At the World Cup this month, Ireland are going to be represented by 31
men looking to finally end Ireland’s Webb Ellis drought.
And yet, as is no surprise on the island of Ireland, there has been no
shortage of controversy caused by Joe Schmidt’s squad announcement. With
provincial bias reigning supreme above all else, you have Munstermen bemoaning
the exclusion of Felix Jones, Ulstermen wailing at the absence of Andrew
Trimble, and Leinstermen – well, they’re probably crying out for a few of their
players back to help their own cause.
So where to start?
The backs seem like a reasonable place to start where Andrew Trimble –
a well-known favourite of Joe Schmidt – has been omitted, presumably for injury
reasons. It’s a big blow for the Ballymena man, his return from injury was
perfectly timed to get back for the warm-up match against Wales and from there
you would have expected him to push on and make that final 31. However, injury
in that match at the Millennium Stadium is more than likely what put an end to
his chances. It’s a harsh call on the winger.
The decision to have Ian Madigan as a back-up scrum-half is a little
questionable too. Of course, the belief is that Madigan won’t actually have to
play there and that Conor Murray and Eoin Reddan will stay fit for the duration
of the tournament, however if the need arises for Madigan to step in at the
base of the scrum, then we’ll really see how this decision will play out. At
least he has very limited experience at scrum-half, so it isn’t as risky a
decision as the Welsh taking just two hookers.
Up front Tadhg Furlong has emerged from injury limbo to take a place
in the squad, which is a little bit surprising. It also means Ireland have
three tightheads in the squad but just two looseheads (which we’ll get to in a
minute), while the fully fit Michael Bent, who can play both sides of the
scrum, returns to Leinster. For someone who has played just a handful of rugby
in the last few months, his inclusion is odd but Joe Schmidt obviously feels
that he has proved his fitness enough to be involved.
The same somehow goes for Cian Healy, only in slightly different
circumstances. While Furlong isn’t exactly Ireland’s first choice (or even
second choice) tighthead prop, Healy would walk onto any side at loosehead, and
was always going to travel if fit enough. Whether he is fit enough remains to
be seen, but the fact that Ireland have just two looseheads on the plane would
suggest he is fit enough and that he will play every game to get his fitness up
a bit more. That, or Schmidt has decided an unfit Healy is better than a fully
fit Jack McGrath.
Beyond that, however, there are no big surprises.
Healy and Mike Ross will be the props, with Rory Best hooking between
them as has been the case for many years now. The second row is slightly more
of a questionable area after last Saturday (again, something I’ll get to in a
minute), but the back row, like the front, picks itself – Peter O’Mahony, Sean
O’Brien and Jamie Heaslip will once again form their now familiar partnership.
Conor Murray and Jonathan Sexton are nailed on half-backs, as are
Robbie Henshaw and Jared Payne at centre. The wingers will probably be Tommy
Bowe and Keith Earls, the latter of whom has had a superb summer, however Simon
Zebo will have something to say in that back three too, while Rob Kearney is
the final definite at full-back.
Indeed, the second row is actually the only area that Joe Schmidt will
seriously have to think about. Paul O’Connell will start, again that is a
definite starter, but it’s who partners him that will give the New Zealander a
few sleepless nights. The two prime contenders? Young versatile Iain Henderson and
incumbent number four lock Devin Toner.
Toner hasn’t done anything wrong to lose the shirt, let’s get that
straight from the offset. He is a wholly reliable lock who will take countless
line-outs and will provide some solid ball carrying as well as being a very
competent defender. Put simply, he rarely puts a foot wrong and will put in
consistently good performances in the second row.
But after Henderson’s performance against Wales it would be criminal
not to start him.
His ball carrying is destructive, as seen in his ability to hold off
three Welsh defenders to score his first try in the green of Ireland, his work
at the breakdown is ferocious and, while not as tall as Toner, Henderson is
also a good line-out option. He may be more effective from blindside flanker,
but on Saturday Henderson proved that he is just as good in the second row as
he is in the back and that any Ireland team without him would be weaker than it
would were he in it.
Schmidt has a big call to make. It won’t decide the World Cup, but
it’ll go a long way to helping Ireland to where they want to be.
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