Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

bingobango12 · 21-02-2026 10:01PM

Just about calmed down after that.

What a performance. Best I can remember in years.

Every one of them was brilliant, including all the subs. I had worries about the make up of the bench but was completely wrong. Crowley firmly has that 10 shirt now, again happy to hold my hands up about being very wrong on that one. His place kicking can be worked on but he controlled that game very well.

Beirne and Gibson Park must be in the conversation for our top 5/10 players of all time. Both absolutely phenomenal.

He isn’t going to be winning man of the match awards but fair bloody play to Jeremy Loughman. Way down the pecking order and was as good as anyone today. Delighted for him.

Packrat · 21-02-2026 10:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124255226#Comment_124255226

Good honest post, it's what those of us who favoured Crowley have been saying since the start - he's not Sexton, or indeed ROG, he never will be, but he's the best we have right now. Prendegast may improve and take the jersey in time, but for now he should concentrate on outshining HB at Leinster. It's not as if he's playing for a crap team where he'll never be seen again. It was tried. It didn't work out. For now.

Nice classy mention of Loughman, - asked to do a job which should be beyond his capability and did it manfully. It'll make a good quiz question for the future, - people will remember GP, Beirne, Balacoune, Osborne, ToB and McCloskey for today, but harder to remember who was at LHP "that day".

It'd be great if we saw more positive posts like this one here.

jacothelad · 21-02-2026 10:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124255039#Comment_124255039

And add in Zac Ward and you have a winger with elite 7s pace and the physique and brutality of James Lowe.

50HX · 21-02-2026 11:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124255226#Comment_124255226

Just on Loughman in particular & similarly with Timoney in Paris & again today, isn't it great to see the that sky doesnt fall in when lads that are further down the perceived pecking order put in a shift that stands up.

More of this please, esp when form dips

eagle eye · 21-02-2026 11:34PM

Lineout was very good again today outside of Sheehan's overthrow.

The back three were very good again along with JGP and McCloskey. Doris and Beirne were great as well and Loughman deserves a mention.

As for Crowley, for me he was just about above average. Two bad kicks and some stupid decisions to kick out of his hands as often happens with him. He showed more than Prendergast has and should be ahead of him but we need better than both of them before the RWC or we can forget about doing anything.

Jelly Welly · 21-02-2026 11:47PM

Crowley just above average? Give over. Most are rating him at 8/9

longjohn200 · 21-02-2026 11:54PM

Are we that good or are england that bad?

Complete domination for the 80 mins.

I can't really pick out any bad performances of the irish 23 and I think Farrell and his coaching team need to be heralded.

No 10 question is over certainly for this six nations anyway.

As a Ulster head, delighted to see how SMC is going the past 3 games. His confidence in this team seems to grow game on game and we're finally getting to see his top class quality.

Wales next up. Lowe and ringrose could be out. I hope Farrell adds a bit more depth at 9(doak) and 13(osbourne). I think odogbo and izzy come back in. Love to Bryn get his debut but maybe too soon for him. Maybe tell Aki to go back to Connacht.

eagle eye · 21-02-2026 11:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124255446#Comment_124255446

So you are letting him away with his hair brained kicks to nobody?

FtD v2 · 21-02-2026 11:59PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124255465#Comment_124255465

Ah for Christ’s sake can we just please not do this nonsense for once?

He had a great game today - got the team moving forward time and time again. Picked some beautiful passes, nailed some great kicks at big moments.

If he played the way he played today every week we wouldn’t have a 10 debate.

Just enjoy the performance without the ceaseless nitpicking.

johnh6767 · 22-02-2026 12:02AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124255474#Comment_124255474

YES Well said!!!!!!!!!! What many of us are thinking reading the incendiary stuff. And I’m in provincial terms a Leinster fan but first and foremost Ireland

FtD v2 · 22-02-2026 12:06AM

We’ve now beaten England 5 years out of the past 6, with our solitary loss over that period a 1 point loss in Twickenham where they kicked a drop goal with the last kick of the game.

We’ve won by 14 points, 17 points, 13 points, 5 points (where we leaked two late English tries to take some gloss off) and today 21 points.

We need to stop putting them on such a pedestal before these games. We’ve absolutely owned them for a long long time.

eagle eye · 22-02-2026 12:22AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124255474#Comment_124255474

I'm not on Prendergast's side. I don't think either of them is good enough.

Fact of the matter is Crowley made a lot of stupid decisions today. Yes he did some very good things but overall I thought he was just about above average when you take everything into account.

He certainly looked way better than Prendergast has this year.

FtD v2 · 22-02-2026 12:26AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124255510#Comment_124255510

I’m not accusing you of being on anyone’s side, but what you are doing is just fuelling and perpetuating the endless negativity that just surrounds so much of Irish rugby of late and we just don’t need to hear it right now.

He had a few moments today that didn’t go his way, but he had a lot more moments that absolutely did go his way. Generally, if your day is like that, I’m not going to complain.

DBK1 · 22-02-2026 12:27AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124255510#Comment_124255510

You’re probably right but today’s not the day for it, just enjoy the win for today, there’s plenty of time before the 6th March to discuss all them things!! It’s never a bad day when we beat England!

eagle eye · 22-02-2026 12:30AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124255517#Comment_124255517

Well if you call praising the lineout and I think it was 8 players as being negative I don't know what to tell you. All that's in the post where I said my bit about Crowley.

FtD v2 · 22-02-2026 12:34AM

On a rewatch here and have to say- the decision to rule out JGPs second try for the “contact in the air”’penalty against TOB is a really poor decision from Piardi.

