Ireland team: The ‘fantastic example’ that influenced Andy Farrell’s selection and his ‘DNA’ verdict on Dave Rennie’s ‘steeled’ All Blacks
New Zealand-born rookie Sean Jansen has been named on the Ireland bench and, inset, All Blacks boss Dave Rennie
Andy Farrell has explained the key selections in the Ireland team he has named to take on the All Blacks this Saturday in Auckland, and he has also given his verdict on how New Zealand are shaping up under their new coach Dave Rennie.
Fresh from Nations Championship opening round wins over the Wallabies and Japan in Australia, Farrell’s Irish squad has travelled across the Tasman and is plotting to become the first team to defeat the All Blacks at their Eden Park fortress since 1994.
The head coach has made nine changes to his starting team following last Saturday’s 36-20 success over Japan. However, while that suggests huge upheaval in his selection, the reality is that 21 of the 23 players that made up his round one selection in Sydney have been chosen to play in Auckland.
There are two changes to the starting XV from that 33-31 victory, with the fit-again Robert Baloucoune taking over on the wing from Jamie Osborne while Tadhg Beirne is promoted from the bench in place of Cian Prendergast. Beirne’s spot on the bench has gone to Sean Jansen, the New Zealander who impressed on debut last weekend versus Japan.
“We should be pleased…”
Asked about how pleased he was with his chosen line-up to take on the All Blacks, Farrell said: “We should be pleased. We’ve a fully fit squad; we had 36 come out with us and 36 training and fully fit, so a healthy squad is always nice and there is a bit of competition there as well, so we’re pleased with what we’ve got.”
Drilling down into the main talking points from the selection, the recall of Baloucoune, a late cry-off after he was originally selected to play Australia, was the starting point along with the retention of Jimmy O’Brien, Baloucoune’s replacement for that Australian match, and the exclusion of Jamie Osborne.
“What are you going to bring to the team? That’s the only thing that we do consider: what’s right for the team and the blend or the balance that goes along with that.
“Obviously, Rob’s talent is there for all to see. So, exposing him and others from this squad into an occasion that is coming up on Saturday night is vital for him and for us all moving forward,” he said before moving onto O’Brien’s re-emergence in the team this month after he won just three caps since featuring off the bench in the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final.
“Well, you guys [the media] have reported it as well; he has been in great form. He has gone from stop-start really for Leinster over the course of a season and not really nailing down any type of genuine spot, whether it be full-back, wing or centre.
“But for us, over the last three or four weeks, it’s been obvious that he has been really on top of his game, and he has been in great form. Obviously, there is pressure within himself playing for your country, and he deals with that pressure superbly well.”
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Ireland’s match-up with New Zealand will see them go in with seven of the eight replacements as cover in Auckland, Jansen’s inclusion for the starting Beirne the only change.
It completes a remarkable rise to international level for the Dunedin-born 27-year-old, who qualifies through Irish grandparents. Having failed to make a dent on the domestic scene in New Zealand, he pitched up at Leicester in 2022 before his Irish eligibility resulted in a switch to Connacht.
This led to a Test debut last weekend versus Japan and while 10 of that matchday 23 have now been omitted for round three, Jansen has been retained as a sub, much to the praise of Farrell.
“I obviously said after the game that he is a fantastic example of how to nail your debut and basically, he has just been himself. He doesn’t let the game or the thought of a first cap or anything like that get in the way of producing what he knows he is all about. You just know he is going to be able to do that again on Saturday.
“It shows his character, doesn’t it? How he has gone about his business, backing himself to go overseas, first at Leicester and then onto Connacht.
“He has been unbelievably consistent and not just consistent but some top performances for Connacht this year and has backed that up with Test level, so I don’t think he will be overawed by what’s in front of him at all. He will be just himself.”
Although Ireland won an historic Test series 2-1 versus the All Blacks in 2022, they were beaten in the Eden Park opener by the hosts. That victory is part of New Zealand’s run of 52 unbeaten Test matches at the Auckland stadium – 50 wins and two draws since 1994.
It’s a record that highlights the hurdle facing the Irish this weekend, but rather than sound daunted by the task, Farrell’s attitude was delight that his team have another opportunity at the venue four years after they last played there.
“It’s fantastic. I feel we are the fortunate ones; we’re the lucky ones in the sense that we get the opportunity to go to Eden Park. We had that fortune in ’22 first game up, and obviously we couldn’t get that over the line, so we’re pretty lucky to be back there and have another shot at it.”
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Farrell wrapped up his team selection media briefing by sharing his thoughts on Rennie’s two-game tenure so far in charge of the All Blacks, victories this month over France and Italy after he succeeded Scott Robertson in the job.
“I have been super impressed,” said Farrell about Rennie’s opening weeks in the role. “I have obviously followed Dave’s career, a very impressive one at that, and understand fully how his sides like to play.
“We have seen that with the Chiefs, and we certainly saw it at Glasgow the effect that he had, and he has obviously been successful in Japan. And I also felt he did a fantastic job in Australia as well.
“The style of rugby suits the DNA of how the New Zealand rugby-playing nation want to play, and he has brought a bit of steel back to them as well so it certainly makes them very different on Saturday.”
