Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

If Keenan comes back Osborne enters the equation for 13 , until then it's Ringers. That is how I think Farrell sees it.

I would be shocked if Farrell drops Prendergast.

I think he is guaranteed to start against England. Farrell is going with him no matter what.

not enough pace for 13. He's a 12 really

A lot of ulster lads owe their international recognition to Richie Murphy. They are completely transformed under him.

The bad thing is that whomever starts on Saturday will be under even more pressure and scrutiny. Not good and not fair. Time for all real supporters to get behind the team. For me the crowd reactions on Saturday were pathetic. Andy Farrell is 100% correct.

I can’t think beyond the front five at the moment. If they perform in the scrum like they did against Italy then no back line will save us. What a worry. Sheehan has been ordinary so far, way below his best. Nobody could object to Kelleher starting. I noticed a lineout overthrow from Kelleher too when he came on against Italy. I hope Furlong somehow improves this week. He didn’t look fit. One or two nice passes and that was it.

One of the major factors in the decline of Ireland's performance is the Nienaber system operating at Leinster.

Not only does that system not suit Leinster's players, it means that they must play completely different systems between club and country. A greater variation between the highest contributing province and the national team than has ever been seen in the thirty year professional era.

That jarring variance is best demonstrated in the showing of some superb players like Joe McCarthy, Caelan Doris and Garry Ringrose, who are all operating far below their talent levels, because they are tired, frustrated and mentally drained.

A strategic decision will have to be made at Union level how to address this.

Rud O'Connor this morning suggests that although Nienaber runs the Leinster defence, he is also de facto in charge of the entire rugby programme in Leinster.

He further suggests that Nienaber be paid off, and that Joe Schmidt come in as senior coach under Leo Cullen and that between himself, Andy Farrell and David Humphreys, and indeed with the 3 other provincial team coaches, they institute an ethos of excellence in skills and open attacking rugby that suits our traditions and our physical attributes as a playing pool.

It doesn't sound like the worst idea to me.

Farrell is entitled to spin that for the wellbeing of his players in whatever way he sees fit.

But he isn't correct.

I was there, it was a cheer of irony and relief that Prendergast was being taken off.

And everyone must deal with the reality of that in their own way.