Both players are in the air, going for the ball with two hands, eyes on the ball at roughly the same timing. What’s the penalty offence here?

Eoinbmw · 22-02-2026 12:47AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124255532#Comment_124255532

just Piardi things!

ironingbored · 22-02-2026 01:01AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124255446#Comment_124255446

He played well but left 7 pts out there and missed 5/11 tackles as well as a few wayward kicks from hand and the intercept.

Didn't have a bearing on the scoreline given how the forwards fronted up and 9/10 performances by JGP and McCloskey.

mfceiling · 22-02-2026 01:15AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124248444#Comment_124248444

The "old favourites" certainly got him out of jail today.

By a record margin as well.

almostover · 22-02-2026 01:16AM

I have to hold my hands up and say that my concerns about the selection of the matchday 23 were proven to be misguided. Delighted to be proven wrong on that count. It was sweet to see Pollock binned and Marcus Smith hunted down by big Stu today.

The difference today was in the first quarter England put us under a lot of pressure but our physical comittment and defensive alignment were both on point and we repelled their attacks. That disheartened them totally and Ford's missed touchfinders did the rest to the English mentality.

As expected VdF responded well to being dropped and upped his game. He's a consummate professional. What's also heartening is that Timoney was again excellent from the bench so we have our options set on the openside flank.

Joe Mc upped his game too and was far more influential. He was contesting ball in the lineout too which was great to see.

Dan Sheehan was better and there's more to go for him too. All those who haven't shown up yet raised their game massively today. Ringrose too in defence was excellent.

Tadhg Beirne was immense, another 80 mins of breakdown mastery. Doris too was excellent, carried like frieght train.

Gibson Park was outstanding, amazing what being dropped can bring out of these guys. They just respond in the right way. He was world class today in everything he did.

Stu Mc is aging like a fine wine. Great rugby player. Has the brawn and the brains. It's rare that such a blockbuster also has such sublime footballing skills.

Rob Baloucoune could be such an asset if he can avoid his injury curse. So quick with ball in hand. Really physically committed too. Bravo!

TOB also responded so well after a bad day out in France. Was great in the air. Love seeing a guy work on a poor game and come back firing in the facet of the game where he failed previously.

Osborne has been good all tournament. His versatility is a blessing for Ireland if perhaps a personal curse.

The bench did well too, everyone showed up and got stuck in. However, TOT is not a LHP. But that's for another day. The scrum was the one blemish but again that's another day's work.

Crowley was very good, far from perfect but controlled the game well. He's the best we currently have. Not to say that can't change in the future but he's the man for the here and now.

Ultimately what changed today was that we brought the game physically to the opposition. That and the accuracy with ball in hand went up several notches. Today was the baseline standard that we must strive to achieve going forward.

Final word was that it was great to see Farrell and the coaches celebrate each try so emotionally today. They've been under the pump and the players did them proud today. Was nice to see them enjoy a great team performance.

almostover · 22-02-2026 01:21AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124255565#Comment_124255565

It kind of goes to show that we have an over obsession in Ireland with who plays 10. Be it Ollie Campbell or Tony Ward, O'Gara or Sexton and Crowley or Prendergast.

Rugby is a contact sport first and foremost and if you are winning the physical battle then your playmaker can do his thing. If you don't they will struggle.

The half backs tend to look poor when they're playing behind a dominated pack.

JGP was outstanding today behind a dominant pack and was poor vs. France when our pack failed to turn up physically. It's how the game works.

antfin · 22-02-2026 02:57AM

With regard to the Crowley or Prendergast debate, today showed that we need good combinations with both half backs firing. In Paris we had Gibson-Park misfiring (maybe just following a game plan to keep kicking) with Prendergast on the back foot and it all went south. Against Italy we had Casey and Prendergast and completely lacked any ability to organise an attack until Crowley and Gibson-Park came on. Today Gibson-Park gave a masterclass and Crowley did the job. So we now have a combination that can work and should stick with it to extract maximum return from Wales and Scotland on the off chance that we have a title shot but equally to maximise our finishing position this year.

Billy_the_Kid · 22-02-2026 08:51AM

What were Crowleys tackle stats for the match?

phog · 22-02-2026 08:58AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124255746#Comment_124255746

Go on, you're busting to tell us

Former Former Former · 22-02-2026 09:01AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124255593#Comment_124255593

Agreed. Crowley was very good yesterday but Prendergast could legitimately ask where that performance from 1-9 was in Paris or against Italy.

What we’ve seen over the last two matches is players responding well to kicks up the arse. The TOB we saw yesterday wasn’t the same one we saw in Paris, nor VDF, and maybe a week in the stands did them good, like we saw with Lowe against Italy.

Crowley took his chance yesterday, Prendergast will be riding pine for a while, but hopefully that’s the driver for him to sort his head out and get the debate going again.

phog · 22-02-2026 09:04AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124255411#Comment_124255411

Re the kicks at goal

I saw a graphic, can't lay my hands on it now but based on pre match conditions, position, etc the kicks were expected to yield 17.3 he delivered 17.

He had one poor kick from hand

If he deserves the guillotine for that then we'd have a lot of headless outhalfs in Ireland

darkened_scrum · 22-02-2026 09:16AM

Yesterday was great obviously, it was our best team performance in I don't know how long and a lot of our players put in their best performances in a long time similarly, but seeing a lot of "this definitively proves" hot takes which I think are premature. We're the same team/group of players that lost (pretty badly in each case tbh) to France, SA and NZ. This win has to be backed up definitively over the next few weeks. It's a shame we played France first, would like to see how we'd go against them after that rather than before, but it is what it is.