AS THE DUST begins to settle on the shock of Devin Toner being left out, Ireland fans who have been aggrieved at Joe Schmidt’s decision to omit the 33-year-old will have the chance to pay more attention to who is actually in the 31-man World Cup squad.
Debate over the scrum-half call, the back row selection, and the back three slots will surely continue, but there is a whole lot to like about this Ireland squad.
Schmidt agonised over the final few decisions and hated delivering the bad news to the likes of Toner, Will Addison and Kieran Marmion.
Yet, as he now faces into a final warm-up game against Wales, there is excitement about what a dynamic-looking group can achieve, Schmidt having combined proven experience with youthful energy, as well as versatile players to cover most eventualities.
“I like the balance,” said Schmidt of his squad. “Inevitably, it was tougher to do this time because we didn’t feel we had the comfort of a 45-minute flight to get someone to Cardiff or a half-hour flight to get someone to London [as was the case at the 2015 World Cup].
“This time we feel like we have to have really good cover within the squad and I like the fact that I feel our cover is pretty good. Now, you get two injuries in one position and we could be struggling – everyone knows they have got that same vulnerability.
“For me, the guys that we have got, I know they are going to be utterly committed to trying to get beyond that quarter-final phase.
“The most frustrating thing about my job is that I can work as hard as I like but I still can’t guarantee you anything another than we will try to put our best foot forward.”
Schmidt’s squad contains veteran leaders such as Rory Best – heading to his fourth World Cup – Johnny Sexton, and Rob Kearney, but there is a youthful edge to the squad too.
The average age is 26.5, almost two years less than was the case at the 2015 tournament, with 22-year-old Jordan Larmour, 23-year-olds Jacob Stockdale, James Ryan, Andrew Porter and Joey Carbery, as well as 24-year-old Garry Ringrose, dragging it down.
Schmidt said it “wasn’t utterly coincidental” that Ireland have ended up in this position, with the 2017 tour of the US and Japan having been a crucial part of his planning, with Stockdale, Porter and Ryan all making their debuts on that trip.
“That was the big investment for us,” said Schmidt. “We felt if we could make the investment then, that was a pivotal time to springboard two years down the track into a good, strong position.
“Unfortunately, one of the key guys in that particular tour was Dan Leavy – he’s not available to us but he is one of those guys who plays incredibly big for not a huge man.
“There’s going to be other guys who are required to play big but also required to play incredibly fast. [Pool A opponents] Japan play at a rate of knots and they’ve been really impressive. Their resilience is incredibly admirable.”
Schmidt is anticipating high-tempo rugby in Japan and Ireland have been preparing as such this summer, their training sessions pushing the players harder than ever in terms of ball-in-play time.
In 2015, the average ball-in-play time in the World Cup knock-out games was 37 minutes and 34 seconds, but rugby has changed in more recent years, with forecasts for this World Cup suggesting ball-in-play times of closer to 50 minutes in some games.
Dynamism and mobility will be key, but Schmidt will also be counting on the experience and know-how of players who have been at the top level of Test rugby for years now.
37-year-old Best will lead Ireland into this World Cup, while 34-year-old Sexton and 33-year-old Kearney are among the other elder statesmen of Schmidt’s group.
Sexton has Tom Brady-inspired ideas about playing on for years to come, but this is set to be their last World Cup.
“Rory made 12 tackles in the last 20 minutes last weekend,” said Schmidt. “Now, I know that’s because we never had the ball in the last 20 minutes, so that was all that was on the agenda, but his work-rate was huge for us.
“In the England game, the searing linebreak he made off the inside pass – maybe searing is overstating it – but he did get into good space and I’m sure Ben Youngs didn’t like to see him bearing down upon him! The quality of the small things off the ball that he does are positive.
“Rob Kearney has trained really well this week. He has been an incredibly solid performer for us. If you think back about some of our really fantastic memories, even in recent seasons, Rob Kearney has often been at the heart of those.
“Johnny’s in good form. I don’t think he’s got any intention of giving the game up so I’m not sure how long he’ll go on, but he will hopefully hit the ground running on Saturday and that’ll just lead him nicely to two weeks’ time.”
