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.
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.
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.
“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
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments