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Farrell defends picking an all-Leinster backline in an Ireland XV containing 11 players from the PRO14 champions
Andy Farrell has insisted he didn’t pick his latest Ireland with any bias towards Leinster after an XV to take on Italy this Saturday in Rome was named with a backline hailing entirely from the Leo Cullen-led province in what is a must-win game for the under-pressure Test coach.
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Ireland have endured their worst start to a championship since 1998, losing their opening matches to Wales and France, and Farrell has now taken a scalpel to his selection, making seven changes following the defeat to the French last time out.
The shake-up means his starting selection includes eleven players from Leinster – including an entire backline – with only Munster trio Dave Kilcoyne, Tadhg Beirne and CJ Stander, along with Ulster’s Iain Henderson, getting a look in from provinces other than the reigning Guinness PRO14 champions.
It’s an eleven-strong representation for Leinster in the starting XV that is an increase of two from the nine players they had chosen in the XVs that started the previous February matches versus the Welsh and the French.
However, Farrell insisted he didn’t set out to purposely select so many Leinster players, claiming the team he announced was what he felt was their best side to take on Italy this weekend. “No,” he replied when asked had he chosen his team with a view to having Leinster as the only representation in the Irish backline.
Andy Farrell is going for broke with a reshuffled Ireland in Rome #SixNations #ITAvIREhttps://t.co/ts2bpAmyyA
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 25, 2021
“We play the game as it is in front of us and we have made the right decisions along the way hopefully. I never look at a team sheet and say how many are from any province whatsoever. It just so happens that this is the right team for this game this weekend.”
While Cian Healy, Andrew Porter, Rhys Ruddock and Josh van der Flier were four Leinster forwards to drop out from the XV that began the February 14 loss to France in Dublin, Ronan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong, James Ryan and Will Connors have been included in the pack to ensure Leinster still have half the pack selection.
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However, it is in the backline where Leinster have assumed total dominance for this weekend as fit-again skipper Johnny Sexton returns at out-half and Jordan Larmour is promoted by Farrell to a starting spot on the wing in place of benched Munster veteran Keith Earls.
That Leinster duo are joined in the Ireland backs by the repeat Farrell selections of Hugo Keenan, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe and Jamison Gibson-Park. “I have been around long enough to know that good players, dangerous players, can make something out of nothing and certainly Jordan is one of those,” said Farrell about the promoted Larmour before commenting on hamstrung scrum-half Conor Murray.
“We made a decision on Conor quite early because he is still got a few days to go. He is progressing well but we made a decision early with him so he hasn’t done that much training this week.”
Farrell added that IRFU contract negotiations are going well with Sexton, who quipped in a throwaway remark the other day that he might not be around at the next World Cup in 2023, by which stage he will be 38. “There is no difficulty from my point of view – and I’m sure there is not from Johnny’s point of view as well.
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“Conversations are going on in the background and both sides are happy with those conversations. Johnny keeps being his bright self during the week and he has certainly been at the forefront of what has been a great week so far. As long as Johnny keeps on giving to Irish rugby, he will keep putting his foot forward to be in the equation, won’t he?
“He feels good at this moment in time, his appetite is as strong as ever. He is certainly one of those guys that makes the feeling in the group feel right and as long as that appetite stays, I’m sure we will keep moving in the right direction regarding that.”
Ireland beat Italy 50-17 in Dublin 18 weeks ago in a rescheduled 2020 Six Nations fixture and they are backed to provide Farrell with some breathing space by securing a win in Rome to lift the gloom surrounding their poorest start to the championship in 23 years.
“We have to go over here with the right attitude,” said Farrell. “A couple of years ago I didn’t feel we got the blend right over there and it came across as sloppy at times. Last year at the Aviva I thought our attitude was spot on and we can hopefully do the same in Rome.
“I certainly feel that they [Italy] are good enough to stay in the competition long-term because I can see the progress that Franco (Smith) is making with them. They are certainly heading in the right direction. There’s a newish group there that he is starting with which takes some time and he has already seen the fruits of that. They are strong, they are going in the right direction and with different combinations that take time to gel, they are only going to get better.”
SUPER RUGBY AOTEAROA SIGN UP IS NOW LIVE ? https://t.co/8NQAnOvAD2 pic.twitter.com/31CMv9h5ms
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 25, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Super rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
7 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
7 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
14 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
14 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
7 Go to comments