Sexton will get his first outing of the summer on Saturday in the number 10 shirt in that final warm-up game against the Welsh, while Robbie Henshaw and the crucially-important Keith Earls are also set to return.
Joey Carbery’s ankle is likely to keep him out for now but his recovery is going well, meaning that Schmidt’s squad is in fine fettle physically.
Ireland could certainly have used Leavy’s explosive power and dominant mindset, while Schmidt may yet have regrets about leaving the likes of Toner behind, but the head coach is confident that this squad has the qualities to make history in Japan.
“Utterly committed” to getting passed the quarter finals is some statement from a team that are bordering no. 1 in the world rankings.
@Chicken George: Every other top 10 team is going out there to win it and will consider it a failure if they don’t. Not our boys though. The group should be a formality so all they have to do is win one do or die game to sell the whole tournament a success.
@Chicken George: the group should be a formality? See you here in a few weeks..
@Bill: I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t get out of the group. Not in the slightest. But we’ve been talking about this team for the last three years in terms of beating the All Blacks, ranked in the top 3 and winning the WC. With this in mind simply getting out of the group should be the absolute minimum requirement.
@Chicken George: Not really when they could be playing the team ranked number 1 in the world in the QF.
@Eddie Hekenui: excuses excuses
@Chicken George: Its only because of our previous record. It doesn’t mean they are not committed to winning it.
@Chicken George: Ireland fans two obsessions – two victories over NZ and whatever the rankings are on the day of discussion. Neither will mean sweet f all come the end of the month. Nothing. NZ or SA won’t give a hoot what Ireland’s ranking is come the quarter final and Japan or Scotland won’t care less before that in the group stage. That Ireland have beaten NZ in the last 12 months won’t figure into any teams calculations (aside from NZ themselves) either. The obsession is wasted energy.
To my mind the team are focusing on the correct milestone – like it or not getting past the quarter final is progress for Ireland. From there anything can happen.
@Quoka: Correct. They have never gotten past the quarter final before. Concentrate on that. If they get past it then it’s bonus territory. We have the best fans in the world. Especially on here. So much negativity here from so called fans. Maybe try supporting the boys.
Might not work out but the team id like to see this weekend should be full strength. I’d also try out a different variation of the back row just to see how it runs. I’d like to see a backrow of 6.Ruddock – 7.o mahony – 8.stander given a bounce. I liked what o mahony brought to the 7 jerseylast week, especially when Ireland had the ball albeit against a weak side. Thought he played a good linkman role like Martin Williams used to for Wales. Ruddock and stander would also add the physicality and heavy ball carrier option. I think there’s a concern that VDF is too lightweight against big physical sides.
Healy
Best
Furlong
Henderson
Ryan
Ruddock
O mahony
Stander
Murray
Sexton
Stockdale
Aki
Ringrose
Earls
Kearney
Killer
Scannell
Ryan
Beirne
VDF
McGrath
Carty
Conway
@Jim Demps: hood team Jim. Only change I’d make is Henshaw for Aki, assuming Henshaw is fit. Aki has been involved in a couple of games already.
@Jim Demps: very strong team, although Joe has already said Henshaw will start. I like the look of that br but for me josh is a very important cog of the br and all this talk of him being too lightweight is imo wrong, look at his physicality against Nz in November and he showed it multiply times across last season for Leinster too. You also always say players should be played in their best position are you saying pom is a 7 now? Josh is only 2kg lighter than hooper and you don’t hear people saying he’s too lightweight, for me he just needs to be a bit more bullish on the field.
@Ian Verdon: Everyone is going on about the physicality of England and South Africa especially but as a rugby nation we’ve never been as big or physical as those guys, we do not need to try fight fire with fire, imo we should have gameplans in place that enhance our natural strengths as a team, maybe against larger opposition have a clever kicking game (bigger bodies are slower to turn etc), try suck some defenders in and then look to go around them. If we try go through the likes of England and South Africa we’ll struggle.
