IRELAND are back in action on Friday night, with Argentina, their tormentors of World Cups past, providing the opposition on the opening weekend of this Nations Championship campaign.
After a patchy summer tour, which concluded with a 40-21 hammering from the All Blacks, Andy Farrell will be looking to get things back on track this month.
After a patchy summer tour, which concluded with a 40-21 hammering from the All Blacks, Andy Farrell will be looking to get things back on track this month
A much-improved display against the Pumas would be most welcome. On multiple fronts.
For starters, this Irish team needs to get some good vibes going, with the Springboks paying a visit in a few weeks’ time.
They will want to lay down a marker against Felipe Contepomi’s outfit, who are likely to provide the opposition in a World Cup quarter-final in Brisbane this time next year.
And the global showpiece in Australia will never be far from the conversation about this squad in the months ahead.
For Farrell, getting a result against the Pumas is paramount, but he also needs to think big picture.
Which will make tomorrow’s team announcement so interesting. For what it’s worth, this is the team we would pick to get the autumn up and running.
BACK THREE
Hugo Keenan is virtually nailed-on to start at full-back. All going well, the 30-year-old will be winning his 50th cap during this Test window, potentially in the showdown with South Africa on November 21.
Keenan has been Farrell’s go-to man in the No15 shirt ever since he handed him his international debut, on the left wing ironically, in October 2020. A rock in defence, assured in the air and hugely underrated as an attacking threat, Keenan ticks a lot of boxes.
Farrell, to be fair, has done good work with the full-back depth chart, too. Both Jamie Osborne and Mack Hansen have seen some time in that saddle.
The wing selections will be interesting. Rob Baloucoune is our pick to start on the ring wing. No, the Ulster wing has yet to hit top gear this term, but he has credit in the bank following his breakout Six Nations campaign and a solid July.
After almost a year out with that worrying foot issue, Hansen has hit the ground running for Connacht. He looks primed to land the left wing slot, especially since James Lowe departed for Japan.
Farrell likes a roaming wing who can get stuck in. Hansen is the perfect candidate, which means that the flying O’Briens — Tommy and Jimmy — fail to make the cut this week.
MIDFIELD
Garry Ringrose’s injury makes this interesting. Stuart McCloskey has been the main man at inside centre for the past 18 months, and that looks unlikely to change.
Robbie Henshaw, who has started the season in top form, would be the logical choice to link up with McCloskey in midfield. There’s an argument that Henshaw does his best work at No13 anyway. It would be a hugely experienced and trusted centre pairing with 126 intentional caps of experience between them.
A much-improved display against the Pumas would be most welcome
Farrell needs to start looking outside his established quartet, mind. Bundee Aki is 36. McCloskey is 34. Henshaw and Ringrose are no spring chickens either and their World Cup careers have been blighted by injury setbacks.
It would be no harm to see how Osborne goes at outside centre this week. The Naas man has featured just once in midfield for his country during his 17-cap Ireland career. He has looked the part for Leinster. Give him a go.
HALF BACKS
Sam Prendergast remains touch-and-go for this fixture as the Leinster out-half rehabs a wrist injury.
Jack Crowley’s continued absence has allowed Prendergast to rise up the pecking order again.
Even if he is passed fit, surely Farrell — with his World Cup hat on — should be keen at exploring further options.
Ciaran Frawley deserves a crack. He’s been tearing it up for Connacht. The change of scenery, getting backed by Stuart Lancaster and a consistent run of games as playmaker-in-chief has done wonders.
Yes, Frawley, among others, didn’t put his best foot forward in the game against Japan in July. Then again, that was his first start in the No10 jersey, for club and country, in 15 months.
The former Leinster utility back has looked a far more assured operator in recent months.
Jamison Gibson-Park is vital to this team. Craig Casey and Nathan Doak are likely to share the scrum-half duties against Fiji.
This week, Farrell needs his best option on the field. The most valuable player in this current squad? Unquestionably.
FRONT ROW
Farrell is likely to roll out Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong en bloc for this one. And we’d agree with that stance.
The Leinster trio have been the established front row force for a long time. Warming up the shoulders with a hit-out against Argentina is ideal prep for the Boks.
Furlong and Porter are both likely to start
Fringe frontrowers such as Billy Bohan, who makes our bench, Sam Illo and Tom Stewart are likely to get a run against the Fijians.
For now, it’s about locking things out. Having Porter, who is set for his first appearances in almost a year, back on board is a huge boost. The loosehead looks rejuvenated after a summer off duty.
SECOND ROW
Few surprises here either. Joe McCarthy and James Ryan are a familiar combo. They have both started the season in strong form, too.
Farrell would like to see a few more players forcing the issue in this department.
Connacht lock Darragh Murray is the only young second row who seems to be currently banging on the door and the Athlone man still looks a bit raw for an evening of aerial combat with Tomas Lavanini and Guido Petti, a pair of teak-tough Pumas locks with almost 200 Test caps between them.
BACKROW
Injuries have opened up a few slots in this hugely-competitive department.
Sean Jansen is set to benefit from the absence of Caelan Doris and Jack Conan.
It would be only the Connacht No8’s third cap and his second start, but the powerful backrower deserves this shot.
The Pumas are likely to have a ferocious crew on duty, including veteran flanker Pablo Matera and Stade Francais flanker Marcos Kremer. Tough ‘ombres.
Ireland will need a bit of Jansen’s punch against that crew.
There is no room for Tadhg Beirne one of Farrell’s most-trusted lieutenants, in our backrow selection. For a few reasons.
Maybe it’s some of the recent law changes, but Beirne hasn’t quite been his usual pest-like self at the breakdown in recent months. He’s lacked a little bit of edge.
No surprise, given Munster’s sluggish start to this campaign.
Farrell has backed him many times in the past when Beirne’s form was supposedly on the wane. The Lions series against Australia a recent case in point.
The Munster captain is a card carrying member of the ‘Test Match Animal’ club.
Right now, however, Ryan Baird looks the livelier option as the blindside flanker.
Ryan Baird looks to be a lively option
The Leinster forward, who spent most of last season sidelined with a broken leg, will be chomping at the bit to be involved this week. Baird has looked fresh, hungry and fit.
His work-rate, lineout nous and speed is a real point of difference. He looked to have the No6 shift nailed down, for club and country, this time 12 months ago. He deserves a first shot at the jersey this week.
Ireland will need an experienced and reliable character in between Baird and Jansen. Josh van der Flier is the man for the job.
Nick Timoney has added real impact from the bench of late, but Cian Prendergast deserves that role on this occasion.
The Connacht captain has taken his game to a new level in recent times. His all-action performance against a Saracens backrow featuring Maro Itoje and Ben Earl during Connacht’s storming Champions Cup pool win was seriously impressive.
BENCH
A mix of youth and experience on this bench. Bohan is still learning some of the dark arts, but he could bring real energy from the bench.
Thus, he gets the nod over Tom O’Toole. Who’s up for a late Sheehan cameo at No8, with Ronan Kelleher stepping into hooker duties?
Henshaw gets the nod on the bench. Aki has been fulfilling that impact role for a while but the veteran Connacht midfielder didn’t quite deliver on that front during the summer.
