Ireland team: Winners and losers as Andy Farrell avoids ‘recipe for disaster’ in a ‘rare occurrence’
Ireland centre Bundee Aki and an inset of head coach Andy Farrell.
Following Andy Farrell’s team announcement for Ireland’s highly anticipated clash in Chicago against the All Blacks, we select our winners and losers.
Winners
Stuart McCloskey
A rare, rare occurrence as Stuart McCloskey gets the nod at number 12 despite both Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw being fit for the fixture.
It’s just the 22nd time that the Ulster star lines up for his country, despite being one of the most consistent centres in the United Rugby Championship (URC).
Far too often, Ulster fans have cried out about McCloskey’s lack of international representation and rightly so, but not this time around as the 33-year-old gets the nod in a big Test.
Jack Crowley
On the topic of deserved starts, Jack Crowley’s nod in the starting XV is absolutely warranted. He outclassed Sam Prendergast in the URC clash against Leinster and now gets the chance to lay claim to the jersey for the remainder of November against the All Blacks.
While Prendergast is a brilliant, raw talent, and there is a place for both in the matchday 23, Crowley, as of now, is a more complete playmaker and commanding presence in running the show.
Farrell is usually one who picks on pedigree, not form, but the selections of Crowley and McCloskey hint at a change of thinking, even if it’s just for this weekend.
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Dan Sheehan
Dan Sheehan is a standard-setter in the hooker position in the global game, but it’s clear to see that his influence is extending past just his usual workload as he will lead his country for the second time in his career.
This after he captained the British and Irish Lions in July, albeit in a midweek game. It’s just another way in which Sheehan is becoming irreplaceable for Ireland, even though he has stiff competition for his jersey.
Ryan Baird
Injury creates opportunity, and that’s absolutely the case for Ryan Baird, who packs down on the side of the scrum, filling the void of Tadhg Beirne, who starts at lock in the absence of Joe McCarthy.
The Irish pack does lack a bit of grunt without McCarthy, but Baird will be eager to recreate the form he hit in the Six Nations and secure his spot in the starting line-up for the matches that lie ahead.
Caelan Doris
Whilst he hasn’t been deemed fit enough to start and captain the side, Caelan Doris will be raring to get stuck right back into the mix when he comes off the bench against the All Blacks.
The 27-year-old was robbed of a Lions call-up through the injury he sustained in the Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Northampton Saints, and while he hasn’t played any rugby since, he is the kind of player one would expect to hit top form almost immediately.
Doris’ return is as much of a win for Ireland, if not more, than it is for him personally. When in top nick, he is quite easily among the best number eights in the business, and his presence has been missed.
Paddy McCarthy
A Test debut, on foreign soil, against the All Blacks. No pressure, son. Saturday poses a massive opportunity for Paddy McCarthy as the 22-year-old loosehead prop gets the opportunity to stake his claim as Cian Healy’s successor.
The Leinster loosehead has played just 11 times for his province prior to his call-up and subsequent debut for Ireland, and Farrell will hope that he lays down a marker for further involvement.
He is unlikely to get too many minutes, hell he might have to wait another week for his first cap, as Andrew Porter is renowned for going deep into Test matches, but frankly, that’s not sustainable. Ireland need someone to share minutes with Porter, and McCarthy could be that man.
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Tommy O’Brien
Tommy O’Brien tore it up so much last season that he was tipped to be a bolter for the British and Irish Lions, and while that did not come to fruition, he did impress enough to earn two Test caps in July, scoring braces against Georgia and Portugal.
With the Lions back in green, O’Brien retains the jersey that he starred in a few months ago, and while that is partly due to the absence of the constantly injured Mack Hansen, he does deserve the chance to play a top-level international team like the All Blacks.
Losers
Bundee Aki
Are Ireland undercooked? That has been the main talking point ahead of this fixture, with Leinster enduring an underwhelming start to the URC season, which included a hiding from Munster with so many Ireland internationals featuring in the blue jersey.
While Aki plies his trade for Connacht, his non-selection for the clash against the All Blacks hints that even Farrell might think that notion might be true. Aki was one of the many Ireland players who featured on the British and Irish Lions tour, but has hardly played since, with the powerhouse midfielder playing just once for his province upon his return from Australia.
There is no doubting his quality, but one has to think that undercooked Aki against a fit and firing Jordie Barrett is a recipe for disaster, perhaps providing the reasoning for his omission. That’s not to forget that the centre was hardly setting the world on fire in the red jersey against the Wallabies.
Robbie Henshaw
One of the more surprising omissions, as it is very seldom one sees an Ireland matchday list without the name Henshaw on it. Unlike many of his Leinster teammates, the 32-year-old was not selected for the Lions and did not feature for Ireland in July.
This meant that he featured in four of Leinster’s opening five games of the season. Henshaw, along with Aki, was a doubt for the match and perhaps his omission is purely down to precaution with plenty still to play for this November.
Jacob Stockdale
The Ulster veteran has been in fine form at the start of the season and is rather unlucky to miss out on a shot at the All Blacks. Jacob Stockdale was once a regular starter, but injuries have hampered his involvement.
With Hansen sidelined again, along with Calvin Nash, Stockdale had a real opportunity to force his way back into the mix, but O’Brien was preferred instead.
Nick Timoney
It was always going to be a long shot for Nick Timoney to crack the matchday 23, even in the absence of McCarthy, which forced Beirne into the second-row and doubts around Doris’ readiness.
The Ulster back-rower, like McCloskey, consistently performs for his province but rarely gets the opportunity to translate that form in the green jersey.
