him.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,294 ✭✭✭Former Former Former


    I definitely wouldn't play Aki ahead of Henshaw, but just wonder will Farrell look at the size of the Saffers and think he needs more power, even if Aki has not exactly been rampaging over people lately. Henshaw was good against Australia despite the doom and gloom, as he was against Japan, so he deserves to be kept.

    I agree re Prendergast, I would still start Crowley this week.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,372 ✭✭✭ersatz


    In terms of depth we've come a long way, front row looking better and better, Baird's really grabbed hold of the shirt, Mack looks a fantastic back up option at 15 while the O Brien's and Osborne have shored up the right wing. BR is solid and second row is also in great shape even if Ryan's not been up to his usual standards. Still a question over centres, left wing and the obvious development path of Crowley and SP, but 2 years out from the World Cup the is a pretty good place to be.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,087 ✭✭✭almostover


    Britney at second row? Too prone to a Spears tackle to be trusted IMO.

    I'll get my coat....



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,294 ✭✭✭Former Former Former




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,881 ✭✭✭typhoony


    I'd be very dissapointed if any province took Carbery certainly if it was as a 10. Media seem to be trying to set him for a move to connacht a bit like they did pushing eddie os for the coaching job. And it seems some of the fans from the other 3 provinces think it's a good idea for him to come back as long as it's not to their team



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,881 ✭✭✭typhoony


    Munster would be better off saving the money for a NIQ prop. I read somewhere over the weekend that the IRFU are going to relax the rules to allow Munster to sign a prop



  • Hosted Moderators Posts: 9,204 ✭✭✭fitz


    FFF to Autocorrect: You Drive Me Crazy. Why can't you just Work Bitch? You're doing this deliberately, aren't you? You're Toxic.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,564 ✭✭✭JanuarySnowstor


    Here's a thought, the heroics of the Irish football team to be honoured in some way at the rugby this weekend!! As James Ryan and Caelin Doris mentioned recently we are all one!!



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