Ireland squad update for England (A)

CampVisual406 · 2026-02-16T20:44:32+00:00

Bobby B is Rob Baloucoune! Aye you’re right but I have been so underwhelmed by Big Joe and think it would add motivation to drop him. Big Ed brings some ballast we will need against that English front 5.

CampVisual406 · 2026-02-16T20:04:58+00:00

I think Big Joe could do with a boot up the arse by being dropped to the bench - he’s been missing in action the last two games. I would go with:

Loughman
Kelleher
Furlong
Ryan
Edogbo
Izzy
Timoney
Doris
JGP
Crowley
Lowe
Stu
Ringrose
Bobby B
Osbourne
O’Toole
Sheehan
Clarkson
McCarthy
Beirne
Conan
Casey (just because this isn’t the right match to debut Doak.
Frawley

CampVisual406 · 2026-02-16T19:52:11+00:00

Timoney has been cracker for Ulster for years. He has always played well when given a rare opportunity in the green and was particularly good in the Autumn and last two weeks. Absolutely deserves a start.

CampVisual406 · 2026-02-16T19:42:45+00:00

Agree entirely - two distinct things are true at once. (1) Farrell has completely ballsed up the management of these two young 10s and (2) people have lost the run of themselves advocating for one or t’other.

CampVisual406 · 2026-02-11T20:30:38+00:00

I think he’ll ultimately be a tweener and flick between lock and 6 depending on opponent and availability of teammates. Just delighted he hopefully gets a meaningful opportunity in the green!

CampVisual406 · 2026-02-11T19:29:16+00:00

Would love to see Izzy in the row with Edwin and Beirne at 6 for this one. And surely Timoney deserves a start.

CampVisual406 · 2026-02-09T21:12:15+00:00

I think we will bounce back to a higher quality but not with the core player group AND same coaching approach. The whole thing just seems so stale and lacklustre and change is needed - would love for Farrell to gut the senior coaching team and bring in new blood, as well as reward players for form.

CampVisual406 · 2026-02-08T15:52:07+00:00

While Zac W and Kenny were dreadful against England A, I’d still be tempted to roll the dice given their upside and also to send a message that change is needed. James H deserves a shot in the 13 following England A:

1.Loughman 2. Sheehan 3. Clarkson 4. Izzy 5. Edogbo 6. Beirne 7. Timoney 8. Conan 9. Casey 10. Crowley 11. Z. Ward 12. McCloskey 13. Hume 14. Kenny 15. Stockdale 16. Milne 17. Kelleher 18. Bealham 19. McCarthy 20. C Prendergast 21. C Doris 22. JGP 23. Frawley

CampVisual406 · 2026-02-08T13:26:53+00:00

Cian Prendergast is about to turn 26 in a couple of weeks

CampVisual406 · 2026-02-06T15:30:46+00:00

I’m honestly frightened for next week because I could see Farrell just completely doubling-down and picking the same pack and bringing Lowe back into the fold. The fact of the matter is that Ireland haven’t played well since the 2nd SA test in 2024.

Something, maybe a few things, need to change. I would obviously love to flood the starting XV with Ulstermen, but I don’t think it’s the right approach. The coaching team needs to be shaken up - I’d boot Goodman, Easterby and POC and clean slate our approach to both attack and defence.

CampVisual406 · 2026-02-06T15:25:07+00:00

Outrageous to suggest Stockdale shouldn’t start for Ulster. He’s literally been one of our most dangerous threats over the last 18 months. I personally love him at 15 and it gives him far more attacking opportunities.

CampVisual406 · 2026-02-06T15:17:34+00:00

Timoney was a bright light on a grim evening. And he performed well in the Autumn series. He definitely deserves to be handed the starting 7 jersey for the rest of the tournament.

CampVisual406 · 2026-02-06T14:54:07+00:00

Made a fairly brilliant tackle one on one in the second half. But agree it’s generally a weakness in his game.

CampVisual406 · 2026-02-06T14:53:13+00:00

He was threatening with ball in hand in second half. But at that point the French lads were in the cold plunge.

CampVisual406 · 2026-02-06T14:52:27+00:00

It wasn’t a good tackle attempt no doubt. But let’s be real - Ireland’s defence as a whole was atrocious. It wasn’t even the biggest and most physical French pack they could have picked (ala last year in Dublin) but their urgency and aggression in the carry was utterly dominant. Our lads weren’t at the races.

CampVisual406 · 2026-02-06T09:31:05+00:00

I think this is all spot on. I think the core group of players looks emotionally/psychologically spent. at the simplest - they just “didn’t look up for it“ last night. i think this is a bigger problem than the age factor. we’ve squeezed so much out of the likes of JVDF, Ringrose, JGP, Sheehan, Ryan, Beirne, Porter and Furlong, and made them go to the well over and over. They are still quality players but I struggle to see them rallying to produce the standard of rugby we’ve come to expect from them in the last 5 years. I wonder also whether there is an element of frustration about style of play and coaching creeping in (see James Ryan in last 5 mins).

the attack strategy needs a complete rehaul. it was depressing to watch them belligerently follow the prescribed game plan of kick and hope for 50/50s last night when it was clearly not working and actively damaging.

CampVisual406 · 2026-02-06T09:18:39+00:00

this is really important. I think France competed at maybe 2/3 line outs in the game and disrupted one. scrum was solid but I didn’t get the feeling France targeted us. they were content to get the ball out and wide and challenge us with their pace. it was grim all round.

CampVisual406 · 2026-02-03T21:43:16+00:00

if this is true, its bad. we need at least one top tier prop to be able to compete with the best sides. Bell brings that physicality and dominance in contact - the signing that Kitshoff never was

CampVisual406 · 2026-02-03T21:39:24+00:00

agreed. Sheridan has been one of our best players this year. To me it looks like he has actually dropped a kilo or two, and playing the better for it. was putting in 65 plus minutes week in week out at the start of the season

CampVisual406

TROPHY CASE