@Eoin H: Well said Eoin. Great to see Prendergast and Izuchukwu get the nod.

@Eoin H: not for the first time has farrell shown how poor a selector Cullen is. Jgp was a very lightly used sub at leinster until farrell picked him for Ireland. Cullen would still have luke mcgrath as leinsters first choice if farrell didn’t step in

@Eoin H: Coombes was never going, AF doesn’t like him and he only got a 15 minute shown in the semis, no one likes him it seems.

@Eoin H: disagree on Ross, he is only 29 and could have 5 or 6 more season of pro rugby left in him. He doesnt have natural speed or size but its easier to change the latter. If he is 5 or 10kg heavier hes going to have more confidence going into contact both sides of the ball.

@Eoin H: yeah, Farrell knows so much more about attacking rugby that he is taking Cullens attack coach. Cullen sees a lot more of these players and doesn’t pick them. The inside center, Frawley, got 30 minutes at 10 against Toulouse and did nothing. He came on last weekend and cost them the game because he couldn’t catch a ball. Prendegast has done absolutely nothing to deserve the hype. He didn’t even stand out at u20. There is a huge gap between Crowley and these 2

@Eoin H: Leinsters backup flyhaves get into the Ireland squad and their first choice 10 is omitted ..bizarre ..

@Stuart: not bizarre at all. Farrell picks the best players available,

@John Buckley: Your some spoofer altogether. Go back to watching your 2000s European documentaries

@chris mcdonnell: absolutely remember this well Frawley and SP going to SA and the Byrnes on their deck chairs definitely sends a message.

@John Buckley: are you that much afraid that crowley will get passed out that you have to abuse the next 2 in line?

@Stuart: only Cullen thinks RB is ahead of the other 2. Farrell is bang on with this selection

@Stuart: Not really, Farrell has form. He picked JGP ahead of Luke McGrath, McCarthy ahead of Ryan, Harry ahead of Ross and I’m sure there are a few more. SP is the future and is the perfect squad player for this tour. Frawley offers more versatility than either of the Byrnes. We can argue the individual strengths and weaknesses until the cows come home but that is the reason I would select him for this squad. Crowley is no. 1. This is the easiest trio of 10s that Farrell has ever had to select in my opinion.

@Michael Corkery: Andy Farrell is a pragmatic selector. He has to pick 3 outhalves for a squad for 2 tests out of a selection of 7 or 8 from 4 provinces. 1st choice is easy, he wants a versatile player for his 22 jersey in a 6:2 bench and a young talented player to learn from the environment. If Farrell was selecting his 23 for Leinster v Toulouse, there is a fair chance he would have picked the exact same 23 as Leo Cullen. It’s an impossible theory to prove, but I don’t ever see Farrell selecting Frawley as a starting 10.

@John Buckley:
Well a lot is down to getting time at 10…
Crowley when starting off at 10 beat only the Dragons and Ulster in16 months, even then got a start against Ulster and Ben Healy had to save him.
He then won 3 games and drew one and he was going to the RWC.

Munster stuck by him, they took the knocks for him getting started and reaped the rewards…
That is why it was so suprising what Leo did with Sam, he was getting those early minutes given to Sam for free by a Connacht very short on out half.

@Paul Ennis: at the moment crowley is the starting 10 because he is the best player. We have. Farrell played frawley twice at 10 on the NZ tour. There is no chance he would have picked byrne to start at 10, farrell likes his 10 to attack the line. Even a Ross fan like yourself can admit that one thing Ross can’t do is attack the line.

@chris mcdonnell: I hear the Conservatives are looking for a new press secretary Chris. Put that comment on your CV and the job is yours. Barring a last minute injury on tour, he won’t pick Frawley to start 10 in a “TEST MATCH” either. If Crowley were unavailable right now, Ross Byrne would travel and start both tests with Frawley on the bench. Come autumn, Crowley will start the big games and Sam P will make his debut v Fiji. Why? Crowley is light years ahead of Byrne, but Frawley is not. His selection is a pragmatic squad decision that he has the luxury to make. By the time Farrell returns from his Lions sabatical, I believe his 2 main 10s will be Crowley and Sam P.

@chris mcdonnell: And for the record, I can see the flaws of all 4 Leinster outhalves. Ross Byrne is limited but not as bad as you make out. The reason why you think I am a “Ross Byrne fan” is because you force me to come to his defence so often. I don’t need to point out his flaws because there you are castigating the poor man every time you get a phone in your hand. That says more about your negative and sometimes toxic commentary than anything else.

