Andy Farrell admits Ireland have problems when it comes to blooding new players
"Because of the nature of PRO12/14/URC, that's changed now, we've got to find other ways," he explained of blooding young players.
Andy Farrell made just one change from the New Zealand to Argentina, it was anything but rotation.
But seven changes from Argentina to Fiji can be classed as incoming and while such as Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale and Craig Casey are among the seven, the question of whether it is an epiphany hardly arises.
Rather the infusion centres on two debutants hooker Gus McCarthy and back-row Cormac Izuchukwu while out-half Sam Prendergast will be making his first start and Jamie Osbourne making his first home start.
The other eight are the 'roll-overs' albeit Tadhg Beirne and Robbie Henshaw switch positions, swaps which may have prompted a startling revelation from the man at the top of Ireland's coach pyramid.
Farrell suggested provincial rugby's approach to Champions Cup and PRO14 is damaging the pathway to the national side, noting "because of the nature of PRO12/14/URC, that's changed now, we've got to find other ways".
Certainly, it is beginning to get disturbingly deep into the RWC 2027 cycle and the coach appears to be making a point about young players not getting enough chances at provincial level.
As it is, Gus McCarthy began the season as fourth-choice at his province and here we are, November, and he is starting for Ireland.
Farrell says he wants his kind of option, insists his mind is open for change:
"It always has been, honestly. I know that it might not come across because of continuity of selection and that stuff, but that's the truth. It always is.
"Again, you need things to happen along the way. A bit of luck from Gus' part as far as the opportunity to play, to have the exposure for Leinster but you look at the performances and it catches your eye, it backs up even more so when you work with that person.
"You can't lie to yourself or that person. You need to give them the exposure and hopefully that kicks them on."
Should we see the breakthrough of Gus McCarthy, Sam Prendergast, Jamie Osborne as the vanguard of change, is there more of them out there...or are the pathways clogged by journeymen who will never gain another or even one Ireland cap?
"We're trying to find exposure for those players and that's important. We always talk about the cream at the top, the big games and playing against the All Blacks, the Argentinas or whatever.
"What's just as exciting for us is our plan with the 'Emerging' starting, an A game in the Six Nations, the summer games against Georgia, Portugal and maybe one more.
"It's the exposure of these games that gets us excited. It's needed, again. We used to get that exposure - because of the nature of PRO12/14/URC that's changed now, we've got to find other ways.
"When we expose these guys, we get to know them personally and what their characters are like and whether they can deal with this type of exposure. The lads that we're seeing against Fiji, they epitomise that."
There is a lot to like, he says, about Osborne who will be starting at full-back, reprising the role he took in the two South Africa tests last summer.
“I think, well, I’ll hold judgement on the last one (full-back or first-centre) because he’s good at all the positions we know he can play. He’s just a good rugby player who’s getting better.
"He’s getting better because he’s trusting himself more at this type of level. You’ve seen how he attacked the second Test compared to the first Test in South Africa and how he’s attacked these two games coming off the bench has been great.
"And not just that, he picks things up very quickly and he shows that, certainly within training and we’re seeing that now, transferring into the international field which is difficult.
"He’s maturing as far as his body is concerned. I mean he’s a force isn’t he? He’s hard to stop, he’s some frame on him and he’s going to keep getting better with the more exposure that we give him."
If Osbourne can be considered young at 24 year-of-age, the returning Stockdale is hardly old at 28 although it was a selection that came with a severe critique of the first part of the Ulster player's comeback.
"Jacob is in good nick, in good spirits. There’s something that’s turned the corner. He’s obviously had a word with himself.
"One, he’s in good form, he’s making things happen, which was always his point of difference but he’s fit, you can tell he’s looking after himself, you can tell he’s minding himself.
"He’s speaking up more, taking more ownership around the group, there’s a maturity about him that’s a little bit different and all those things tell me that he’s hungry and ready to go.
"I think he’s spoken about that publicly before, that the expression of bursting onto the scene doesn’t do it justice (i.e it was even better than that!), does it.
"Yeah, I suppose he’s had time to reflect on the time he’s not been able to pull the green kersey on and there’s no time like the present to turn that around."
Focus on the new caps, Izuchukwu and Gus McCarthy, will be inevitable on Saturday with Farrell making their cases individually.
"I suppose Izzy has been in and around the squad now for a while actually. The first Emerging Ireland is when we first came across his ability, his athleticism and since then - I know that's a couple of years ago - the improvement and maturity of his game because he was young in as far as the 15-a-side game when the first Emerging tour was on.
"The difference between the first tour and the second tour was chalk and cheese. His ability, point of difference, his potential with that maturity, he deserves a shot to show what he's got.
"Gus, what a rise in such a short space of time. Obviously coming from the 20s and being successful there, he's been a captain for a long time now and you can see why because you can see his maturity in how he goes about the game.
"Rugby is a strange thing, you think there's a pecking order and all of a sudden a couple of players get an injury then a kid gets an opportunity and he shows up really well when we take him on the training week with us as a development player.
"Gus showed up unbelievably well and he's forced our arm to keep him in the squad, first and foremost and he deserves a shot to see what he can do as well."
As expected Sam Prendergast will wear no10, being given the keys to the kingdom and asked to show what he can do in front of Farrell before Man of Steel, off with the Lions, hands over the reins for 11 months.
"I'm confident from what we've seen. We took Sam on the Emerging tour and he played in all of those games and the aim of that was for him to grab hold of that team and make sure that he treated it like his own as though he was in charge.
"He did that in spades and this week we've seen the benefit of that. We need to see it transfer obviously."
Ireland (v Fiji): Jamie Osborne (Leinster); Mack Hansen (Connacht), Robbie Henshaw (Leinster), Bundee Aki (Connacht), Jacob Stockdale (Ulster); Sam Prendergast (Leinster), Craig Casey (Munster); Andrew Porter (Leinster), Gus McCarthy (Leinster)*, Finlay Bealham (Connacht), Joe McCarthy (Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Cormac Izuchukwu (Ulster)*, Josh van der Flier (Leinster), Caelan Doris (Leinster) capt
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher (Leinster), Tom O’Toole (Ulster), Thomas Clarkson (Leinster), Iain Henderson (Ulster), Cian Prendergast (Connacht), Conor Murray (Munster), Ciaran Frawley (Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster)
Saturday's match is live on Virgin Media One (Republic of Ireland) and TNT Sports (UK), while there is live radio commentary available on RTÉ Radio
Sign up for the latest sport news from our Irish Mirror sport newsletter here and receive special updates on the Ireland rugby team during the November internationals
Related
Share this page
Guest Posts by Easy Branches
