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Ireland v Argentina - 15/11/2024 - (20.10)

No Chocobares for Argentina. That's a big loss, he's been excellent. Lavanini and Kremer out as well. Their experience will be missed but they're also so inconsistent sometimes I'm not sure their absence is such a bad thing.

Ireland clear favourites but surely Argentina have learnt from the past? They put 67 on Australia then backed it up next game by beating the Boks. All the pressure is on Ireland here. If they make a few early mistakes and the Pumas capitalize it's game on. Vamos 💪:p!
 
I feel sorry for Frawley. Yes he was really poor when he came on but everyone can have a bad game. I don't think its in the interests of his development to drop him from the matchday squad.
 
I feel sorry for Frawley. Yes he was really poor when he came on but everyone can have a bad game. I don't think its in the interests of his development to drop him from the matchday squad.
He'll get another chance but you can't play like that with competition behind you and play the week after.

Henderson was the same, rightfully dropped.

If lads are playing with fear its a diffrrent story but Farrell has proven himself to not be fickle or punishing like Jones.
 
My biggest issue with Porter is he is clocking up huge mileage. This will effect him in time. Yes he has ability and noone is questioning that. But the next 10months are looking like they are going to be very intense on him.
I think that Farrell is starting to act a bit like Eddie Jones did with his selections. What do you do if Porter tears his ACL in the first minute, ask Healy to play 79 mins? i think he'd struggle to make half time. It makes no sense why in the first year of a rwc cycle you select 2 LH one of whom is a certainty to not make the wc and only plays in the last 10 mins - it's ridiculous that there isn't a Loughman or a younger prop getting a couple of mins. the same for the back row, why are Prendergast and Timoney in every squad yet i don't think either have had a game in the last couple of years
 
I think that Farrell is starting to act a bit like Eddie Jones did with his selections. What do you do if Porter tears his ACL in the first minute, ask Healy to play 79 mins? i think he'd struggle to make half time. It makes no sense why in the first year of a rwc cycle you select 2 LH one of whom is a certainty to not make the wc and only plays in the last 10 mins - it's ridiculous that there isn't a Loughman or a younger prop getting a couple of mins. the same for the back row, why are Prendergast and Timoney in every squad yet i don't think either have had a game in the last couple of years

He's established Crowley and McCarthy into the starting XV and Osborne and Nash into the squad. Prendergast and Clarkson are coming in and more guys will get chances next week and feature next year.

Loughman is 29 and has never made it past Healy or Kilcoyne, 5 Ireland caps and deemed not up to standard, there's no value in picking him. No one outside the squad is ready for tier 1 rugby in the front row, Clarkson probably isn't either. Healy isn't a sentimental pick like is being sold across the internet, it's an unfortunatenecessity.

We have one less player aged 33 or over than SA in the squad as a comparison.

The world cup is three seasons away, plenty of time to bring 4+ players a year and build a squad especially with the Georgia / Romania tour next summer.

It's not perfect, the bench particularly was full of old guys performing badly last week but the three worst offenders of being old and bad got dropped.

I think there's more value in trying to maintain a top 4 ranking / 90+ ranking points and bringing lads in when they're ready when you have the luxury to do so rather than going for the France 2019 route.

I don't think you can say Farrell has picked a system and players he thinks should be able to execute only to stubbornly and rigidly stick to it. After the England game he identified that Frawley wasn't up to it in international rugby at 15 (I think he's not far off realising the same for 10), he brought Osborne in for SA. He identified that we need pace at 13 to defend like we want which England had exposed, Ringrose has started every game since and Osborne seems to be running 13 primarily now.

He's aware of the issues and knows every player playing in the country and I think his main objective this year was to establish a starting 10 and a new way to play without having a tactician on the pitch running the show. It's still a work in progress and Crowley has a way to go but we've had a reasonably successful year while implementing it.

If you look at the current squad there's plenty of guys with experience who should be able to play at the next world cup in some capacity:

1. Porter
2. Sheehan / Kelleher
3. Worrying but you'd expect a 35 year old Furlong to at least be able to cover the bench.
4/5. McCarthy / Beirne / Ryan
6. Baird
7. VdF
8. Doris
9. I think JGP will be grand but Casey is there too
10. Crowley
11. Gap here but players can establish themselves quickly on the wing.
12. Henshaw, if Frawley is to have a future in the squad it's here imo
13. Ringrose / Osborne
14. Hansen / Nash
15. Keenan

There's talent in the current squad not listed there and a lot of talent from the last three 20s teams to come through also. The 2028 rebuild will probably have to be more drastic but you'd hope to have established props and a 10 there to manage.

I really don't think there's reason to be worried.
 
I'm expecting our first ever win in Ireland. Some men are returning back to the team (Santiago Carreras, Petti and Matera) after injuries or discipline sanctions, and others are still out (Boffelli, Chocobares, Lavanini and Mateo Carreras). The good thing I see are the replacements now at the Aviva Stadium, and others (not at the bench today) that are waiting for their chance, expanding the elegible base of players. Good luck to both teams.
 
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Why was the game allowed to go THAT long before being pulled back? Went over half the length of the field.
 
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