Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Sometimes its just best to laugh aloooof!

This is it. Milne did what was asked of him.

Milne came on at 59'min v France and scrummaged v Régis Montagne had a couple of great carries and scored a try!!

He moved to Munster to get game time, was rewarded v France. The system worked!

Now 'Exit stage left'??

Its truly bizarre. When you consider its Tom O'Toole who they then replace him with.

I agree Milne is not be a world beater at LH, but at least he is a LH! And yes now they must regard him as 6th choice.

But on what basis?

TOT hasnt played a min of rugby at LH all season for Ulster. Has he ever had meaningful game time until last week at LH? (Playing v Eng A in '25 and off the bench v Fiji in '24 isnt it)

He came on at 66'min v Italy and had two scrums v Muhamed Hasa a stop gap TH.
And struggled a bit in one of them. Im not surprised.

I think its unfair on what they are asking of TOT.

I think its unfair on Milne.

And are the basing it on training? That same training thats seeing Irelands scrum getting decimated?

TOT will not be going back to play LH for Ulster. If they really were serious about him at LH Farrell/IRFU could have ensured he got some minutes into him at LH after Paddy McCarthy got injured (10th Jan).

Even if Porter gets moved back to TH. TOT will never be more than 4th choice LH. At best!

It's not 'negative' to call out these selections for what they are. Unnecessary selections.

Just like selecting Stockdale to play v France and ask him to beat Attisogbe at 50/50s in the air.

Just like picking Frawley on the bench. And like Milne he will never be more than 4th choice in his position (10 or 15 or 12). He is not a Test quality 10 or 15. Its madness at this stage to persist and ask him cover all these positions. The folly of it was painfully evident v England in 2024.

Once again its unnecessary. Harry Byrne is in your squad & Crowley can move to FB. PLUS Byrne is the best place kicker by a mile!

Just to be clear I'm not attacking the players. I think what is been asked of them is unfair and unnecessary.

We all want Ireland to do well, but they are effectively going into battle praying that the front line holds. Because if it doesn't some of their replacements have one arm tied behind their backs.

Just a note. I wouldn't dismiss the last two points.

Both have more than a grain of truth considering the last 6 games as a block. Esp the French game.

Im interested in your view, (and appreciate you are more on the positive side of 'negative'!), would you not think there are some performance based reasons to scrutinise Andy Farrell and criticise some of his selections?

I wonder is Coombes one of those players who knocked on the door

Thanks for the response. Always of Interest.

Sport been sport, and people are people (good song from D.Mode btw!) on the internet - we all know he's in the job until the RWC. And wont or shouldn't be going anywhere. So, all I can say is dont waste your energy!

"I said I disagreed both with the tactics employed in the French game, and the personnel selected to play within that system (i.e.it didn't suit either Stockdale or TOB to ask them to chase contestible kicks all game). There are aspects of the selection this week I don't like either (primarily Frawley's inclusion in the 22 shirt)."

Red Alert - Is what I felt watching the French game.

Selections. I was skeptical of Farrell as a selector in his early years. These last 2 games and this bench selection for England have brought all those questions back to the fore. Its THE hardest part of the job. One I dont think he's on the right side of scales on. Look at poor Stockdale, he never stood a chance. And JOB was effectively acting like a playmaker for Billy-Barry. I mean Jesus Christ on what planet did they think this was going to take down France? Frawley! I'm really at a loss to see Frawley ahead of Harry Byrne and SP (SP could do with the break and Im sure Farrell knows what he's doing in that regard).

"But what the criticism above was about changing tactics from game to game; I don't have an issue with that."

Tactics. My issue is that they are not doing this. Or should I say they not doing this smartly enough? To be specific - in the last block of games (since Nov). Kick heavey through Nov and France and then tried to run Italy in the 1st half! Where did that come from? It wasnt working. It wasn't suitable either. There is a time and a place. Win the friggin gainline. Or at least attempt to win it. Mix it up! Italy are one of the the teams you do kick more to. Esp with no Capuozzo.

They have embraced the SA way of playing, with the amount of 50/50s they are kicking, and more often than not Its not suitable for this Irish team and they are more like 30/70s!!

It didnt work against FRA, NZ, SA. Its never going to work for Ireland against those teams esp. when you go behind in the scoreboard. Its not going to work v Engalnd.

What are they going to do in Twickenham? Im sure its going to be just more of the same. Its a physically exhausting game and they arent going to beat England doing that. England are perfectly happy to defend that and to attack from poor kicks. England pick a side that is geared to just wining the lottery scraps from the kicks.

BTW I love kicking. The odd chip kick over the top. Grubber kicks along the ground. Kicking deep to space when leading on the scoreboard or Kicking deep to touch and playing the territory game. The Garryowen. The 50:22. But the box-kicks as an attacking strategy? And ad nauseam? No.

Are Ireland going to go back to what made them so hard to beat? e.g. Mix the kicking with getting G-Park running the ball in attack around the blind side and nail the rucks once in a while. Or will they be too gassed from chasing kicks around the pitch?

These tactics and these selections are the responsibility of the head coach. I think they are not compatible in some instances and Im not liking what Im hearing from Farrell. I think the messaging is off - "intent" and "fight", "courage", "resilience". Thats all HIS responsibility. Those things go without saying. They should never, ever be questioned publicly of a rugby team.

Which brings me to my overriding feeling. 10 years is a long time with the one team. Maybe the messaging isnt as powerful as it once was?

Joe Schmidt came along at just the right time in Irish rugby. Andy Farrell was a great man to bring in following 2015 RWC, and the right man post 2019 RWC to take this team on through to 2023 RWC cycle. He is going to take this team to the 2027 RWC.

Who did Ireland bring in following the 2023 RWC? Sexton. Its clear to me Farrell needs a new voice, with fresh ideas and a real coaching pedigree to be brought into the squad following this 6N.

It needs a shake up. Badly.

There is Always Hope