BACKED INTO A CORNER
Farrell’s options limited by captaincy conundrum
THE chorus of voices calling for Joe McCarthy’s promotion has been deafening in recent months. And with good reason, too. The powerful Leinster lock has been a standout performer all season.
Indeed, one of the enduring memories from Ireland’s quarter-final defeat by the All Blacks was McCarthy’s potent impact from the bench in the second half, the imposing second rower was part of a cast of replacements which changed the momentum of the contest.
McCarthy’s efforts were in vain that evening in Paris, but he brought the same energy into the new campaign with Leinster.
Standing 6ft, 6in and weighing almost 18 stone, there are few forwards on this island who are built like McCarthy. A homegrown version of Nathan Hines or Brad Thorn.
It is McCarthy’s approach which really sets him apart, however. In New Zealand — pardon our french — they’d refer to him as a ‘big, mean b ****** ’. High praise in that part of the world.
There is a real mean streak to this guy. McCarthy plays like he hates the opposition. There is
“O’Mahony has fallen down Andy Farrell’s pecking order before”
venom, aggression and bite to everything he does.
The 22-year-old was drawing comparisons with Springbok enforcer Eben Etzebeth in the wake of his latest wrecking-ball display against Leicester Tigers in the Champions Cup recently.
Serious company to be keeping. Again, it was justified. For such a raw and seemingly inexperiately enced forward, McCarthy pitched up at Welford Road and proceeded to tear into the imposing home pack.
It must delighted Andy Farrell as he watched McCarthy wreak havoc once more. The Ireland head coach has been a big admirer of this heavyweight star for some time. McCarthy has won five caps on Farrell’s watch to date and many more will follow.
Farrell knows what’s coming at Stade Velodrome. Ireland are hurting after the World Cup. Thing is, France have been in a world of pain, too. Fabien Galthie’s side were primed to land a maiden title before that agonising one-point loss to South Africa. This generation of French players know that a quarter-final exit was a desperbatants poor return on their talent. On home soil, too.
So France will be keen to make a statement. If things had worked out, this visit to Marseilles would have been the first stop on a glorious trophy tour.
Instead, they will hope to vent some frustrations on an Ireland team who look vulnerable as life after Johnny Sexton begins.
Farrell (right) knows all of this. It will have informed his team selection. He will need tough comin the trenches to deal with an early French onslaught. McCarthy’s promotion looks a no-brainer really. Few would argue with the Dubliner’s ascension to Ireland’s first-team ranks. His form has been compelling and he could be one of the breakout stars of this tournament. The problem for Farrell is who gets the chop to accommodate him? If McCarthy, as expected, gets the nod, then that means that Tadhg Beirne or James Ryan will be dropped.
Can Farrell really afford to leave Beirne on the bench? The same player who comes up with so many big moments in games. Beirne will be crucial to disrupting French rhythm when the hosts inevitably come flying out of the blocks.
So, that means Ryan sits on the bench, right? Ryan briefly lost his place during the World Cup when Ireland’s lineout suffered a worrying malfunction against the Springboks. Still, there is a nagging suspicion that he wasn’t fully fit in France due to a wrist injury. If Ryan was firing on all cylinders, it’s doubtful he would have played such a peripheral role. Again, Farrell is a big fan.
The other way out of this selection bind is selecting McCarthy and Ryan in the engine room, a combination which has been hugely effective at Leinster, and shifting Beirne to blindside.
The problem there is Farrell has appointed Peter O’Mahony as captain. The veteran Munster flanker is set to lead out his country in front of a packed house on Friday night.
Either O’Mahony starts with his customary No6 jersey or he moves across to the openside to accommodate Beirne in a beefed-up backrow unit. It would mean Josh van der Flier would be on the bench. The Leinster flanker hasn’t quite been hitting his 2022 World Player of the Year feats in recent
times. Van der Flier remains a serious player, mind you.
And the notion that Ireland would go into a high-octane encounter with Les Bleus without a specialist openside flanker looks risky as well.
So what does Farrell do? The elephant in the room is the captaincy, of course. Farrell has backed himself into a corner by giving O’Mahony the armband.
No one would ever question the Corkman’s leadership, commitment and honesty. But the lock and backrow positions have never been more competitive at Test level.
We haven’t even spoken about Ryan Baird or Jack Conan yet. Not to mention the compelling form of Nick Timoney. It’s only a matter of time before Tom Ahern is part of this debate. Gavin Coombes and John Hodnett were deemed surplus to requirements while Will Connors was also unlucky to miss the cut.
It won’t be long until Munster lock Edwin Edogbo and Ulster flanker Dave McCann break into the international setup either. Both were making serious cases for higher honours before injuries curtailed their progress recently.
O’Mahony is going to be feeling the heat. There’s nothing new about that situation. He has fallen down the pecking order several times under Farrell and fought his way back into contention. The big difference now is O’Mahony is captain and that complicates things. The skipper is usually the first name on the team sheet. That is certainly not the case here.
Coaches often talk about welcome selection headaches but Farrell is going to have a major migraine trying to figure out this self-inflicted problem. RORY KEANE’S IRELAND XV TO FACE FRANCE: H Keenan; G Ringrose, R Henshaw, B Aki, J Lowe; J Crowley, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, D Sheehan, T Furlong; J McCarthy, J Ryan; P’O’Mahony (capt), J van der Flier, C Doris. Reps: R Kelleher, C Healy, T O’Toole, T Beirne, R Baird, J Conan, C Murray, C Frawley.