ROLE REVERSAL
Andy Farrell will need to think outside selection box to land big win in Marseille
SAY what you like about Eddie Jones, but the fiery Aussie doesn’t do dull. Jones has always been box office at press conferences. A master of mind games who chucks more verbal grenades than Frankie Boyle, he seems to rail against the safe, media-trained and cautious approach deployed by the majority of coaches when the microphones and bright lights are switched on.
There has been plenty of substance and insight, however. When you strip back all the histrionics and double bluffs, Jones has a really unique perspective on the game. Especially when it comes to selection.
When England were at the peak of the powers during their charge to the World Cup final in 2019, Jones was asked about his decision to drop George Ford ahead of the quarter-final win against the Wallabies.
‘Well, I didn’t drop him mate,’ he replied bluntly.
‘I changed his role. So, I know you guys struggle with that. But he changed his role, and he was brilliant.
‘Are we vindicated? We’re happy that he played his role well.’
The talented out-half had been left on the bench, with Owen Farrell
No one should
be assured of their starting
place anymore
shifting to No10 to accommodate a midfield pairing of Manu Tuilagi and Henry Slade.
But Ford was back at out-half to face the All Blacks in the semifinal and Jones explained his thinking further.
‘Maybe you guys have got to start reporting differently,’ he said.
‘Come into modern rugby. Join us. Rugby has changed, it’s a 23man game.’
Many would roll their eyes at Jones’ observations, but we feel that the then England head coach was onto something. Sometimes you need to select a team based on the opposition.
South Africa have a similar policy when it comes to selecting with their ‘Bomb Squad’ cast of replacements. A tactic which had a big influence in securing back-to-back World Cups. The Springboks often finish a game with a pack which is arguably stronger than the one which started the game.
We seem to be a bit obsessed with the starting line-up and the supposed pecking order in this part of the world. As Jones noted all those years ago, the game is changing. The bench plays such a massive role and, often, a player is better suited to deal with the looming opposition.
It’s been instructive to see Jacques Nienaber’s impact at Leinster with this in mind. Take the impressive pool win against La Rochelle a few months ago. Will Connors got the nod ahead of Josh van der Flier for the fixture at Stade Marcel Michelin. It seemed like a big call. Benching a former World Player of the Year and firstchoice international. But Nienaber felt Leinster desperately needed Connors’ chop-tackling skills to negate a giant pack featuring man mountain Will Skelton. It proved an inspired call. Van der Flier was back in the starting line-up the following weekend. There seems to be a bit more flexibility in Leinster’s thinking now.
Which brings us to Andy Farrell. The Six Nations opener against France is now just 12 days away and the Ireland head coach is formulating a matchday squad in his head.
Farrell will be tempted to go business as usual and select effectively the same combinations which have served him so well in the past few seasons. His hand will be forced in a few areas. Johnny Sexton’s retirement and injuries to Mack Hansen and Jimmy O’Brien will necessitate changes at out-half and the wing.
Otherwise, he may be tempted to keep things settled ahead of this daunting first-round assignment in Marseilles. But a bit of outside-the-box thinking will be needed to land a big win at Stade Vélodrome.
For starters, the form of Joe McCarthy has been compelling. Farrell is a big fan of the hardy Leinster lock. McCarthy has been a one-man wrecking ball in recent months and the havoc he caused against a juggernaut Leicester Tigers pack at Welford Road last weekend was startling. Comparisons with Springbok enforcer
Eben Etzebeth have been doing the rounds of late.
McCarthy is the kind of mean, heavy duty forward which the Irish pack need against the French forwards on Friday week. A promotion for the 22year-old would mean a supposed demotion for either Tadhg Beirne or James Ryan. What’s the big deal? Either of those second rows would make a huge difference from the bench later in the game. The visitors will need plenty of reinforcements anyway.
It’s the same story when it comes to midfield and wing. Despite the excellent form of Calvin Nash, it seems highly unlikely that Farrell will throw a wing — with just one international cap to his name — straight into a high-octane championship clash in such an intimidating arena. Maybe it’s time to take a punt on Garry Ringrose on the right wing. The Leinster centre has done a few shifts there in the past. And he would revel in the free role afforded in such a position. Crucially, it allows Farrell to deploy a combative centre pairing of Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw to deal with the punchy French combination Jonathan Danty and Gael Fickou. A different role but one which would free up Ringrose to do some damage in the wide channels. A safe pair of hands in a cauldron, too boot. It’s been a long time since Farrell trusted Jordan Lamour or Jacob Stockdale to do a job on the wing in a big game. Nash’s time will come but this looming meeting with Les Bleus might have come too soon. Unleashing Ringrose in a different position might solve a few problems ahead of the flight to Marseilles. Personally, we’d be tempted to give Ryan Baird a rattle on the blindside flanker as well. The Leinster flanker has been thriving under Nienaber’s influence of late. His dynamism around the park and lineout acumen are tailor-made to deal with Cameron Woki and Co. But Peter O’Mahony’s recent promotion to the captaincy means Baird is probably going to have to contend with a place on the bench next week. Again, Farrell should be open to chopping and changing. No one should be assured of their starting place anymore. The game has moved on. Rival nations are embracing the 23-man squad. Ireland shouldn’t get left behind.