Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

phog · 21-02-2026 05:00PM

That defence from Stu is MotM performance

johnh6767 · 21-02-2026 05:03PM

Shows why we’re all on Boards and Farrell / management are running the show. Brilliant performance by all. Massive.

phog · 21-02-2026 05:09PM

The Triple Crown is on

P.Walnuts · 21-02-2026 05:09PM

Tommy might get a few more caps eh Shooter?

CatInABox · 21-02-2026 05:10PM

Delighted for the lads, a performance that very few saw coming, but one that they fought for with all their might.

Delighted for the coaching team as well, they've answered a lot of questions with this. Not all of them mind, but a good few.

From an Irish perspective, the thing that pleases me most is players putting their hands up and taking responsibility. Whether that's Crowley, McCloskey, or Baloucoune, they all played as if they were the answer for the position.

Very pleased.

England though, Christ that was bad.

Tommybojangles · 21-02-2026 05:10PM

Do Farrell and his coaching team still need to be shown the door asap 😆

P.Walnuts · 21-02-2026 05:21PM

We won that without a scrum which must be noted.

Podge_irl · 21-02-2026 05:26PM

JGP is absolutely phenomenal. Head and shoulders the best player out there.

Really thrilled to see those performances from McCloskey and Balacoune.

standardg60 · 21-02-2026 05:32PM

I told ye lads, I told ye.

Completely different mindset without Sam.

Stu McCloskey motm by a mile.

But every single player performed.

What a brilliant feeling.

Podge_irl · 21-02-2026 05:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124254558#Comment_124254558

Completely different mindset without Sam.

🙄🙄🙄

Jelly Welly · 21-02-2026 05:40PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124254558#Comment_124254558

Absolutely - Prendergast’s dreadfulness stunk up the team. You’d wonder where we’d stand now if Jack started v France like he should have done.

Hopefully the fascination with Prendergast’s ceiling and spiral bombs are consigned to the dustbin.

P.Walnuts · 21-02-2026 05:43PM

Pretty sad to see the usual miserable posters can't help themselves.

Enjoy the win for christ sake

shootermacg · 21-02-2026 05:56PM

I'll say this, nobody was under the pressure Crowley was under going into this game. Hopefully now, he'll have the space to grow in the squad.

chupacabra · 21-02-2026 05:56PM

Pity about the week off! Any word on what the injury was with Lowe? He seemed happy enough on the sideline anyway

Bleating Lamb · 21-02-2026 05:59PM

A lot of heroes on that field today,England had no answer for our intent.

Super to see likes of Balacoune and Mc Closkey playing such an integral part in the result.

leakyboots · 21-02-2026 06:14PM

Amazing what a bit of competition and pressure for places can do. And pace. We actually looked to play rugby instead of just kicking the leather off the ball.

Delighted for Crowley to guide us to another huge win away from home. It wasn't a perfect performance but hugely encouraging and we looked far better in attack with him. And defence, crucially, even he he'll be annoyed with a couple of his efforts (he did make 16, same as Stu).

Funnily enough, if we're looking to rebuild Sam's confidence I'd either start or bench him against Wales. Stand by my assertion before the tournament that it should have been Crowley away from home and Sam against Wales and Italy. Then choose the better of the two for Scotland. Wouldn't be surprised if they pivoted away from SP towards Frawley or HB though.

Balacoune was immense - down for 4 dominant tackles. Ringrose stood up defensively too, made some crucial cover tackles.

Hopefully see a couple of changes for Wales, Edogbo et al to come back in maybe

shootermacg · 21-02-2026 06:20PM

Balacoune was awesome! That run to tackle on the other wing should be shown to young wingers everywhere.

mfceiling · 21-02-2026 06:21PM

A good few posters here this week must be choking on their cornflakes.

Farrell must go.

He picks his old guard

Coaching ticket is rubbish.

Unlucky lads. There's always next year.

leakyboots · 21-02-2026 06:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124254706#Comment_124254706

Reminiscent of Keith Earls against Italy years ago. Game wasn't in the balance and it ultimately wouldn't matter… but the effort to hunt the man down spoke volumes

https://streamable.com/9zscj

https://rugbylad.ie/watch-another-look-at-that-incredible-try-saving-tackle-by-keith-earls/

sydthebeat · 21-02-2026 06:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124254708#Comment_124254708

100%

The perma miserables will still be miserable after that because they are not fans, they are critics.

Amazing game, every player to a man was excellent. Every player who had been questioned answered it.

I'm the end, sport is played on the pitch, not on the message board.

standardg60 · 21-02-2026 06:38PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124254566#Comment_124254566

Typical, absolutely nothing to say except snipe at the poster.

I called it before the game that the players would turn up without him, Faz said afterwards that lessons were learned, guaranteed he was referring to his own selections.

What's your reasoning for the performance?

sydthebeat · 21-02-2026 06:41PM

A bitter swipe against a player who wasnt on the field today.

You are part of the problem, not the solution.

standardg60 · 21-02-2026 06:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124254592#Comment_124254592

I am enjoying it, again attacking posters for having an opinion on why.

The truth clearly hurts for some.

standardg60 · 21-02-2026 06:48PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124254755#Comment_124254755

It's not a bitter wipe, he needs time out of the squad for his own progress.

It's posters who don't agree that this is the solution that is the problem.

PmMeUrDogs · 21-02-2026 07:05PM

My first time in Twickenham and what a game I got to be there for. Unbelievable. Every single person played well, defence was drastically improved, attack was fluid. Jgp was immense, as was McCloskey, balacoune and in my opinion ToB. Really impressive.

johnh6767 · 21-02-2026 07:09PM

What’s very clear is that the nonsense of ‘baby out with the bath water’ mentality around Farrell / management and some of the older players is now seen for what it is. Crap

Everyone of them stood up and spoke for themselves their team mates / supporters & jersey.

also very apparent that it’s not about the 10, or the 9, even JGP can have a bad day and then come out with a MOTM performance. Or the scrum. It’s about the collective and that’s what’s so fun about sport. England helped us with a poor performance but we rattled them early on. Our new blood and the shakeup in various positions is giving us a whole new level of energy

Great day for irish rugby to salvage a terribly bad start to the 6N and the triple crown is now unexpectedly in play

bilston · 21-02-2026 07:14PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124254807#Comment_124254807

Yeah TOB was great when he came on. Really vindicated his selection at No.23 which I'll hold my hands up and admit I queried yesterday. The whole bench put a shift in. It was tough in the scrum for TOT and Bealham, but they put a shift in around the park.

Paddy_Mag · 21-02-2026 07:26PM

Ireland should not be losing to Wales or scotland

P.Walnuts · 21-02-2026 07:45PM

As a Prendergast fan ( and think he has tons of potential still) Crowley definitely has the jersey now, a very accomplished display. We look a better team with him at the moment, lets hope this kind of flux can bring the best out in both, I dont think Frawley or Harry are the alternative.

shootermacg · 21-02-2026 07:51PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124254828#Comment_124254828

He improved over his previous performances. He definitely will not want to go back and look at his missed tackle that led to the England try on 52 minutes.

Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

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