Form is temporary, class is permanent: What Ireland's first two games tell us about the debate
Andy Farrell’s first two Ireland team selections added to the longstanding debate in Irish rugby about selecting players on current form rather than past performance. Conor Murray, in particular, raised questions, given that his squad rival, Ulster’s John Cooney, has been one of the form players in Europe this season.
The first two performances put in by Farrell’s Irish team have added plenty of evidence to the debate. RugbyPass analyses what we can learn from them.
A balanced approach in selection
In the first game, CJ Stander was asked to start at blindside flanker, relinquishing his usual No 8 jersey so Leinster’s Caelan Doris, undoubtedly the form Irish player in the back row, could make his debut. Peter O’Mahony, Ireland’s usual blindside, was relegated to the bench. Neither Stander nor O’Mahony have been in particularly great form for Munster but both have been essential to Ireland in the recent past.
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Elsewhere, Murray was selected over Cooney but Rob Kearney, a previous Joe Schmidt stalwart, didn’t make the training squad at all, and Keith Earls, another regular starter, didn’t make the matchday squad. Jordan Larmour and Andrew Conway, both in excellent form, were the men to benefit.
In the second match, Farrell took a similar approach. Doris was unavailable with concussion but Max Deegan, another form young Leinster player, was promoted to the bench. Garry Ringrose’s injury saw Robbie Henshaw come back into the side and out of form Keith Earls take the 23 jersey.
So, in terms of selection, Farrell opted for a mix of form and class in both games. He also gave us a useful number of players to analyse over two weeks.
How did they perform in the first round?
In the first round, against Scotland, Doris had the misfortune to go off with concussion after 5 minutes, bringing O’Mahony into the game very early. Stander was the official Man of the Match and put in an impressive performance after moving back into the No8 position. O’Mahony was also influential in a contest that was essentially won by Ireland’s better ability to adapt to the referee’s interpretation at the breakdown.
Class, as they say, is permanent.
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On the other side of the debate, Larmour and Conway impressed, bringing their provincial form into the match and adding a new spark to Ireland’s attack, one that they sorely lacked in Japan during their ill-fated World Cup campaign. If Ireland are to add more to their attack, you suspect these two will be an important part of it.
One in the column for form, then.
In the middle, there was Murray, who was neither the best nine in the world, like his old self nor the washed-up player many argue he has become. He got the job done.
Taking it up a level in Round 2
Ireland’s performance against Scotland in the first round was a stuttering start that relied heavily on their back row. Their second match under Farrell was a far more impressive victory, over a strong Wales side coming off the back of a 42 point thrashing of Italy.
Ireland were physical and uncompromising but also showed much more imagination in attack. Every player performed well.
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For the second week in a row, Stander was the official Man of the Match. O’Mahony was everywhere, particularly infuriating Wales captain and talisman Alun-Wyn Jones. Earls, who came on early in the second half for the excellent Henshaw and had to step in at outside centre, a position he plays less frequently, was very assured. He put in one absolutely perfect pass to Larmour, having adjusted well to take the ball in the first place.
The form players, Conway and Larmour, were even better than last week, with Conway in particular having an outstanding game.
The leaves Murray, who is arguably at the centre of this debate. He was still not quite back to his old self but he more than justified his selection in Round Two, bossing his pack around well, getting the ball out crisply and quickly, and kicking well. Among all that there were some truly lovely passes.
The golden mean?
With everyone playing it well, it might seem difficult to use that game as evidence for the form vs class debate. But that’s looking at it the wrong way. It was the combination of form players and trusted stalwarts that led to such a strong performance.
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In both matches, the experience of players like Murray, O’Mahony, and Stander allowed them to quickly understand how the referee was going to manage the game and where they would be able to stray into grey areas, especially with the breakdown. In both games, the breakdown was crucial to Ireland’s success. For all the talent that Deegan and Doris have shown this season, they might not have been able to adapt in the same way at this level.
There is also no doubt that, in 2019, it felt like Ireland’s attack had stagnated. Freshening that up with the undoubted exciting talent of Conway and Larmour at the back added a balance to the team.
