LAST UPDATE | 18 Nov 2021
IRELAND HEAD COACH Andy Farrell is set to bring Conor Murray into his starting XV to face Argentina in Dublin after an injury to Jamison Gibson-Park.
Gibson-Park started at scrum-half in Ireland’s wins over Japan and New Zealand over the past fortnight but was ruled out of this weekend’s fixture due to a thigh issue.
Farrell also has 22-year-old Craig Casey in his squad, while Leinster’s Luke McGrath was called up to replace Gibson-Park, but Murray is expected to start after replacement appearances against Japan and New Zealand.
Murray is set to partner Munster team-mate Joey Carbery in the halfbacks, with the latter coming in for the injured captain Johnny Sexton at out-half.
James Ryan will captain the team from the second row in Sexton’s absence and Farrell could select an unchanged forward pack as he looks for Ireland to continue their momentum against what will be a combative Argentina team.
The likes of Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Beirne, and Peter O’Mahony have been pressing for a start but Farrell may opt to stick with a settled pack.
There may be a change in Ireland’s back three, with Ulster man Robert Baloucoune potentially rotating in for Andrew Conway, who impressed in the wins over Japan and New Zealand. Keith Earls is also vying for a start after two sub cameos – albeit in midfield – over the past fortnight.
24-year-old Baloucoune only made his Ireland debut last July, scoring a superb try against the US at the Aviva Stadium.
There is also the prospect of a change in Ireland’s midfield, with Robbie Henshaw now fit again.
The Leinster man was rehabbing a foot injury earlier in this autumn series but returned to training last week ahead of the All Blacks clash and could come in for Bundee Aki, although Stuart McCloskey is another option at inside centre.
Farrell is due to officially name his matchday 23 tomorrow afternoon.
Possible Ireland XV (v Argentina):
- 15. Hugo Keenan
- 14. Robert Baloucoune
- 13. Garry Ringrose
- 12. Robbie Henshaw
- 11. James Lowe
- 10. Joey Carbery
- 9. Conor Murray
- 1. Andrew Porter
- 2. Rónan Kelleher
- 3. Tadhg Furlong
- 4. Iain Henderson
- 5. James Ryan (captain)
- 6. Caelan Doris
- 7. Josh van der Flier
- 8. Jack Conan.
First published today at 18.28
Time to move on from Murray. So far over the hill !
@Darren Mullins: The writer or the scrum-half?
@Gary Donlan: SH
@Darren Mullins: Selected as a Lions tourist and played Test games for them over the summer. Couldn’t be that far past it? Don’t confuse his preference for box kicking for a lack of tactical nous and rugby intelligence. He was the best scrum half in the world when that tactic was boss. Ireland scored 15 unanswered points against the ABs with the Murray Carbery axis, so pretty solid recently too. The anti-Murray comments on this seemed to emerge, without reason, when Cooney was scoring tries and kicking points for Ulster, neither the job of a scrum half. How many tries are left behind by SHs who focus on their own stats? Cooney wasn’t up to it and Murray went on to make the Lions under an anti-Irish coach. He’s still relatively young and has so much to offer.
@Darren Mullins: agreed. Murray is embarrassing to watch at this stage. Going nowhere now. He’s over and should retire gracefully. For his own good he should retire with at least some of his reputation intact.
@Darren Mullins: box kick it back to Argentina
@Darren Mullins: glass johnny over the hill and very fragile
@Darren Mullins: time to move on from any provincial bias would be even better! I’m sure that has Jo part to play in your assessment of things. I will eat my words if you are from and support Munster and still made that statement. I am a Munster supporter and I fully admit he has his work cut out for him, but “time to move on from Murray. So far over the hill”? I’m sorry, but objectively (a very important word) that is a real stretch!
@alan: Alan you make it out like conor is 50 years of age ! Wouldn’t be the biggest rugby fan myself but by god do u know f#c# all if that’s your opinion!
@alan: calling Murray ‘embarrassing’ reflects right back at you.
@David Gaffney: Well Im from Leinster and I’d have him in match day squad all day everyday. Owes Ireland and Munster nothing that chap. I wish him well v Argentina. I often wonder how successful the hurlers on the ditch were in sport I hope they all retired gracefully before decline set in.
