Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

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.

I highly disagree with your assessment of Keenan's physicality and it just goes to show that some have very short memories. He's an excellent athlete as well as a superb footballer. He can run those lines you speak of as well as act as another playmaker, beit as first or second receiver. It's no surprise that Ireland's attack isn't the same when he isn't in the team.

There's this crazy thing with Irish sports fans (not just confined to rugby). A shiny new toy shows he's capable of stepping up to the plate when needed and suddenly the incumbant, despite being a superior player in almost every metric, doesn't come back when he's available.

It used to happen with Sexton all the time. There was a clamouring for another 10 to play, be it Carbery, Jackson or whoever. They'd come in, play well, and the narrative was 'ThE jErSeY iSn'T sExToN's AnYmOrE'. It's the very definition of biting off your nose to spite your face, and it stems from this attitude in Ireland that people can't be getting above their station and have to be kept honest.

You wouldn't have this conversation about one of the best players in the world anywhere else. Could you imagine French fans saying this about Dupont when he was injured?

Physicality isn't a word that springs to mind when I think of Keenan. Elusive, IQ, positioning, timing, running lines would be how I think of him. Tackle evader rather than tackle buster.

And that is in no way saying he shirks the tough stuff. He's a good and brave tackler. He has no issue carrying into contact but that's not a major strength of his game and it's not what he's picked for.

I also wouldn't call him a second playmaker like Lowe or Hansen but he picks great lines off those guys. And can draw a man before throwing a good pass.