Fresh faces ensure Farrell is moving on from Schmidt era
In blooding youth, head coach abandons cautious approach and puts own stamp on squad
ANDY FARRELL had three matches in the first 12 months of his tenure in charge of Ireland. Saturday’s clash with Italy is the first of six in seven weeks before Christmas.
In the spring, the coach’s cautious team selections suggested he was staying close to the Joe Schmidt template, but yesterday he named a newlook side that had has his own stamp on it.
That he was broadcasting from, what appeared to be, his hotel room was another reminder that he is operating in unprecedented times. However, the long stoppage has squeezed his window for building a team and he’s now charged with the twin tasks of winning the Six Nations and developing players for the long term.
Injury and suspension have played a role in his picks. If Dan Leavy, Tadhg Furlong, Keith Earls, Jordan Larmour, Joey Carbery, Will Addison and Iain Henderson were available, things might look different.
Established
Their absence opens the door for some new faces to blend with more established names.
Farrell’s team features seven players who are 25 and under, but they are led by a 35-year-old captain Johnny Sexton and a slew of more experienced heads also in the mix.
The coach unveiled the team to the players before training yesterday, ensuring it didn’t appear in the media before it was officially named.
More importantly, he was keeping the players on their toes to ensure nobody felt comfortable in the first few days of his camp.
“Well there’s no hotter cauldron than the Saturday afternoon playing international rugby, it doesn’t matter if there are fans there or not,” he said.
“The pressure that you put yourself under in those moments, in those games, it’s something that you dream of as a kid the whole time.
“There’s always pressure and if you can’t deal with the pressure of a selection day, you’re not right for the job anyway.”
So, what can we learn about Farrell’s intentions from the team? By switching Jacob Stockdale to full-back in injured Larmour’s absence, the coach is at once challenging him to make the jersey his own and also paving the way for James Lowe to come into the side when he qualifies next month. Hugo Keenan’s mission is to make sure that’s not a foregone conclusion. The coach was effusive in his praise of the 24-year-old debutant, but the Blackrock graduate needs to hit the ground running given his provincial colleague is literally waiting in the wings. At centre, Robbie Henshaw has been squeezed out by Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose’s excellent starts to the season and Farrell will be watching the Lion’s response closely.
While New Zealand and England commonly pick centres on the bench for impact, Ireland rarely do so and, while Henshaw will also cover fullback, he can bring a real intensity and experience when introduced.
At half-back, the Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton hegemony goes on. Still, Farrell will want to get Jamison Gibson-Park in to see if he can have the same effect on Ireland’s tempo as he does at Leinster, while Ross Byrne gets another chance to show his wares.
Up front, the unheralded Rob Herring continues to hold down the No 2 shirt, though Ronan Kelleher’s quad issues should clear in time for next week. Beside him, Leinster props Cian Healy and Andrew Porter have a chance to shrug off their Saracens’ struggles.
Connacht pair Dave Heffernan and Finlay Bealham get their first caps since 2017 and ’18 respectively, while Ed Byrne makes his debut.
It’s an untested combination and Ireland won’t want to be in a battle when that trio come in.
Quinn Roux’s ballast might have helped, but he’s got a shoulder problem so it’s a mobile second-row pairing of Tadhg Beirne and James Ryan, backed up by Ultan Dillane who missed out on the initial squad selection but can make a real impact after impressing for Connacht.
Perhaps the biggest calls have come in the back-row, where Caelan Doris reverts to the blindside with CJ Stander at No 8. Will Connors starts on the openside for the first time.
That means Peter O’Mahony must once again be content as the senior man on the bench, while Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan miss out altogether.
Given the schedule, they’ll get a chance in the next few months but, when it comes to selection, possession is nine-tenths of the law.
Farrell wants a “ruthless” defence, “dynamism in our contact skills” and an “aggressive” set-piece that goes after Italy. He wants his attack to be “clinical”.
The next seven weeks will give us a window into where he wants to take Ireland. The team has his stamp on it, let’s see how the performance goes.