@SomeGuy: Murray was picked by Gatland to play the worst type of outdated rugby.
@Darren Mullins: Great servant to Ireland and Munster, but I absolutely despise his box kicks, uses them say too much.
@Darren Mullins: Disagree. Hes still v good
@SomeGuy: agree with the point that hes still got plenty to offer and if he adapts will be still no 1 scrumhalf but ireland didnt score 15 unanswered points with a murary carbury axis.
This is just not true.
@SomeGuy: can you recap the 15 points Ireland scored with Murray and Carbery? Carbery scored 3 penalties to take Ireland’s haul to 29 and Murray was on the pitch for 2 of them, so how you get 15 from that is remarkable!
Everyone going on about Murray box kicking really don’t know how this game works.
Murray has been told what to do tactically that’s why he was box kicked so much. He’s not out there doing what he likes otherwise he would have been banished from the team a long time ago.
SA just won a WC with the box kick and chase (the second they have won like that).
A SH follows tactical instructions just like the FH and everyone else.
If we are box kicking less this year it’s down to the new game plan taking better shape and very little to whether Murray is on the pitch or not
@Aaron Buckley: so true
@Aaron Buckley: so not true
@Aaron Buckley: murary is slow getting to the breakdown so the option to boxkick will be the correct one but thats down to him been slow to get there.
That pack wont start. O’mahoney, beirne and Healy will start
@jay bernard: Tell us the score, please. Take us out of our misery,
@Michael Killian: funny man!! Do u not think that Farrell will not give the non starting players from the last two games a start in this game?
@jay bernard: Beirne started against Japan. Nothing against POM or KH, but we hardly need to start them to “see” them at their age. But you might be right. I just want to see another good win at home.
@jay bernard: Murray is rarely wrong. He’ll have been watching training as part of the press pack no doubt, and will have seen how they’ve been lining up in training. I’d put money on that being the starting 15.
@jay bernard: Nope. He wants to guarantee the game is won first. Its Argentina, not Romania. It wouldn’t surprise me to see that 15 play.
@jay bernard: good call, maybe that close to an announcement it’s going to be there or there about a
@jay bernard: Famous last words.
If henshaw were to start I’d like to see it in 13 with Mccloskey or possibly frawley at 12. Have a look at them together, Would be though on the half backs to change the full back line.
@whoowhat?: Yessss we need to start giving caps to the newest to get them accustomed to life at international level. I’d love to see Frawley get the start but if he can even get a look in at coming on and getting 20mins it would be better than nothing.
@whoowhat?: ah mccloskey had his chance, we’ve similar style centres who do it better. Frawley should get his chance tho, he’s playin great lately.
I hope this is the selection. There’ll be people here calling for starts for the squad players but I’m glad Farrell is making a priority of getting the system right. He’s capped a load of new players and will continue to do so. NZ and SA are the most successful WC sides and they’re playing their strongest sides in these Autumn internationals. Why shouldn’t we?
@Sustainable Hedgehog: I hope Coombes also on the bench instead of POM, or starts instead.
@Con Cussed: Him or Timoney would be a good shout, be great experience for them. Just a shame the USA game was cancelled.
This would be great to have as a starting 15. RB is really on fire.
Robbie Henshaw hasn’t had any game time ,I reckon Faz will go with Aki and McCloskey.I think Gary maybe given a rest he did get some knocks to the head
Punch Murray as soon as he sets himself to box kick.
All the good work vs New Zealand will be undone if he is allowed to.
I cannot believe this selection.
“And I’d go at again. And there’d be no ****ing stopping me. I’d take the shirt off any man’s back. B******s.”
@Mick O’Shea: you’d probably have another 50 pints and a few packets of crips too .
@Mick O’Shea: have to agree with you Mick. As soon as Conor ‘I only know how to box kick ‘ Murray appeared against NZ I thought our whole game advantage would unravel. JGP was brilliant and offers a much more effective game plan
Bring back Rob “The Rob’Meister” Kearnage!