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Andy Farrell appears to hail from the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' school of thought
Ireland coaches habitually don’t do shouting from the rooftops. The Grand Slam-winning Declan Kidney used to go about his business as quiet as a church mouse and while fellow Grand Slammer Joe Schmidt was prone to the odd showbiz appearance on Irish TV talk show The Late, Late Show, rugby insights were Kidney-like scarce due to the soft line of questioning.
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New boss Andy Farrell appears to hail from the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ school of thought judging how he has set out his stall following his promotion from assistant coach.
In December only handpicked media organisations were invited to attend a cosy Ferrero-Rocher-on-the-table pre-Christmas gathering, and the air of aloofness continued on Wednesday with the manner of his first Six Nations squad announcement.
Whereas counterparts Gregor Townsend and Wayne Pivac whetted the appetite by fronting up respectively in Scotland and Wales and hosted media conferences to unveil their 38-man squads for the upcoming Guinness-sponsored tournament, Farrell’s selection of his 35 was contrastingly low key – a filtered four-minute 26-second video being released on his behalf by the IRFU.
His unchallenged message was that his squad is dynamic, powerful and aggressive with a lot of skill and speed, a nice soundbite if rah-rah soundbites are your thing twelve-and-a-half weeks on from the crucifixion that was Farrell’s defence getting filleted by the All Blacks at the World Cup.
(Continue reading below…)
New Ireland captain Johnny Sexton speaks about the 2020 Six Nations
A lot of road must be travelled before the new Ireland coach genuinely gets away from that lingering stink. That process starts with the need for him to bag back-to-back home wins next month versus Scotland and Wales, the rivals who were all answers and explanations on Wednesday when declaring their hands in Edinburgh and Cardiff.
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With Farrell alternatively limiting queries about Ireland’s squad to in-house IRFU TV ahead of next week’s official tournament media melee in London, RugbyPass delves into some of the minutiae regarding the squad chosen.
Shaking up selection…
Thirty days is a long time in rugby. It was December 16 when Farrell announced a 45-strong post-World Cup stocktake, a mini pre-Christmas camp that took place in Dublin. Just over four weeks later, some of those initially picked learned the hard way how quickly you can fall off a list that is now down to 35.
Joey Carbery and Quinn Roux at least had the solace that injury shunted them out of the reckoning, but others such as Stuart McCloskey and Rhys Ruddock, a regular captain during the Schmidt era for matches versus the lesser nations, will be bruised at getting cut loose. You would have particularly felt McCloskey was someone who could really benefit from being under Farrell’s wing, given the coach used to play that midfield role himself as a Test player.
The season of goodwill didn't apply across the board in Ireland on Monday as new coach Andy Farrell only met with media handpicked by the IRFU rather than accommodating all media
https://t.co/T2p46YiKa1— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 24, 2019
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Other frustrated souls will be Jean Kleyn, Schmidt’s controversial World Cup inclusion at the expense of the shabbily treated but now recalled Devin Toner, and Niall Scannell, the hooker who had been back-up to the now-retired Rory Best throughout 2019, featuring in nine of the 14 matches.
Caolin Blade, Jamison Gibson-Park, Mike Haley, Rory Scannell and Marty Moore are the others to disappear off the radar, but Farrell’s selection encouragingly acknowledged the recent form of two inclusions from outside the loop, Jack McGrath and Jack O’Donoghue.
Their elevation is promising in the sense that Ireland could do with a dose of fluidity to help keep players on the toes and have them aware they cannot take anything for granted. It is an attitude badly needed after the desultory stale way 2019 panned out.
Nurturing the next wave…
While it was all about favourites when it came to actual team selection, Schmidt made it a habit of allowing youngsters to be in and around the Ireland squad. Linking up the national under-20s squad was a preferred method, but Farrell has interestingly designated the selection of four additional picks as development players who will train with the seniors in the fortnight leading into the opening match versus Scotland on February 1.
The tactic ensures that young Will Connors, chosen in the December 45 but not in Wednesday’s 35, can continue his apprenticeship without feeling he has been dropped.
Ryan Baird, Robert Baloucoune and Harry Byrne, the younger brother of Ross, are the other three who should benefit from a whole heap of insight before switching back to their provinces for some February Guinness PRO14 action. With just four teams to pick from, development must be at the heart of the national team strategy, so empowering young guns with the knowledge they wouldn’t otherwise receive is positive.
The curveball in all this well-intentioned stuff, though, is the inclusion of 21-year-old Tom O’Toole in the main squad. He hasn’t started in all that many league games with Ulster and has yet to do so in Europe, yet he has jumped the queue ahead of provincial colleague Moore and Munster’s John Ryan, who was at the recent World Cup.
Although Drogheda-born, he appears to be a pet project of high-performance boss David Nucifora as he grew up in Brisbane and came to the IRFU’s attention after making the Queensland Reds development and Queensland schoolboys sides in 2015. How the novice settles in at Test level will be intriguing.