@Ian Verdon: absolutely they should always be picked in their best spots, I think he’s enough experience there to say he’s not being moved out of position. Bit like stander at 6 or 8 or Ruddock at 6 or 7. Personally I’m not saying it would definitely be better, but I’d try it out with one eye on a potential South Africa game.
Henshaw will play this weekend you’re right but I don’t think he’s our first choice 12. I think Aki is firmly cemented there at the moment.
@Kevin: yeah I’d expect henshaw to start this weekend, I was just more putting out a projected full strength side than anything else
@Jim Demps: i think Josh is very much so undervalued by a lot of Irish fans. He’s the best fit 7 we have. He’s a better 7 then Pom, defensively he’s equal to pom if not better tbh.
@Jim Demps: I would have Aki too he served us very well over the last two seasons having said that as a partnership I do prefer Henshaw and ringrose but Henshaw needs to earn the 12 jersey back and that will be no mean feat imo.
@Ian Verdon: I don’t undervalue him at all. He’s definitely the best 7 we have but it’s not necessarily about that. There’s a big hole in VDFs game when Ireland have the ball, I’d also say he doesn’t really provide a turnover threat which a 7 should. I’m not being critical though before lads jump all over me. I’ve always rated him, think he’s great at what he does.
@Jim Demps: yeah but he doesn’t need to be a big carrier. I don’t understand people’s obsession that every forward needs to be a tackle busting carrier with, Healy, Hendy, furlong, Ryan and cj we have enough of a ball carrying threat there. Josh has quick feset and can evade tackles. He carries very intelligently imo. I would like him to get more turnovers but he’s very good at slowing the opposition ball down at the breakdown he very rarely lets a team get clean ball and he gives away very few pens for a 7. Sure if wanted max physicality against SA I would suggest a br of Rhys, Conan and cj.
@Jim Demps: The team I’d like to see is:
1. Healy
2. Best
3. Furlong
4. Henderson
5. Ryan
6. Stander
7. O’Mahony
8. Conan
9. Murray
10. Sexton
11. Larmour
12. Henshaw
13. Ringrose
14. Earls
15. Kearney
16. Kilcoyne
17. Scannell
18. Ryan
19. Kleyn
20. Ruddock
21. McGrath
22. Carty
23. Conway
While I don’t agree with Van der Flier being too light, I do think that playing Van der Flier and O’Mahony in the backrow together, with neither being great ball carriers, could see us struggle against the bigger teams. Conan is a bit more dynamic than Ruddock for me so I’ve switched Stander back to 6 where he started for Ireland originally. I’ve also put Kleyn on the bench over Beirne because now that Schmidt’s backed him, Kleyn needs to get up to speed as quickly as possible.
Larmour at 11 is probably a bit of a strange one but I think we need to try someone else out on the left wing in case Stockdale gets injured. I’m more than happy with Earls and Conway on the right so I’ve gone with Larmour. Henshaw needs game time so I’ve picked him at 12 over Aki.
@Ian Verdon: j
@Ian Verdon: never said he needed to be bursting tackles with the ball in hand, just showing for it a bit more.
@Jim Demps: Pom isn’t the best carrier either though ehh is his place not in question against the bigger sides? Rhys cj and josh is equally as strong as br as you mentioned and all 3 in their natural positions?
@EK: yeah I think yours is more likely than mine. Wouldn’t agree about the winger though, Earls plays on the left for Munster and Conway on the right so that would be a better pairing for me.
@Jim Demps: Fair point on the wingers. Would just like to see it as another option without having to move Earls from the right.
@EK: yeah fair enough. For me Conway has moved ahead of larmour although probably not at 15.
@Ian Verdon: I don’t think JVDF is too lightweight but I think a combination of him and POM on the flanks would be overpowered against some teams. It worked against NZ because they don’t really play a power game and in November they’d a lock playing 6 and Read was at 80% so his pace was a massive advantage. I think if we go up against SA, France and maybe England depending who they pick we’d struggle massively to impose ourselves with that 6/7 combo. So for me you can only go with one of them for some games and POM’s set piece work makes it any easy call for me if you’re picking between the two.
