Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Those "commentators" are way way way more real rugby fans than the vast majority of Irish rugby fans who are big day out chasers and blow-ins (including myself).

anyone got the whole bench?

Reps: R Kelleher, T O’Toole, F Bealham, E Edogbo/C Izuchukwu, N Timoney, J Conan, C Casey, C Frawley.

The thing that worries me most on this list is that we've a lot of good young front row talent whose strengths are in the loose but are weak at set piece. We seem to produce a lot of front rows who'd make great flankers if they were just a bit taller. But very few who are monsters at set piece but struggle to make an impact in the loose.

I don't think Frawley is as far off the rest as some people make out and Leinster fans have been particularly hard on him all of a sudden once they had a new golden boy.

But it's also bizarre for Farrell to say Prendergast goes from way seemed the clear first choice to dropped from the 23. I don't think even lack of versatility warrants that.

I think that squad makes a lot of sense based on continuity in form v an inevitable vicious English response post Scotland. And giving Sam a much needed break to regain confidence out of the spotlight. Also an attempt to rejuvenate the Frawley who showed up against SA on tour.

🙄

Ya they are now as I said.

A year too late for Farrell. That genie isn't going back in the lamp.

You are dancing on a pin head trying to make it different between Crowley and Prendergast starting for Ireland

Saying a performance is not a good performance does not mean it is bad, sorry you are right. You claimed I said terrible. Which I didn't

To quote you "the idea that he was in terrible form at the time is rubbish"

Plus if you think Crowley was playing well as you claim, then you have a small opinion of how well he can play. Crowley can be a top class player but he at best can claim to have mixed form over the last 2 years, most of that I would say is down to his province, nothing to do with Ireland.

Leinster fans who watched him since 2019, like me, know he is a quality player but is he a quality 10 at international level? I dont think so

An excellent number 23 as we have already seen

His best performances came at 12 for Leinster and that is how he got onto the tour of NZ squad. I also think Frawley is a great player and Im not having a pop at him but at 10 for Ireland, I just dont see it not when we have Crowley, Prendergast and byrne

To say its "all of a sudden" is 100% incorrect.

He played well in the 6 nations game and won a Triple Crown

Is that a problem now?

If that is the team I think it might not be a bad thing for the World Cup if they are badly beaten at the weekend. Joe McCarthy, Sheehan, Ringrose, and Doris, all seemingly immune from mediocre at best performances. VDF gets his quick time out and straight back in. Timoney/Izzy not properly rewarded, and Casey should be nowhere near the 23. We're in a bad spot looking ahead to the RWC, and it is painful that Andeh is stuck in his ways.

He is an excellent 23 for his flexibility

If Harry Byrne stayed fit on that tour it could have been so different and he could be the starting 12 for Ireland and leinster now. The carry on since he started those Maori games has been incredible.

At 15 he doesn't have the speed

I think next season we will see Frawley playing 12 for Connacht, it was Lancaster after all who moved him to 12, from what I was told he was going to Ulster but they said he might play other positions and Connacht more or less told him what he wanted to hear and he went to them instead.

He didn't play that well and Triple Crowns have been a consolation prize for a long time now. It's like winning the English soccer League Cup or Scotland patting themselves on the back for winning the Calcutta Cup.

If we are now the big rugby country we think we are we shouldn't give a fuk about Triple Crowns and most fans don't. We came 3rd.