Probables v Possibles selection shows Farrell’s squad is in good shape

APART from today’s ‘A’ fixture between Ulster and Leinster, there are no rugby matches on the island of Ireland this weekend. We do have Munster v Leinster to look forward to next Saturday, but perhaps the IRFU missed a trick by not bringing it forward seven days and freeing up January 23 for a final Six Nations trial.

It’s not a new idea, but games between the Possibles and the Probables were consigned to the scrapheap when the game went professional. The relentless schedule simply didn’t have room for such flights of fancy.

This is, however, a season like no other, and the temporary suspension of European rugby has left two free weekends at what is usually the busiest time of year.

Farrell will be pleased that his Leinster and Munster contingent are getting a proper, intense hit-out two weeks before they play Wales but he’ll equally be concerned that the players from Connacht and Ulster risk coming in undercooked.

Final trials made a comeback in the southern hemisphere this year.

In New Zealand, Ian Foster ran the rule over his best available players when the North played the South in Wellington and the game turned out to be a classic.

Jacques Nienaber tried the same thing in South Africa when it still looked like the Springboks would play some matches in 2020 and that was a less successful outing when it came to entertainment.

Scarce

But at a time when money is scarce and players need games, putting on a fixture and flogging the television rights on a quiet weekend might have been worth trying.

Certainly, for Farrell and his coaching team it looks on paper like a useful exercise.

And for fans starved of entertainment at home, it would have at least fuelled the always lively discussion over selection during this interminable January.

Of course, injury is a risk and if a big name like Johnny Sexton was ruled out for the Six Nations curtain-raiser there would be some who would question the wisdom of the game.

However, there is also a risk that the players will come into the Wales game unready – particularly those who found their minutes managed over Christmas.

But once you take a look at the two available 23s – and consider a couple of the players who could slot in – it’s clear the Ireland head coach has strong options across the park.

Pitting them, and his coaching team, against each other would help engender a competitive spirit going into the long period in the bubble. By handing assistants Mike Catt, Simon Easterby and John Fogarty charge of the Probables and Paul O’Connell and Richie Murphy control of the Possibles, you’d have the entire backroom staff and all of the squad members engaged from the very beginning of the team’s camp.

Farrell is due to name his squad on January 24 or 25, days after the Munster v Leinster fixture.

He had 35 players in camp for the last window, with an additional four young guns brought in to train and gain experience of the environment.

A trial match would see 46 players get some form of an opportunity before the final call is made.

While he no doubt has his mind made up, on the back of his first year in charge and the action that has taken place in the weeks after the Autumn Nations Cup drew to a close, there are still a few key decisions that need to be made.

Sexton hasn’t had a lot of action since that tournament and there are still question marks over the pecking order behind him, with Jack Carty pushing for selection.

In the back-row and back-three, Farrell has a huge range of options, with a host of players in rude health and playing well.

The incumbent back-rowers, CJ Stander, Peter O’Mahony and Caelan Doris, would be put to the pin of their collars by a combination of Rhys Ruddock, Dan Leavy and Gavin Coombes, for example, while in the back-three it’d be informative to see Jacob Stockdale and Jordan Larmour get a chance to marshall the back-field with Hugo Keenan also right in the full-back mix.

The two squads that accompany this piece don’t include injured players like Joey Carbery, Iain Henderson, Tadhg Furlong or Garry Ringrose, while quality options like Jack Conan, Luke McGrath, Ben Healy, Gavin Thornbury and Jordi Murphy could easily come in and make an impact.

We may never see the two teams play, but just looking at them on paper shows that Farrell’s squad is in pretty good shape.