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'Andy Farrell will not be travelling, so what I am missing here?'

(Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Former Ireland and Lions out-half Tony Ward has questioned the value of the Emerging Ireland tour to South Africa, a three-game trip that begins minus Test team boss Andy Farrell with this Friday’s match in Bloemfontein versus the Griquas followed by fixtures against the Pumas and Cheetahs.

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Just four capped players were included in the 35-strong squad originally announced for the tour and the plan to give Ciaran Frawley, the Leinster utility who lined out at out-half for Ireland A in New Zealand recently, more time in a No10 shirt at representative level have since been scuppered by injury.

The unfolding situation has left Ward cold, the former No10 unable to get his mind around why a low-frills squad is touring in the southern hemisphere at the same time the Irish provinces are all in URC action. It’s an unease added to by how Farrell, the Ireland Test team boss, hasn’t travelled to South Africa and the team is instead being coached by Simon Easterby.

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“I cannot see the benefit in South Africa’s worst sides playing the best of the rest from all the other competing URC nations, given that a number of those ‘emerging’ players are already at that stage of development,” wrote Ward in his latest Irish Independent column.

“Andy Farrell will not be travelling, so please tell me what I am missing here? What is it that this trip will provide that Farrell will not learn in a matter of days when these same players will be called into a full international camp if they deliver at provincial level on a consistent basis?

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“Ciaran Frawley would have been the most crucial individual in this developmental squad to travel because of Ireland’s needs at out-half. The injury shipped against Benetton has ruled him out and his inability to travel is the ultimate irony. Whether it was a plan hatched over a few pints in Wellington after beating the All Blacks, the potential ramifications supersede the individual benefits that can be attained more easily here at home.”

The Toyota Challenge was also due to feature Italy A but they have pulled out at short notice, leaving the Bulls to step in with an XV to tackle the Cheetahs on Friday after Ireland have played their opener versus the Griquas.

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JW 1 hour ago
Scott Robertson explains the new halves pairing for the All Blacks ahead of France

More indecision and excuses from Razor.


You've given a spot at 6 to Finau whom you haven't even had the courage to use off the bench in the last two games. Now the young enforcer is going into a big much with no rugby, we should expect a similar result to how Aumua struggled to impact a game after he'd hardly been given any chances of the bench either.


Weve now dropped a back three player who also wasn't even given any game time off the bench for someone coming in cold when they really need to have been playing constantly to perform at their best. There are just so many better pictures that should have been present rather than this mickey mouse selection.


I really hope Finau can overcome this, it won't be the first time he's had to. How is the bench even made up? Could you not just have included these changes in the article as well? I actually like BB coming back in, it highlights how courageous he is after sitting out through another concussion that could just as easily sent him back into months of symptoms again.


Dmac was also off his game last week, as was Ratima, with the poor platform Razor and his team have been setting the players up with. He needs to freedom to clear his mind from the clutter that saw him make so many bad decisions last week. It will still probably be a net loss for the team performance not having him on from the start but it should be better for them in the long run if he's allowed to just come on late and play his game trying to claw things back for the team.


With Roigard starting that might prove an outlet for the team to actually get on top first however. Along with Ardie busting a gut in his new role and emptying the tank by halftime, and being replaced by another new star, might mean that Dmac is just icing on the cake at the end.

13 Go to comments
F
Flankly 1 hour ago
Jake White: If I was England coach, I’d have been livid

I am not an England fan, but still very disappointed at what Borthwick is serving up. Regardless of winning or losing, they should be executing the basics at a world class level. That was the reason they replaced Eddie with Steve. After two years England has not built the solid foundations that the RFU were presumably after. Its hard to see it as anything other than a coaching problem.


Having said that I really hope that Rassie has got his team fired up for the game. The Boks at maximum intensity and with no crises (eg red cards) would be expected to win this game. But it does not take much reduction in pressure for Bok teams to lose. The Boks lose when complacency sets in.


On Felix Jones, my guess is that they can't agree on a non-compete so they kept him on payroll for the duration of the Nov tests. The risk was that he would be hired by Rassie or Razor prior to the tests.


As relates to law tweaking, it feels like WR are more comfortable discussing changes in laws than insisting on implementation. For my money the biggest thing they could do is to be strict and consistent in officiating ruck behavior. In every game we see flopping, lazy lying, clearing of unbound players, making plays while off your feet, delays in placing the ball, side entry, offside line infringements, and similar nonsense. It's really really bad, and the WR attitude seems to be that we should turn a blind eye in pursuit of "flowing rugby". In truth it's just boring, because it randomizes the outcome.

11 Go to comments
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