Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

I'd fully back VdF to follow in James Lowe's footsteps and put in a big performance on Saturday.

I'm annoyed about the potential Izzy demotion. We have a big chance to dismantle England's lineout as they only have 2 lineout options selected to start. And Joe McCarthy is getting one chance too many IMO.

It's really bloody annoying if Izzy isn't starting. He went well vs. Italy and he's a perfect like for like replacement for Baird who's injured. That's a perfect combination vying for the 6 jersey for Ireland. Baird was going great in the autumn and was unfortunate with his injury but Izzy was good last weekend and this game would suit his skill set perfectly.

do you not realise how awful Prendergast has been for Ireland and Leinster? He’s done. He doesn’t even look anything like a rugby player. He’s like a beanpole with no pace. Playing 10 at a high level is simply beyond someone with his physique.

Rumours abound that Gibson-Park won't be offered a PONI contract for next year and is likely to depart Leinster for France. That would leave Ireland (and Leinster) in a bit of a bind for any international standard scrum-half.

I see this possible selection in the IT:

IRELAND (possible v England): 

Jamie Osborne; Robert Baloucoune, Garry Ringrose, Stuart McCloskey, James Lowe; Jack Crowley, Jamison Gibson-Park; Jeremy Loughman, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, James Ryan, Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt). 

Replacements: 

Rónan Kelleher, Tom O’Toole, Finlay Bealham, Jack Conan, (two from Edwin Edogbo, Cormac Izuchukwu and Nick Timoney), Craig Casey, Ciarán Frawley.

I suppose the question is whether Leinster is better off letting him go and pushing hard to sign a NIQ scrumhalf that can replace both him and Luke McGrath at the same time and developing Gunn as the backup rather than ploughing money into a player who will be gone for most of the season anyway. It will be an interesting test of how the new PONI finances work in practice. Basing this on nothing really, but it might also expose the more merchanary nature of some of the project guys who have qualified on the 5 year rule compared to guys who were born here when they're asked to take a smaller pay packet than they can get elsewhere later in their career.

It's funny, just looked at the Ireland team v New Zealand in 2023

If evebody was fit there might only be 4 changes from the team that started and 2 have retired

Sexton and POM

Bundee and Henderson are only starters who might not make it

And 5 of the subs are still there

Jobs for the boys really sums this up

Lets hear your team for the weekend so, who is being overlooked?