@Eddie Hekenui: Only one I would be majorly concerned with is South Africa and the br jim mentioned would possibly go better against them. I thought against England josh was the best performing br on that day (albeit no one played well). Against Scotland tho I would 100% start josh at 7.
@Ian Verdon: Oh I’d 100% go with VDF against most teams and he’ll be massively important to us doing well in the WC. But if we end up facing France or SA I’d go bring in Ruddock or Conan. And then if it’s England I’d be wary of who they’d pick. If it’s the Curry/Underhill combo then VDF should play but if they go for Lawes/Itoje at 6 then I might go with him on the bench.
@Eddie Hekenui: I agree with your assessment, I think curry and underhill have gone well together. I am a big fan of both.
@Jim Demps: Conway and Stockdale have a good few minutes under their belt already in this series of games.
I’d start Kearney at 15 with Larmour and Earls on the wings. Larmour then to 15 in the second half and Conway/Stockdale to come in.
We could see Aki/Henshaw in the centre.
@Ian Frizzell: I’d like to see Conway given a twist at FB. Hasn’t been given a single minute there this year by schmidt despite in my eyes anyway being more capable than Larmour there.
@Jim Demps: i really wish he played more for Munster at 15. I know you’re a big Haley fan but I think Conway is as good as him as a 15 but obviously the Munster coaches nor Joe see him as a 15 going forward. They must have their reasons, he’s a v good wing don’t get me wrong. If he’s not playing 15 regularly enough at Munster I don’t see him playing often at 15 for Ireland.
@Ian Verdon: with everyone fit he’s on the wing for munster. Same as with everyone fit at Leinster Larmour is on the wing. I wouldn’t have thought larmour played a whole pile there for Leinster this season albeit more than Conway has no doubt. Either way I think he’d be worth a look but it’s a bit late now. Haley as a fullback is far better than both in that position.
@Jim Demps: it will be interesting when Rob hangs up his boots who gets the 15 jersey I would like Addison the most out of all the current realistic options but I would like ulster to play him there more often, they’re pretty stacked in the midfield. For me Larmour is a better winger than a fb.
@Jim Demps: bored on the bus into work so I looked into larmours and Conway’s starts last season:
Larmour 17 starts 8 at fb 9 on the wing
Conway 20 starts 4 at fb 16 on the wing
I didn’t think it was that many for Larmour at fb and as it stands he’s Rob’s successor it seems at Leinster I personally just feel he’s a better winger.
@Ian Verdon: he’s young yet, needs to get braver under the high ball which Conway is but he’s also got the extra experience. I think larmour will be fullback long term at Leinster but I also think you can add Haley into the mix in Irish terms.
Glad Murray brought up Leavy’s mindset. Always really impressed with his body language and intent in games, even in interviews. He seems to assume that his team ought to win and he has done enough to deserve it which is something Irish people struggle with…I blame the English!
Joking aside, this is the first time that Ireland can look across the board of competitors and say we have beaten these guys at least as often as we have lost to them (barring England) in this WC cycle. It doesn’t mean we’re going to get past a very tough QF, but I don’t think the players will be beaten in their heads going into a game like that.
In the absence of Leavy who is a nailed on started in the team as he appears never to let his form dip, then it has to be VDF.
People have to remember the conditions that we are going to be playing in and with VDF, he just keeps going all day as a tackle machine. Most underrated player in the squad because most fans only want to remember the show stopping moments . Every team needs a grafter and water carrier to allow others to shine.
He is Mr. Consistent and the likes of POM and CJ need to provide more like they used to do.
Come the six nations a few of these players resting on their laurels might be shocked by their omission from the match day squad.
Well it all starts :: 31 good men on the start of an epic journey :: first up a full Wales team:: So we are going to put up our top players :: looking forward to this game and it is at home !!!
Thinking of what is right for us and to get player out into the sun (I hope) at least 4 players coming out for their first outing ::
Healy
Best
Furlong
Henderson
Ryan
Stander
Conan
VDF
Murray
Sexton
Stockdale
Henshaw
Ringrose
Earls
Kearney
Kilcoyne
Cronin
Ryan
Beirne
POM
McGrath
Carty
Larmour,