Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Murray Kinsella saying there is a fascinating team selection to come, i wonder is it Billy Bohan or maybe Crowley and Prendergast both in the team to start

disallowed Edinburgh try from the cross filed kick which #3 “overran” and obstructed was a pure gift to Leinster. If anything he was being tackled off the ball by Degan.

wouldn’t be surprised if Farrell went for an unexpected team. Given the injury issues he is in an unusual position of having nothing to lose and everything to gain. He gets to try out some new players/combinations in a match where France are also rebuilding to some extent. Expectations are as low as they’ve been for many years and the only risk is a severe beating. He won’t have a better chance to experiment on a top flight game and he has the possibility of locking in some momentum. Seeing that young Leinster team dig it out today is a good example of what’s possible.

I think there is almost zero chance Crowley starts at 15 (or Prendergast)

could be Osbourne at 15 & Stockdale on the wing.

Not a hope. Flyhalf is the weakest position in the Irish squad.

There is no way the 3 of them will be in the 23. People need to get real here.

Yeah there is ZERO chance of that happening.

These outhalves aren’t as good as you think they are.

the 23 will be one of Stockdale/osbohrne/baloucoune/lowe.

you know what I mean.

if yer man Kinsella knows anything then the surprise could be Edogbo (or on the bench)starting or Bohan starting.

it won’t be putting 3 average out half’s in the 23.

Surely Frawley at 15 makes a whole lot more sense than Crowley. He’s played there for Ireland before and he’s actually been playing there regularly this season, whereas Crowley hasn’t started a game at 15 since October 2022 (his only ever start at 15).

I genuinely think there’s a good chance Tom O’Toole starts at loosehead. Ireland tried to convert him to LH about a year ago. They played him there against Fiji in 2024 and against England A last year. It didn’t work because Ulster had no intention of playing him there. But he probably offers more around the field than any of the specialist LHs and we know Ireland don’t prioritise the set piece, so I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they just start him at LH.

VDF is one of the few players who has actually been in pretty good form. And he’s one player who might help us punch over the gain line. I wouldn’t be starting Conan over him. If there’s one player who might be at risk of being left out for Conan, it’s Tadhg Beirne.