Ireland tipped to make 11 changes for Wales and hand Peter O'Mahony a different back row role
Joe Schmidt is expected to potentially make 11 changes to his starting line-up when Ireland face Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.
The Irish coach, who will officially declare his hand on Thursday lunchtime before his squad travel to the Welsh capital, is pondering whether to change things hugely up in the wake of last weekend’s humiliating 57-15 defeat to England in London.
Records tumbled in that brutal eight-try loss and Schmidt – a coach only ever beaten 18 times in 69 outings since taking charge in 2013 – will now likely roll the dice and could give as many as five Munster players a start in his starting pack.
The New Zealander will be hoping that a smattering of his more experienced players can carry what is expected to be a largely a second-string XV over the line against the Welsh, who beat them comfortably when the countries last faced off in the Six Nations Grand Slam game last March.
Ireland’s four survivors from the XV that started the now infamous disaster at Twickenham last weekend are likely to be Iain Henderson, Peter O’Mahony, Jacob Stockdale and Bundee Aki, a quartet whose individual performances in London came nowhere near the high standards expected of them.
Having watched Ireland get torn asunder by England, the legendary Brian O'Driscoll has stated his preferred midfield partnership for the World Cup
https://t.co/vdKfCFJhxz— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 27, 2019
In the pack, Henderson was subdued by the likes of Maro Itoje after an initially bright start in stealing the possession that led to an early Irish try while O’Mahony was unable to exhibit any of his usual tenacity in powering the Irish pack forward from the blindside.
Meanwhile, out the back, Stockdale was harrowingly left watching far too many English tries get run-in at the corner he was haplessly defending, while there are question marks over whether the midfield should continue to be built around Aki after he had no answers to the power and poise of Manu Tuilagi and co.
Aki’s selection as the starting No12 in 18 of Ireland’s last 22 matches was fastened upon by no less a legend than Brian O’Driscoll, who told RugbyPass on Tuesday that his preferred starting midfield combination for the World Cup in Japan would be Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose, a pairing that hasn’t started together since the June 2018 series-saving win in Melbourne over Australia.
O’Mahony’s probable repeat selection next Saturday will come with a twist as he is likely to bed down at openside and not at No6.
With Sean O’Brien and Dan Leavy out of the World Cup mix due to injury, Josh van der Flier struggled against England to fill this void and O’Mahony could be given an opportunity to audition for this role in Cardiff with his provincial team-mate, Munster’s Tadhg Beirne, presented with the chance to fit in at blindside in a back row completed by Leinster’s Jack Conan.
Expect the second row to feature Henderson with James Ryan along with an all-Munster front row consisting of Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell and John Ryan. Continuing the theme of using provincial combinations at Test level, Kieran Marmion is set to be chosen at half-back alongside his Connacht colleague Jack Carty, who is starting a Test for the first time.
Outside them, Aki is expected to pair up with Henshaw in the middle, with Stockdale joined in the back three by Andrew Conway and Will Addison.
IRELAND (probable v Wales)
W Addison; A Conway, R Henshaw, B Aki, J Stockdale; J Carty, K Marmion; D Kilcoyne, N Scannell, Jn Ryan, I Henderson, Js Ryan, T Beirne, P O’Mahony, J Conan.
WATCH: The RugbyPass guide to Yokohama Stadium where Ireland will open their World Cup against Scotland on September 22.
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments