Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

almostover · 12-02-2026 10:14PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124231109#Comment_124231109

Johnny Concrete! Now that's a blast from the past!

phog · 12-02-2026 10:31PM

King of the Castle

Screenshot_2026-02-12-21-31-13-72_0b2fce7a16bf2b728d6ffa28c8d60efb.jpg

Podge_irl · 12-02-2026 10:41PM

I think we have tried Ryan and Beirne in the past and it is just too light a second row pairing. I imagine that is what has saved McCarthy in this case but everyone is going to be on a pretty short leash I'd say.

TRC10 · 12-02-2026 11:09PM

Trying to continue the O’Toole to loosehead experiment is just insane to me. It’s been clear for the last 18 months that Ulster have no interest in playing him there. They were willing to go out and splash big money on Angus Bell before they tried O’Toole at LH. Therefore, he’s never going to be a long term option there for Ireland if he’s never playing there for Ulster. Milne went well off the bench last week. Should be pumping more minutes into him, getting him up to speed. Just a baffling call by Farrell.

typhoony · 12-02-2026 11:26PM

Farrell has been doing his own thing for years, he's been lucky with the players he inherited and a few talented players that he brought in. Now that he has to shuffle the broken deck chairs on the Titanic he and the players are being found out.

Lost Ormond · 12-02-2026 11:28PM

Good clip of O Driscoll talking at an OTB event up in Belfast. thoughts on this?

https://x.com/offtheball/status/2022064418771616048

50HX · 12-02-2026 11:42PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124231385#Comment_124231385

He is spot on re our style.

With the way the game has gone with escort laws kick contestables etc we need to bring something different.

The worst thing to do is to compete against teams in a style that they are good at.

Its why we never play loose v NZ or France as they will shred you in open play.

We never had the grunt to beat up a SA but we did it a different way.

If we go to Twickenham & play a kick contestable game we will get ripped to shreds, England a beatable just don't play them at what they are good at.

KaneToad · 12-02-2026 11:44PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124230305#Comment_124230305

True. But size isn't everything either. If it were we'd be sorted with Alan Spicer!

Anyways, hopefully Edwin can step up to the mark and show he is capable of international test rugby.

leakyboots · 12-02-2026 11:45PM

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5XGU7WOJvBs

Clip of SP's tackles. There's a few on the gainline (a couple of good tap tackles that stall momentum) and a few that have been mentioned - the tackle is technically 'made' but there's huge post-contact metres. That's the nuance that some on here are referring to in response to 'he made X tackles'.

VayNiice · 12-02-2026 11:50PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124231429#Comment_124231429

Its insane how determined some people are to undermine Sam. To go to all the effort of making a video like that is bizarre to me.

Although that channel is probably the most biased Irish rugby YouTube channel out there.

phog · 13-02-2026 12:03AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124231443#Comment_124231443

I really don't know how it undermines anyone, the clip is a collection of all Sam's tackles from the game and they're available in some highlight packages and on a rewatch to anyone who wants to see them.

DBK1 · 13-02-2026 12:09AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124231123#Comment_124231123

I was disappointed with that too and I’d hope Farrell noticed it and gave the rest of the team a chastising over not backing their own.

almostover · 13-02-2026 12:14AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124231443#Comment_124231443

It's a fairly pertinent topic. Would be the same as highlights of Crowley's kicking performace from the tee vs. Italy last year. Player doesn't do well in some facets of the game and it's analysed. It's not doctored footage in anyway. Just reality.

But yes, you would rather see highlights reels of Irish players doing good things. Turnovers, dominant tackles, line breaks, 50/22s etc. These things just currently aren't happening in any volume.

almostover · 13-02-2026 12:17AM

Here's one of hopeless tackle attempts from O'Gara:

https://youtu.be/bycWCCFMF0k?si=-PUQU4lQYi9IPBmP

Not as if this sort of thing is exclusive to Sam. 10s getting steamrolled and people making compilation videos is nothing new......

Lost Ormond · 13-02-2026 12:19AM

MOD this ends here. 10s have been targeted and many have been shite tacklers since time immemorial, no more bringing up clips discussing ROG anyone else like this.

Former Former Former · 13-02-2026 12:28AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124231381#Comment_124231381

he's been lucky with the players he inherited

Wow, memories are short and/or selective. "The players he inherited" had just lost to Japan and been crushed by NZ in the 2019 RWC. Whatever he's achieved, it absolutely was not handed to him.

and a few talented players that he brought in.

Isn't that literally his job? He's taken a number of guys from relative obscurity to world class in his tenure. Aren't we supposed to applaud that?

