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Farrell explains Ireland changes and what 'explosive' bench can do

(Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Andy Farrell is hoping that an “explosive” Ireland bench featuring four 2021 Lions tourists can successfully tip the outcome their way against England on Saturday. The Irish are Twickenham-bound for what is essentially a Guinness Six Nations round four title eliminator versus Eddie Jones’ English. 

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Ireland are travelling having announced a starting XV that shows six changes from the facile 57-6 win over Italy on February 27 and their bench thinking has caught the eye, Farrell keeping Iain Henderson, Jack Conan, Conor Murray and Robbie Henshaw in reserve with a view to them coming on late and tilting the result.

Conan, Murray and Henshaw were all Test series starters on last year’s Lions tour to South Africa, a trip that Henderson also made where he featured against the provincial teams. It’s a wealth of experience that Farrell now wants to use to influence the round four championship result in London.  

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“You look at our bench – we have got an experienced bench, an explosive bench that can come on and add to our performance and that is pretty important,” he enthused after naming a team in which Hugo Keenen, Andrew Conway, Bundee Aki, skipper Johnny Sexton, Cian Healy and James Ryan were named to start in place of Michael Lowry, Mack Hansen, Henshaw, Joey Carbery, the injured Andrew Porter and Ryan Baird.  

“Selection is always difficult, it doesn’t matter what game you are talking about. We have a very good squad and we have said all along it would be a squad effort, squad togetherness that gets us through this competition and puts us in a good position. There were some tough decisions to make this week but we feel the balance of the team is a good one.

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“Bundee has been playing really well,” he added when asked why Aki, another Lions tourist, had been given the No12 jersey ahead of Henshaw. “There are big aspects of his game that have come on strong. He is known for his aggressive ball carrying style but the delicacies of his game have really come on as well so we think he deserves a game. Having said that, Robbie lacked a little bit of game time but he is good to go, fully fit, raring to come on and add to the team as well.”

A particular talking point was the retention of Peter O’Mahony to start on the blindside. With Conan returning from the recent Lions tour as a Test series starter, Farrell had been using him at No8 with Caelan Doris his preferred No6. However, against Italy, he shifted Doris to No8 at the expense of the benched Conan and O’Mahony, the 2017 Lions first Test skipper, started at flanker.

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He will now start O’Mahony again at Twickenham with Conan kept on the replacements. “Both are great players. We just think the balance is right for this game. Pete is in good form, not just physically but he is a good emotional leader for us as well. 

“Leadership is a big part of every team performance and we know what Pete brings as far as the set-piece is concerned and the breakdown is concerned but the rest of his game has come on an absolute treat. His attack stuff has really stepped up. He played really well against Italy. I also thought Jack played really well coming off the bench and had a big impact.”

Switching to why Lowe was named ahead of Hansen and why Healy got the nod to replace the injured Porter, Ireland boss Farrell continued: “We have all seen it, the progression in the autumn (of Lowe) and the learnings that he had taken on board to be able to perform on the big stage at international level is something we want to see at the weekend. 

“He is a big threat ball in hand. He also links very well as does Mack and we all know he has got a left boot in his as well. It’s a big advantage for us. 

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“It’s something we have been toying with,” he added about the loosehead selection. “Cian has been champing at the bit for an opportunity as is David (Kilcoyne), we feel that the combination at set-piece is pretty important with Cian there. He will go hard and David will add when he comes on. 

“We have got to make sure they [England] have got a bump in the road. They are building through the competition but we have to put a stop to that. That is our intention, to go over there and prove to ourselves there is a performance in there for us that is a step above what we have shown already.”

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O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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