That’s the crucial word: balance.
In the first match, Farrell had opted for a new hooker, Rob Herring, after the retirement of Rory Best, a new number eight in Doris, and a new full back in Larmour. If you consider the spine of the team, it made perfect sense to keep Murray in the No 9 jersey for some balance and continuity.
The same was true in the second game, even without Doris. Wales were Grand Slam champions and three points away from the RWC final last year. Too much tinkering with selection would have been very risky. As it was, Farrell tinkered just enough.
There is certainly an argument that Joe Schmidt didn’t tinker enough to achieve this balance, trusted the class of his experienced players to come through, even when it didn’t. But that doesn’t mean an over-correction is in order now.
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There are some players, moreover, who are able to raise themselves for international matches despite their form. Sam Warburton rarely played as outstandingly well for Cardiff Blues as he did so frequently for Wales, for example.
In the debate over form players versus experienced performers, balance will always be key. Having talented newcomers push for a place keeps everyone on their toes to maintain their standards but the newcomers need to know they can earn a place. Throwing debutants in at the deep end in a tournament as intensely competitive as the Six Nations is always risky but so is letting the camp get stale with the same players.
So far, Farrell appears to be striking the right balance.
What does that mean for Cooney and the others?
That is not to say that Cooney doesn’t deserve a start, or that Deegan and Doris don’t deserve more chances. In Round Three, against England at Twickenham, they may have to settle for a bench spot again, biding their time. Round Four, against Italy at home, would seem to be the time for Cooney to get his start, at least.
Farrell has already shown a willingness to break with certain aspects of his predecessor’s regime, naming his team early, relaxing the vibe in camp, and encouraging more ambition in attack. By the end of the tournament, this Ireland team might look quite different than the one who came back from the Rugby World Cup in Japan with their tails firmly between their legs, both in personnel and performance levels. If it does, it will be because of the balanced approach Farrell has taken.
Watch: Eddie Jones warns against Six Nations expansion.
Comments on RugbyPass
He 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.
3 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.
15 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
15 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.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
3 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
15 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
15 Go to commentsExeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
39 Go to commentsI am De Groot.
1 Go to commentsHad hoped you might write an article on this game, Nick. It’s a good one. Things have not gone as smoothly for ROG since beating Leinster last year at the Aviva in the CC final. LAR had the Top 14 Final won till Raymond Rhule missed a simple tackle on the excellent Ntamack, and Toulouse reaped the rewards of just staying in the fight till the death. Then the disruption of the RWC this season. LAR have not handled that well, but they were not alone, and we saw Pau heading the Top 14 table at one stage early season. I would think one of the reasons for the poor showing would have to be that the younger players coming through, and the more mature amongst the group outside the top 25/30, are not as strong as would be hoped for. I note that Romain Sazy retired at the end of last season. He had been with LAR since 2010, and was thus one of their foundation players when they were promoted to Top 14. Records show he ended up with 336 games played with LAR. That is some experience, some rock in the team. He has been replaced for the most part by Ultan Dillane. At 30, Dillane is not young, but given the chances, he may be a fair enough replacement for Sazy. But that won’be for more than a few years. I honestly know little of the pathways into the LAR setup from within France. I did read somewhere a couple of years ago that on the way up to Top 14, the club very successfully picked up players from the academies of other French teams who were not offered places by those teams. These guys were often great signings…can’t find the article right now, so can’t name any….but the Tadgh Beirne type players. So all in all, it will be interesting to see where the replacements for all the older players come from. Only Lleyd’s and Rhule from SA currently, both backs. So maybe a few SA forwards ?? By contrast, Leinster have a pretty clear line of good players coming through in the majority of positions. Props maybe a weak spot ? And they are very fleet footed and shrewd in appointing very good coaches. Or maybe it is also true that very good coaches do very well in the Leinster setup. So, Nick, I would fully concurr that “On the evidence of Saturday’s semi-final between the two clubs, the rebuild in the Bay of Biscay is going to take longer than it is on the east coast of Ireland”
11 Go to commentsWhat was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
39 Go to comments