Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

how would that work or how does it work with contracts. I assume at the start of the year there is a core group of players on central contracts and it’s expected they play the six nations and autumn internationals.

How are players rewarded per game they play for Ireland when they are not on a central with the IRFU and how does the current system essentially require status quo selection to function as in keeping the best players playing in Ireland so they can be managed best for Irelands needs?

Notwithstanding anything else for anyone who has watched Leinster this season lst nights performance was more of the same. Ireland have in the past benefited from the smooth transition from Leinster to Ireland jerseys for the majority of the team and yesterday was the flip side of this. Sort Leinster out first - in the meantime we have to develop an independent plan for the national side and that will allow us to pick players on form not familiarity

Poor result, we gave france too much respect in first half, constant box kicking was not working for us, set piece went well in fairness thought dickson was a real home town ref, missed a lot of French knock ons and forward passes and entering rucks from side too, the mauvacka shoulder charge on Doris when we were a few metres from line was a joke of a decision as was dupont slap down of ball, yellow card all day, we still would have lost but its way harder when being blown off the park ourselves and France getting away with a lot

Really need to shake things up but we have been saying that since the last world cup. Every other squad seems to be refreshed, we are flogging the same lads, watch Furlong come back next week v Italy, shouldnt be anywhere near the team, it wasnt the scrum that was the issue last night…If the game plan v Italy is kick kick kick then we are in serious trouble.

I think we have t o have a closer look at Farrell. The general atmosphere in the team has been to make things comfortable and enjoyable. Bringing the families in, having extended retirements for aging players,giving not rewarding form has contributed to a diminishing of standards.His coaching of the Lions,in retrospect, was poor.The gameplan last night was basic but not to change it when it was obviously not working was simply poor.

Also, I think it’s time we have a grown up conversation about Joe McCarthy. Has the raw materials to be excellent. Is capable of delivering outstanding performances. Physically a bit of a beast. But fundamentally, might just be a bit stupid. How long do we persist with him in the hope that he might develop some brain cells?

So you're saying a player that is inferior to Keenan should keep playing when Keenan is available again?

He's the best full back we have by a country mile. When he's fit he plays until that changes. There is nothing wrong with that.

I'd move Crowley to 15 for this series. In the absence of Keenan but moreso Hansen we need another playmaker to take pressure off Prendergast (or AN Other 10), and Crowley can do that from full back.

We do not have the bodies to bully our way over the game line, nor the gamebreakers who can repeatedly step people in phone boxes. It makes defending too easy because if you can stop the first couple of phases, defending from there becomes straightforward with our current attacking structure.

A double pivot makes things trickier because you're not sure where we're going to strike from, and teams can't overload on a single attacking fulcrum.

To my mind, it's no surprise we looked the most fluid against Australia with Hansen on the pitch who can do that role (I accept that they were the weakest opposition). Nor is it a surprise that Leinster looked their most fluid against the LAR when Prendergast went to 15 and Byrne was at 10 (given the Leinster <> Ireland overlap).

Thoughts?

We badly badly need some pace. We are far too easy to defend against on the outside.

Hadn't realised Osbourne was as slow as he is. Got left for dead once or twice. I know he is effectively a centre playing full back.

That WOW moment is coming, and I fear it will come on the 21st. The England team is EXTREMELY good, and I think they are close to solving their centre issue which has been a 20+ year conundrum.