Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Shame he couldn’t have got it sorted 2 and a half years ago at the World Cup where it cost us massively

I really fail to see what the issue is here. POC came in with a small amount of coaching experience and a spell at State that was a wash. He's been in the job 5 years. Line out has deteriorated during his period in the job so people asked wtf is going on with the line out, what is POC doing? Answer was we don't know but Farrell is sticking with him. He seems to have turned it around justifying Farrells confidence, fair play to him. It doesn't mean people were wrong for thinking he's learning on the job and costing us over the last few years. It's pro sport, all about results. He wasn't delivering which drew a lot of criticism. C'est la vie. No different with Johnny and the kicking problems our tens have had. Again, learning in the biggest job so criticism is going to be sharp as a lot of people feel that coaches should learn the gig before getting the best jobs in the Irish game. Farrell has proved with POC that thats not necessarily true.

fair enough. Apprenticing at test level means that you get very little on field work relative to what club coaches are doing. Weeks rather than months each year compounds.

Good news, although a central contract for Bundee is interesting. McCloskey might want to have a word with his agent.

Good to get Josh, JGP and Sheehan tied down. If Aki is getting one you’d imagine McCloskey should also be getting one.

Presumably Crowley and Baloucoune will also be getting bumped up to a CC soon.

Most definitely not. Given his age RB would surely be getting a multi-year CC compared to Aki who is only getting one year so far less of a long term risk. No doubt about it Aki’s form has dipped but he was a test Lion less than a year ago. Not saying it is totally deserved but I can see the logic in giving him a one year deal with the RWC next year.

Edit. Meant to say it wasn’t more hasty!

@Packrat - sums up the entire problem. He's done now, will get worse, shouldn't have been given a central contract extension, and the idea of him being nailed on in the squad this far out is absurd. The fact part of your justification is he played well at the last World Cup says it all really.

It was always the case but the last six months have proved that having a CC does not guarantee selection so who cares?

Whether Aki renews his central deal or moves to a provincial contract is an accounting exercise with zero on-pitch impact.

I know 2 years can seem like a long time in sport but there is zero evidence of age being in any way detrimental to his performance to date. Quite the contrary in fact but who knows

Mack is on a central contract through until the end of the 26/27 season.