Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Leinster already have nearly their entire starting XV on CCs, so actually having to pay the wages of a couple of guys on their team isn’t that big a deal for them. Other provinces don’t have that.

Crowley, McCloskey and Baloucoune have now proven themselves as key players for Ireland. The IRFU should be rewarding Munster and Ulster for producing them by putting them onto national contracts, just as Leinster have been rewarded by having their whole team payed for.

What was the original reason? I thought it was to keep particular players playing in Ireland. Topping up their wages so they didn't go to abroad for more money and avoiding placing that financial burden on the provinces.

Fair enough. Aki fits that bill if the plan is to bring Aki to the world cup.

As an older player he'll probably have his minutes managed pretty strictly. So Connacht will be without him for much of next season and will need to pay for replacements.

Plus they needed to pay to keep him in Ireland and prevent him going abroad for more money.

As you explain it, the Aki CC makes more sense than I originally thought

The amount of central contacts at Leinster doesn't just mean that they have to "pay the wages of a couple of guys". They have to pay 40% of those salaries on the central contracts for players who aren't available for vast amounts of the season either on player management breaks, training camps or during international game windows and also pay salaries for guys who of a significant level to remain competitive when those players on central contracts are unavailable.

The near absence of key Ireland players moving abroad suggests the IRFU’s model has ways and means of keeping top players happy whether it's a central contract or not.

This bullshit of Leinster being rewarded for "having their whole team payed for" - when in reality, for the best part of a decade Leinster have produced players who have substantially carried the national team.

That’s the point of the system. They supplied players to the national team, and got reward for it by having said players paid for. It’s not a criticism. Crowley, McCloskey and Baloucoune have established themselves as important players for Ireland. If it weren’t for them, we’d be in the midst of a post mortem of a 6N that included our first loss to Italy in 13 years and an embarrassing home loss to Wales. Their provinces should be rewarded accordingly, as Leinster have been. Hardly controversial.

There's probably many players that you could add to the list that show how silly of a suggestion is it is that Balacoune has earned one. I could be wrong but I don't think Simon Zebo ever got a CC, which, along with Lowe, shows that it's not something handed out for one good Six Nations. There are also many other players that had to put in years of work, eg Josh Van Der Flier won World Player of the Year in 2022 while not a CC, before he got a central contract the following year having played for Ireland since 2016.

Obviously Ringrose sometimes does pass the ball playing 13 in a test side! The point is he dies with the ball very often. And yes, he is a top class defender and has many other great facets to his game. But he is not dangerous in attack these days. A lot of this team seem to have benefited from the higher level of competition for places and being dropped for a game or two as a result. We just don't have the depth at 13 yet to give Ringrose than break/kick up the arse. I think he could do with it.

Yep, I'm a big Ringrose fan, but agree his attacking ability has waned, and would like to see some of the younger generation snapping at his heels.

Apparently Gavin will be back for Connacht's SA Tour in April. Hope he gets back up to speed quickly and becomes the player we'd hoped. He's 22 now. Needs an injury-free run to start fulfilling the huge potential he showed at u20s.

But for now, Hume should be ahead of Gavin - I know Hume has a concussion issue right now, but hope he has a big end of season push when fit again. He's 27. Should be coming close to his peak.

post 6N - who is the best 23 to play New Zealand assuming everyone is fit?

Does Keegan walk back in at 15?

Lowe and Hansen on the wings?

Porter at loosehead ?

Interesting question, everyone magically fit tomorrow my 23 would be:

McCarthy

Sheehan

Furlong

McCarthy

Beirne

Baird

VDF

Doris

JGP

Crowley

Hansen (can switch to the left fairly easily with his skillset imo)

Mcloskey

Ringrose

Baloucoune

Keenan

Porter

Kelleher

Bealham

Ryan

Conan

Doak

Frawley

Osborne

Harsh on Osborne to be dropped and on TOB to miss out but we have excellent options in the backs now

Rob Baloucoune has no luck

https://www.rte.ie/sport/united-rugby-championship/2026/0319/1564144-baloucoune-could-miss-rest-of-season-with-elbow-injury/

Fit and in form needs to be the criteria, and the likes of Mac (to a greater extent) or Keenan (to a lesser extent) need to demonstrate that in order to displace the likes of TOB and Osborne. If Keenan does come back in, perhaps might be time to drop Ringrose.

Same with Baird. Should be settled on McCarthy (if his form doesn't dip again), Ryan, and Beirne at 6. Lineout is going well and Ryan doesn't come out of the XV easily.