Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

I hope Doak gets 20 minutes, see what he's like at this level.

Good team.

Not a huge amount of complaints from me on that team. TOB not involved at all feels harsh, no need to rest him from as he was dropped for Italy so management can't point to that. Stockdale needs a really big game. Feel he is running out of chances at this level.

Would possibly have given Ringrose a rest and started 1 of Farrell/Postlethwaite. Can see the logic in not a huge amount of unforced changes though.

Excited to see Doak and Stewart, both having excellent seasons. Can see Doak leapfrogging Casey if he takes his chance.

Cian Prendergast is unlucky he plays where he does. A great player but losses out due to the back row being so stacked.

Think Milne is very lucky to be included after his high error count last weekend.

Good to see Doak get a chance, I’m skeptical that he has the speed or physicality for this level but will happily be proven wrong.

This could very easily become one of those games where the majority of the backline are all playing out of position by the time the clock hits 80.

VDF and McCarthy off the bench should be enough to deal with any confidence Wales start to grow if they are still in it at 50 mins.

What’s important though is to prove that the England game wasn’t a flash in the pan. We need a solid error free performance again with set piece holding up because it’s the area every team is going to target as being our weakest

Physicality? He's competing for a jersey with Craig Casey?!

Don’t think physicality can go against Doak when he is up against Casey to be honest.

This is the kind of game that I'd expect Sam Prendergast to do well in.
His skillset works well against opposition where we're on top in the forwards.
Still a bit puzzled by Frawley now being ahead of him.
It's some fall for him from starting the first two games!

I guess its just for broader bench cover?
I'm not a fan though of expecting your 10 to play a full 80 minutes.

I make that 26 different players who started a game in this six nations (31 if you include the games against the Tri Nations in the Autumn, leaving out Japan becasue people will try to argue that wasn't a proper game) with another 6 who have appeared off the bench. Which should (but won't) put to bed the horse manure narrative about conservative selection.

And before anyone screams about it only happening becasue of injuries, the following have been left out of teams in that run while being fully fit:

Porter, Sheehan, Beirne, Ryan, Joe Mac, VDF, JGP, Both 10s, Lowe, Henshaw, Aki.

Stockdale, O'Brien, Baird, Paddy Mac, Balacoune, Osborne and at a stretch maybe Clarkson (Nort sure if he was ever really ahead of furlong) have alll graduated to being first choice imo in that time, Stockdale and O Brien fell away again, Paddy and Baird got injured.

I never mentioned Casey, but as you bring him up I can’t remember a time when he was left wanting physically. He’s no Conor Murray or Tomas O Leary in defence but neither is JGP and maybe it’s the edge that Doak can get over him but I don’t see Doak having the physical ability that Tomos Williams or Ben Spencer have and he is bigger than them.

Time will tell, hopefully he goes well.

Only way Doak gets 30 minutes is if Ireland are winning by 50 AND JGP gets hit by a bus.

Both will need to happen

Cruel on Tommy O’Brien.

Casey needed to be dropped though.

Ringrose moves to wing like he has done before, farrell to 13, stockdale to 15