AS ANDY FARRELL was still getting his head around the first Test defeat to South Africa last night, his mind would have already been working on the puzzle of his team selection for the second clash in Durban.
The injury toll during the 27-20 defeat at Loftus Versfeld appeared heavy, although Ireland will know more in the next 24 hours.
Craig Casey suffered a nasty concussion and required lengthy attention on the pitch before he was stretchered off. While coaches generally don’t reveal too much about head injuries, Farrell’s post-match update underlined the severity of this one.
The Ireland boss said that Casey was still on the stretcher when Farrell got back to the Ireland dressing room after the game. The Munster scrum-half was “wondering what’s going on” and it seems unlikely that Casey will be passed fit to play again next weekend.
If that is the case, Conor Murray looks nailed-on to start, with Connacht’s Caolin Blade coming onto the bench.
That would be a major shame for Casey, who was having an excellent game for Ireland and had just kicked a superb 50:22 before he was forced off. Farrell was clearly displeased with the circumstances of Casey’s injury, with RG Snyman arguably coming from an offside position to drive him into the ground.
Murray had a good impact off the bench, finishing a nice Ireland try, while Blade would obviously love the chance to add to his two caps, the second of which came last summer in the World Cup pre-season game against Italy.
Hooker Dan Sheehan did his best to play on after suffering a knee injury in the first half yesterday and played a key role in Jamie Osborne’s try but Ireland had to replace him half time and initial reports weren’t good. It would be a surprise if Sheehan features in the second Test.
That will presumably see Rónan Kelleher promoted into the starting XV, with Rob Herring included on the bench. There is an argument to be made that Herring would be the better starting hooker given his lineout accuracy but Kelleher is a powerful player and has generally been the second-in-line.
Centre Robbie Henshaw never seemed totally right after a massive collision with Springboks captain Siya Kolisi in the first half and was also replaced at the interval. It’s unclear whether he will be sidelined next weekend but Garry Ringrose’s assured second-half performance probably put him in pole position for the number 13 shirt anyway.
It was a shame that Osborne was forced off with a bang to the groin in the 50th minute having enjoyed a fine debut that included his well-taken try. The 22-year-old made a couple of mistakes, as would be expected on any player’s first cap, but clearly fit in.
It looks like he could be OK for the second Test and if he is fit, Ireland will surely pick him again and allow him to build his experience after the brave decision to name him at number 15 in the first Springboks clash.
Loosehead prop Andrew Porter was forced off in the second half with a nasty-looking cut on his hand but reappeared before being replaced again by Cian Healy. That cut will have to be assessed throughout the week and it nearly goes without saying that Ireland need Porter fit for the second Test.
Otherwise, it’s likely that Ireland have more than a few bumps and bruises given that it was such a physical encounter with the Boks and given that we’re now into the final week of the season.
Tadhg Furlong seems likely to go again at tighthead prop, while Farrell might consider the merits of bringing second row James Ryan into his starting XV given that the Leinster man added bite from the bench in Pretoria.
Joe McCarthy was the one to make way for Ryan on an evening where things didn’t all go his way and Tadhg Beirne did another full 80 minutes in a season packed with them. The Munster man has played a huge amount of rugby this season.
Caelan Doris was Ireland’s best player at number eight and Josh van der Flier had another good game at openside. Although captain Peter O’Mahony had plenty of involvements – nine tackles, 10 touches of the ball, and two lineout wins – he wasn’t able to have a major impact on the game before making way for Ryan, who was good in the 30 minutes he was on the pitch.
Farrell obviously has huge faith in O’Mahony’s leadership, though, and it would be a huge call to replace his captain as Ireland look to bounce back in the second Test and end their season on a high.
Out-half Jack Crowley will look to iron a few errors out of his game and will have benefited from the experience in Pretoria, doing some good things too, while Bundee Aki and Ringrose could team up in midfield.
James Lowe had a night where he mixed the sublime – two try assists and one classy finish for a score that was disallowed – with one obvious big error before the Springboks’ scrum penalty try, but he remains a key player.
It was probably a frustrating night for Calvin Nash, who had only six touches of the ball as it seemed not to flow his way, so he’ll hope for more opportunity in the second Test if Farrell goes with the same back three.
As for the bench, it will be fascinating to see if Farrell looks to involve either of the two remaining uncapped players in his squad, Cormac Izuchukwu and Sam Prendergast. Ireland seem to be excited about Prendergast’s skills and a debut off the bench against the Springboks would be another major step in accelerating his development.
So there is plenty to ponder for Farrell, who must consider whether the injury-enforced changes are enough for the second Test or if he needs to shake things up even further.