Slating him now that things are on a downward trajectory is fair enough, but trying to deny his many achievements is just spiteful and unfortunately a recurring theme here.

big-al · 13-02-2026 12:32AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124230667#Comment_124230667

Casey has hardly set the world alight in a green jersey!!

phog · 13-02-2026 12:39AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124231541#Comment_124231541

He hasn't been given the opportunity bar the summer tour which he captained

ersatz · 13-02-2026 12:42AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124231131#Comment_124231131

That tackle was fine. He might well have known he'd reach him after the kick was away but he was fully committed while Jalibert still had possession, even the French fans weren't complaining about it online. Players will always react in the way the French players did to a hit like that, even if it's legal. Irish lads leaving Ryan to take it alone was a bad look.

almostover · 13-02-2026 12:43AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124231541#Comment_124231541

Never said he has, point I'm trying to make is that Osborne hasn't either. Yet, one guy is being written off as not good enough for this level and the other guy is apparently a star in the making. And we haven't seen any evidence of either of these extremes from either player.

Both are international standard currently, it's hyperbole to suggest that Casey isn't good enough for this level just as it is hyperbole to suggest Osborne is going to be the next 100+ cap Irish great. Neither claim appears to be grounded in any material evidence.

leakyboots · 13-02-2026 12:46AM

Yeah, I was worried at the time that he was late but on the replay he was fine. Not sure I'd be using that moment to justify him starting this week all of a sudden, mind. Didn't spot the lack of people joining in the scuffle, that's terrible if so.

There's a lot of stuff has regressed with the team, someone mentioned skills above… fresh blood in the coaching box or on the pitch are the only things going to shake things up in my view

sprucemoose · 13-02-2026 01:06AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124231122#Comment_124231122

not a fan of JS being involved in the coaching setup so early myself, but to be fair to him from any videos of him ive seen as kicking coach he is just doing the same stuff as Dave Alred who is generally regarded as the best kicking coach in the world. Some of the videos coming from the England camp show Wilkinson doing the same things with their kickers. Crowley has definitely changed his style to fit in with the Dave Alred method and i'm pretty sure Prendergast has too, they likely just need to refine it a bit more and the results should improve

AbusesToilets · 13-02-2026 02:24AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124231429#Comment_124231429

Looks like a pretty solid display of tackling to me. I'd hardly knock a player for getting driven backwards by a 3 man maul.

AbusesToilets · 13-02-2026 02:27AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124231503#Comment_124231503

Bowe doesn't get enough flack for his **** ups at the end of the 2nd test in 2009.

Rayray98 · 13-02-2026 03:26AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124231123#Comment_124231123

Excellent point, think about what happened to Craig in Pretoria…same thing and garnered a similar reaction from Farrell.

eagle eye · 13-02-2026 04:22AM

Honestly you get fed up of all this 'Its awful how people treat Sam' and 'Crowley played on a winning Six Nations team so should be starting'

Why don't you all just admit that both are poor and are not the answer and it really doesn't matter which of them plays because ones costing us points on defense and the other on offense.

Lets just give some others a go. It certainly can't get much worse.

Rayray98 · 13-02-2026 06:18AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124231667#Comment_124231667

You answered you’re own question

“Crowley played on a winning Six Nations team”

Many posters just like to take the simplistic approach and throw both 10s under the bus as it might make them cool and insightful but the reality is, FH hasn’t been costing us championships, it’s our defence.

2022-2024 we conceded an average of 65 points a championship and generally it was always in the range of 60-72 each campaign. In 2025 we conceded 117 points, and this championship we are already on 36 points with 4 games left…the evidence is there for all to see as to what’s been costing us.

Our try/point scoring stats is similar to those years so is clearly not the big reason we are struggling.

The big thing that will always be the downfall of Irish rugby is a failure to take our medicine, last week was a continuation of the woeful defence this team as produced last season and even after a year it’s still not talked about enough.

But nooooo the whole issue is still who’s at 10…apparently changing the 10 will suddenly mean the rest of the team will defend properly.

But I guess when the height of rugby insight in this country are the rugby oracles of Jackman, Rud, Thornley etc maybe that isn’t a surprise.

If we could get Madigan on every podcast and no one else maybe things would improve.

lawrencesummers · 13-02-2026 07:54AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124231443#Comment_124231443

Are all Irish rugby players above critiquing now or just one?

Ardillaun · 13-02-2026 08:07AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124227232#Comment_124227232

There’s an animated debate about selection here. I’m just asking how much difference could it make.

Rayray98 · 13-02-2026 08:14AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124227232#Comment_124227232

France were favourites for the RWC the year we won the slam…

Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

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