Overall, Farrell’s dalliance with youth most be genuine and not a superficial gimmick. He has to trust in fresh talent and not repeat the slapdash situation that was the inexperienced Jack Carty being handed a first competitive Test start at the recent World Cup after a four-year cycle to prepare.
Captain Sexton is a risk…
It was early October in Kobe when Johnny Sexton became the 106th player to captain Ireland. Farrell claims this was the week that convinced him the veteran out-half should be his chosen one to lead the team on a permanent basis in 2020.
If so, you’d have to hope that what Sexton did in the private in the Japanese coastal city is what has got him the responsibility as Ireland were desperately lethargic that Thursday evening under his baton under the enclosed stadium roof, leading by a meagre 21-0 before out-half gave way at the interval.
What will be a massive issue for Sexton to handle – aside from being far too injury prone and too old with the 2023 World Cup in mind – is his communication with the referees on Ireland’s dance card in the coming weeks, Mathieu Raynal (vs Scotland), Romain Poite (vs Wales), Jaco Peyper (vs England), Nic Berry (vs Italy) and Wayne Barnes (vs France).
Ireland’s No10 often been involved in testy exchanges with officials so how he copes now that he is the skipper will be closely scrutinised. Ex-captain Best had a certain charm in the way he went about talking to referees and it is something Sexton needs to take on board.
Of course, this risk could have been been negated altogether if Farrell went for broke and appointed the Paul O’Connell-like James Ryan as captain. Now that would been a bold long-term statement for the 2023 World Cup.
Portugal in the sun…
Farrell will be hoping preparing for a match in Portugal doesn’t become a bad omen. It was last August when Ireland jetted to London from an Iberian warm-weather camp to get badly exposed by England in a World Cup warm-up, the embarrassing defensive cave-in a premonition of what was to transpire some weeks later versus the All Blacks in Tokyo.
Ireland’s Six Nations plan is to have a week preparing in Quinta da Lago before heading back to Dublin a few days before their opener at home to Scotland. The new boss will have his fingers firmly crossed that this latest preparatory stint in the sun doesn’t lead to a repeat of the disaster that took place at Twickenham.
His selection will be critical… namely, who is best placed to take over from Best, what can be done to energise the tame back row, does Conor Murray deserve to hold on at No9 (a player on a central contract has no divine right to play when outperformed by a non central contract player) and what is the most potent midfield combination? They’re big questions needing big answers. Over to you, Andy.
The RugbyPass 23 to face Scotland
15. Jordan Larmour; 14 Andrew Conway, 13. Robbie Henshaw, 12. Bundee Aki, 11. Jacob Stockdale; 10. Johnny Sexton, 9. John Cooney; 1. Cian Healy, 2. Ronan Kelleher, 3, Tadhg Furlong, 4. Iain Henderson, 5. James Ryan, 6. Peter O’Mahony, 7. Josh van der Flier, 8. Max Deegan. Reps: 16. Rob Herring, 17. Dave Kilcoyne, 18. Andrew Porter, 19. Ultan Dillane, 20. CJ Stander, 21, Conor Murray, 22, Billy Burns. 23. Keith Earls.
WATCH: Andy Farrell talks Ireland selection and captaincy
Comments on RugbyPass
Has virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
4 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
2 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to commentsIs Barrett going play full back??? They already have all the centers…
15 Go to commentsForgive my ignorance, I might not fully understand so would appreciate clarification: Didn’t the Bulls have to fly with three different carriers, paid for by the South African Rugby Union, whilst Edinburgh got a chartered flight sponsored by EPCR? Also, as far as I understand it South African teams don’t yet share in the revenue from the competition and are not allowed to host Semi-finals or Finals at home. Surely if everyone wants South Africans to “take the competition seriously” then they must make South Africans feel welcome, allow them to share in the revenue, and give them the same levels of access as the teams from the other countries. Just a reminder that South Africa has a large and passionate Rugby audience. Just by virtue of our teams being a part of these competitions means that more of us are likely to watch the knockout games, even if our teams haven’t qualified. It would be silly to alienate such a large audience by making them feel unwelcome.
18 Go to commentsFirst of all. This guy is very much behind the curve. All the bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning took place days ago already. Not adding anything to the topic other than more bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning. 🍼 Second of all, not one mention of the fact that South African teams can’t get home semi finals or finals. The tournament was undermined and devalued by the administrators. 🤡 Thirdly, football teams often have to juggle selections in mid week games, premier games, champions league games etc. and will from time to time prioritize certain titles over others. 🐒 And lastly FEK Neil, and anyone else for that matter, for insisting on telling teams how to manage themselves. If they make what is largely a business decision that suits them and doesn’t suit you - tough shite. 💩 It’s not rocket science as to why the Bulls did what they did. If this guy is too slow to figure it out (and is deliberately not mentioning one of the key reasons why) then he isn’t a journalist. He should join the rest of us pundit plebs in comments section. 🥴
18 Go to commentsSo the first door to knock on Rob is Parliament followed by HMRC. The Irish Revenue deliver a 40% tax relief rebate on the HIGHEST EARNING TEN YEARS of every pro Irish rugby players contract earnings at retirement. That goes a long way to both retaining their best talent and freeing up wages for marquee players. Who knows, if that had been in place in the UK, you might not have been able to poach Hoggy and Jonny Gray from Glasgow…!!!