@Eoin H: @Eoin H: Is he that far off the mark? Frawley’s 2 mistakes were v costly in Leinster’s biggest games this year. Prendergast (Sam) hasn’t done anything yet – all sizzle, no steak seen yet. He is young granted, and time will tell. Usual Leinster hype surrounding him. Billy Burns has as much right to selection as these “heroes” ! Translation: Crowley or nothing atm.

@Paul Ennis: why are you always so personal in your comments when somebody disagrees with you? As I’ve said to you before, if you’ve nothing good to say, say nothing at all

@seamus Beirne : “Usual Leinster hype”. And you’ve got to wonder why Munster and Leinster fan bases are increasingly seeing each other as foes instead of friends, with comments like this. You have history though…..don’t you Shay.

@chris mcdonnell: Farrell picked Frawley twice at 10 in NZ because Harry went home from the tour injured. Don’t let the facts get in the way of your ill informed opinions though.

@Brian O’Connor: Always! Have you examples? If someone tells me that I am a “Ross Byrne fan”, that’s not personal, but it is if I respond to it. I called Chris out on his misleading statement regarding Frawley starting in NZ in what I thought was a humorous way. Pretty sure Chris wouldn’t take that personally! Not sure why you are?

@Emmet Martin: if Crowley or Frawley gets injured hes on the bench

@Rab McCracken: what youngsters?

@Carmine Lorenzo: Prendergast, Osborne and Izuchukwu. Plus with O’Toole switching to loose head who better than Healy to guide him?

@killian fitzgerald: Yeah you could well.be right. Or you just might learn that this tour could be the making of the next guys off the rank. If you take out the 3 players I mention, there are still literally hundreds of caps in that squad. It’s not inexperienced.

@Rab McCracken: That’s 3 out of 35 players. That’s about 8% of the squad in total classed as a youngster according to you. There was room for a bit more in my opinion. Although I can see your point on Healy guiding O’Toole, if he is actually going as a LH.

@mickey mac: pace and a higher ceiling than Daly. That said Stockdale hasn’t done it since 2018 when he was sensational. Can he get back to that level and tidy up in defence. – the jury is out but Farrell is a better judge than myself

@Dave Moran: OMahony is there to lead …. Something strongly lacking in a Leinster side!!!

@Lulu: those in glasshouses shouldn’t really throw stones.

@Lulu: Will he be there to lead at the next world cup?!? He’d done sweet FA the last year. He shouldn’t be in the squad

@Dave Moran: POM closed out the season strong, he struggled post world cup to end of 6N but is in good form since April, he is there on merit

Agree he wont be around until the next world cup but that applies to other players like Murray, Aki and Healy but we still need these guys if we want to be competitive down there

@Dave Moran: Agreed, would have though Hodnett deserve at least run, we know AF isn’t interested in Coombes tho, PoM, just dunno what the fuss is about.

@chris mcdonnell: So Chris who is meant to lead Leinster because what I’ve seen of them for the past 2 years, they are completely rudderless!!

@Owen ODonoghue: don’t rule Aki out

@Warren Conlon Grant: I hope he is around too! Wrap him in cotton wool !

@Lulu: both ryan and more importantly ringrose have been injured most of the season, I’d guess one of them or doris will do the job.

@chris mcdonnell: Neither captain material…. Ryan was tried and failed dismally. Ringrose is too quiet and lacks imposing himself.

@Warren Conlon Grant: Him and Henshaw have been great for Ireland but they’ll be 37.5 and 35.5 years old by the next world cup comes around. That’s just too old imo.

@Dave Moran: I am amazed you’re not having a go at your favourite target, Casey. Now it is POM.

@Stuart: Pack is the difference. SA will be all over any scrum half if their pack is going backwards. Thats said JGP is 100% a gamechanger

@Stuart: Blade is better than Casey in a weaker team

@anthony davoren: I’m sorry but that’s simple not case …

@damien reidy: no need to apologise, it is the case. The only thing Casey has over Blade is youth.

@anthony davoren: And a far better season behind him. Casey is way better than Blade, the only thing Blade has is experience.

@Gos9: Beirne is Ireland’s best lock by a mile. Proves it game in and game out. It is a question of who plays with him. I would go with Ryan. Mc Carthy totally over hyped and better coming in with 20 mins left, if at all.

