Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

weird paranoid take

If that's his defence improved then please permit me to shudder. There's a few 'tackles' that didn't even make the stats as they weren't even attempts. One in the second half in mid-field where he sort of slid on his knees past the player, bizarre. As usual, post-contact metres on the ones he made are big I'd imagine. Lauding someone for finally making a few tackles (while missing 7) isn't the progress some are thinking it is. JGP and Ringrose were very poor as well in defence and shouldn't escape criticism.

Wasn't SP close to breaking the Six Nations record for most missed tackles last year? He missed 17 (?) last year I think, he's off to a flyer already with 7. In a position where most outhalves are typically making 70+% he puts in 50+%ers. Crowley was 81% for the 6 Nations we won with him before giving this fella the reins.

There's a real stench of "Emperor's new clothes" about him and his 'high ceiling'. Unopposed, unpressured, structured play - he shines. Anything else, he doesn't seem to be able to handle it at all. Silly fly-hacking, silly passes in his in-goal, customary intercept pass, hospital pass, endless kicks (that surely must be coach-directed). Really struggle to see how someone can sit there and go 'he played well'/'that was one of his best games in green', God help us.

Firstly, because it was a statement of fact. I said Farrell has never selected him in the centre for Ireland and that is absolutely true.

Because he actively chose to select him at 14 against France in the 2025 6 Nations despite the presence of other players in the squad who were healthy and could have been selected.

Selecting him to start for the Lions in the last midweek game of the tour, when the Lions were doing anything they could to protect players from the Test side (especially in the centres where there were injury doubts around a lot of players) doesn't tell me a lot.

I, personally, would prefer if Leinster and Ireland would see him and use him as a centre, but I just don't expect it to happen based on all of his selection history to date.

Crowley and Prendergast's tackle success rate from last night is similar, if that's how you want to compare the two.

It was definitely a quiet game for Josh. But I don’t think he has been playing badly across the season. He was very good on the Lions. And he has been very good for Leinster. Can’t remember how he was in the AIs.

Based on one cameo off the bench when France had taken their foot off the gas?

Put him in from the start against the French team and see how he goes.

Its amazing how reactionary people here are. I'll agree that Timoney played well but Josh wasn't exactly found wanting in the first half. His stats are practically equal with Cian Prendergast, yet one is judged to have played well and the other needs to be dropped?

Someone make sense of that one, for me.

I'd also wager that Prendergast's tackling stopped the scoreline from being worse than it was.

Or is that context not allowed?

I also wasn't the one who brought the tackle success rate into this debate. The OP did and conveniently ignored Crowley's tackling success rate.

I'm not saying it was all positive. I'm saying it's not the doomsday scenario you're portraying it to be. His tackling saved the scoreboard from being even worse. If you can't agree with that, then you're actively selecting what you're watching.

I'll repeat what I said to you, I didn't bring the tackle success rate into this conversation. Someone else did. If someone's going to talk about tackle success rate, and they conveniently ignore the fact that it was the same as the 10 they want to play, then it's going to be pointed out.

I never mentioned the screenshot of Crowley's tackle or indeed I never criticised Crowley for missing that tackle. If you can point out to me where I specifically criticised Crowley for that tackle then I'll hold my hands up because I think to criticise that would be harsh.

Shame some of you can't apply the same reason or logic, and you just want to paint Prendergast as someone who shouldn't be anywhere near the team despite the fact he's the best 10 we have.

No.

Not for me.

We need to return to some of the principles of the Joe Schmidt era.

Skills, and fear of failure.

Italy are coming to town next week licking their lips at what they saw last night, so lets not give them what they saw last night.

Cian Prendergast, Josh van der Flier, Sam Prendergast, Tommy O'Brien, Garry Ringrose, Jacob Stockdale - your services will not be required next week.

I want a backrow of Timoney, Doris and Conan, with 6 and 7 interchanging.

I was Edwin Edogbo and Max Deegan on the bench among a 6/2

I want Harry Byrne partnering with JGP.

All going well tonight I want Joshua Kenny and Robert Baloucoune in the side.

I want Jamie Osborne moved up to 13 beside McCloskey and Jack Crowley to start at 15, with Ciaran Frawley on the bench.

If we are to hope to catch up with teams who are playing to the strengths of teams coping well with the new laws, we have to begin to think and select like them, and to put the fear of God once again into our players who fail to do what they are entrusted to.

PS I don't buy this Lions year rubbish, look at Jack Conan. Its February, no more excuses.

If someone's going to talk about tackle success rate, and they conveniently ignore the fact that it was the same as the 10 they want to play, then it's going to be pointed out.

I'll keep this fairly straightforward.

You're drawing an equivalence here. Do you think their missed tackles were equally poor, even if they did indeed have the same tackle success rate?