3 Go to comments1. True, if that “free” ticket means access to all but the prized exhibit - EVIP only. SA cannot host semis, even if they’ve earned it (see Sharks vs ASM Clermont Auvergne at… Twickenham Stoop). 2. Why no selective outrage over Lyon doing the exact same thing a week earlier? Out of all the countries France send the most “B teams”, why nobody talking about “disrespect” and “prioritising domestic leagues” and “kicking them out”? 3. Why no mention of the Sharks fielding all of their Springboks for the second rate Challenge cup QF? No commitment? 4. Why no mention of all the SA teams qualifying for respective euro knock out comps in the two seasons they’ve been in it? How many euro teams have qualified for KO’s in their history? Can’t compete? 5. Why no mention of SA teams beating French and English giants La Rochelle and Saracens? How many euro teams have done that in their history? Add no quality? The fact is that SA teams are only in their second season in europe, with no status and a fraction of the resources. Since joining the URC, SA has seen a repatriation of a number of players, and this will only grow once SA start sharing in the profits of competing in these comps, meaning bigger squads with greater depth and quality, meaning they don’t have to prioritise comps as they have to now - they don’t have imports from Pacifica and South America and everywhere else in between like “European” teams have - also less “Saffas” in Prem and T14, that’s what we want right? 'If the South Africans are in, they need to be all in' True, and we have to ensure we give them the same status and resources as we give everyone else to do just that. A small compromise on scheduling will go a long way in avoiding these situations, but guess what, France and England wont compromise on scheduling because they ironically… prioritise their domestic comps, go figure!
18 Go to commentsthe success of the premiership can be summarized by : only 10 teams. It makes a huge difference with the overcrowded top 14 (let us not talk about Leinster and URC…)
1 Go to commentsGood for him. The ABs were fooling around again with converted fullbacks that had a penetration of a marshmallow. Laumape or as Aki has shown for Ireland, go forward is important in the centres. If it had been DMac - Aki- Aumua - Ioane- Telea- Jordan in France the final result would have been different.
4 Go to commentsDan Carter a apporté son professionnalisme, des méthodes de travail, un esprit qui manquaient à l’USAP. Son influence, même une fois blessé a été énorme. Et pour citer une anecdote, certains soirs il venait de lui-même à l’entraînement des jeunes pour dispenser ses conseils. On ne peut pas compter ce qu’il a apporté au club en heures de jeu sur le terrain. Est-ce que le club en a eu pour son argent ? Avec la publicité sur son nom et le titre, je suppose que oui.
1 Go to commentsThe SA sides are suffering from a bum rap here. There isn’t a side anywhere in the world that would do things differently in their shoes. They’ve been set up to fail in the EPCR comps by vested interests, with last minute intercontinental travel requirements that costs an arm and a leg to book in advance just on the possibility they might be required. And the total nonsense that denies any chance of home venues is entirely biased and absolutely unsporting. Either EPCR, the Top14 & the Gallagher Premiership get it sorted on a fair and equitable sporting basis for ALL participants or expect the ridicule to continue. Right now, these comps are a joke!
18 Go to commentsSA sides should do the right thing and leave the champions cup, they are lowering the standard with completely one sided games, not up to the right level. The greatest club tournament in the world is being banjaxed by the weak SA sides.
18 Go to commentsCouldnt agree more. SA sides need to show more committment and really have a go at the Champions Cup. Its quite possibly the most prestigious title in Europe and SA sides need to respect that prestige and serve up their best. EPCR needs to do more to ensure that sides from South Africa and sides travelling to and from SA have a better chance in this competition. The Bulls were put in a really difficult position of having to travel there and back in one week. One could argue that this is what the SA sides signed up for and that La Rochelle didnt complain or send out weakened sides despite having to travel to SA and back and play on successive weekends but surely the situation is also unfair on La Rochelle as well and so EPCR needs to think about successive gameweeks and the travel effect of the competition
18 Go to commentsI hadn’t watched much Canes this season but sat through a replay of that Chiefs game with no distractions. That pack is beastly. I really like the look of Iose. He loves the tough stuff. The first Quins clip may be the best I have even seen for a TH driving his opposite into oblivion. i need to take your word for the contribution of Walker, but Collier there with a straight back pushing up from under was a lovely thing to see. Have you fallen in love with Baxter also, Nick? I think Stuart Barnes may have written his column about him recently, naked. He positively frothed.
15 Go to comments