@Gos9: i agree with u on doris looking very tired

@Rab McCracken: rubbish. Stockdale has never recovered the form he showed early in his career. Dalys defensive abilities alone should have his seat on the plane

@Gos9: agree with you on Daly who is also a solid attacking full back. Would have selected Stewart ahead of Herring given that both Kelleher and Sheehan are both on the plane. Also no point in selecting Frawley unless Leinster are prepared to play him regularly as a 10 next season.

@mark sheehan: There’s every point in selecting Frawley if they want to keep the option of a 6-2 bench.

@mickey mac: ‘never recovered form’ tells me you don’t watch Ulster much. Top irish try scorer in URC, this season Daly 23 starts 7 tries 0.3 avg per game. Stockdale 21 starts 10 tries avg 0.5 per game. Both 23 clean breaks in URC Stokdale with more defenders beaten (in fewer game for clean breaks and defender beaten as well) and a stockdale has a higher tackle success rate.

@mickey mac: Hardly rubbish. Stockdale has scored 44 tries for Ulster and 19 for Ireland, Daly has 22 for Munster and none for Ireland. Farrell has never been a safety first coach, picking a winger just for his defensive abilities isn’t his style. And his record with Ireland speaks for itself.

@Rab McCracken: In fairness we’ve been on here bemoaning Jacobs lack of defence plenty of times this season, he’s v lucky to have his name on the team sheet, even the last time he was capped was lucky!! His CV is superior tho.

@Rab McCracken: Casey is clear no2 but who next. Just don’t get why Murray is going. I’m a huge fan of his and has been a loyal servant in red and green but he has nothing to prove. Not sure blade is the future either

@Rab McCracken: Foley is a phenomenal athlete, just needs the right coach at Leinster to improve his basic scrum half play. Problem is that coach is now at Racing 92 and Leinster don’t have anyone credible to help him

@Rab McCracken: Yeah true, Foley looks like a real deal albeit still a pretty raw talent. You’re right tho.

@Rab McCracken: Doak coming through? He’s been around for a few seasons at this stage, is he even a scrum half anymore? (no question he’s potentially a wc player tho), like Foley at lot, great energy, hope it’s not trained out of him now.

@Eoin H: apart from the second best scrumhalf on the planet

@Thesaltyurchin: Ment to add Devine there

@Carmine Lorenzo: They fly home on the 14th of July, the whole squad will be doing preseason with their clubs as usual. SP will learn a HUGE amount from Crowley and the squad in general this tour

@Andrew Slazenger: They are coming off a 13 month season. None of the Leinster players who see any meaningful game time in South Africa will be available for the first league game on Sept 20th or whatever it is. Prendergast has already been in camp once or twice. I am thinking longer term in terms of how he can most quickly become the first choice 10 at club and then for Ireland. Uninterrupted pre season with main focus on S&C is the best way to do this in my opinion. Though if he barely plays he’ll be back at Leinster sooner. All of the players not picked – their seasons ended last weekend, they’ll be back for pre-season before the end of July.

@Carmine Lorenzo: he’ll fill out just fine, he also has had no issue in contact in senior rugby so far. He is already over 15 stone and is 6ft 4. Great example is his carry when collecting a loose line out v Ulster in the QF, you wouldnt see any of the Byrnes doing that..

@Carmine Lorenzo: it’s quite clear that Ross byrne is first choice 10 at leinster and Harry is no 2 based on who started at 10 most all season. The only way that changes is if Leo moves on.

@Carmine Lorenzo: Prendergast will get exposed to better coaches in the Ireland setup than at Leinster.

@chris mcdonnell: that can change quickly when national team recognition comes in, look at Crowley, went from third choice at Munster to Ireland starting 10 in 18months. That Australia game in 2022 catapulted him ahead of alot of others

@Carmine Lorenzo: your talking about Cullen, there’s no such thing as forcing your way past one of Leo’s players. Look how long JGP was a sub and only got a chance because farrell picked him. Champions Cup final when Ross was clearly injured it took more than 8 minutes for Leo to make the change. As for physically bigger and more experienced, neither byrne could tackle a cafe mocha.

@chris mcdonnell: They must half some ‘compromising photos’ or something. Interested to see if it comes to a head. Not selecting Ross is a hammer blow to his confidence.

@munsterman: Beirne? Would have him in but would have to be with PoM out of the picture. He’s a warrior but not an inspirational or charismatic guy.