IRELAND WING ROBERT Baloucoune is set to return for this Saturday’s Nations Championship clash with Japan in Newcastle after being ruled out of last weekend’s win over Australia.
Ulster man Baloucoune was named to start in the number 14 shirt for Andy Farrell’s side against the Wallabies, but his withdrawal was confirmed soon before kick-off, with Ireland citing a tight hamstring as the cause. Jimmy O’Brien started in his stead.
Baloucoune was present at Allianz Stadium for Ireland’s dramatic 33-31 win and head coach Farrell was happy to reveal that the 28-year-old is on track to be available for the Japan clash.
“We think so, we think so, yeah,” said Farrell.
“It’s just a tweak. Didn’t want to risk him.”
Ireland have remained in Sydney following the Australia game and will only make the two-hour drive north to Newcastle on Thursday, ahead of Saturday’s game at the 33,000-capacity McDonald Jones Stadium.
While Baloucoune is in line to return, Farrell is considering further changes to his side, with this clash against Japan having always looked like the most likely place for experimentation.
However, Farrell must balance the need to get greater connection into his side after a disjointed defensive performance against the Wallabies, as well as ensuring he respects Japan, who beat Italy 27-10 in Tokyo last weekend.
“They’re a good side, Japan,” said Farrell, “and you saw the result with the Maoris last week [Japan lost 38-31]. That wasn’t the full-strength side.
“They play some good rugby, and we all know how improved Italy are. That’s a hell of a win.
“To give people time in the saddle, experience, etc. at an international level, I certainly believe you’ve got to put them in a good team as well, so we’ll see who earns the right to do that.”
It looks like there will be at least one injury-enforced change to Ireland’s match day 23, with replacement loosehead prop Jeremy Loughman suffering a head injury when he came on against Australia.
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Billy Bohan looks set for involvement against Japan. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
That means Loughman could be set for a 12-day return-to-play process that would rule him out of the Japan game.
20-year-old Connacht loosehead Billy Bohan is now set to come into the match day 23 and looks likely to win his first Ireland cap against Japan.
It remains to be seen if Ireland call up an additional loosehead prop given Loughman’s unavailability.
“We will see,” said Farrell. “We’ve got props we can play both sides or whatever. We’ll see how that is, whether Jeremy is 12 days or whatever.”
There are four other uncapped players in Farrell’s squad in Connacht number eight Sean Jansen, Ulster back row Bryn Ward, Connacht tighthead prop Sam Illo and Ulster wing Zac Ward.
They will hope for a chance this weekend, but there are more experienced Ireland squad members who will surely be anticipating that the Japan game provides them with greater opportunity.
Rónan Kelleher, Thomas Clarkson, Tadhg Beirne, Nick Timoney, Ciarán Frawley, and Bundee Aki all came off the Irish bench in Sydney, and many of them made big impacts as Farrell’s side won against the Wallabies.
Scrum-half Craig Casey was an unused replacement at Allianz Stadium, with Farrell leaving Jamison Gibson-Park on for the duration.
The players who weren’t involved on Saturday but are part of Ireland’s wider squad in Australia are hooker Tom Stewart, props Bohan and Illo, lock Darragh Murray, second row/blindside hybrid Cormac Izuchukwu, back rows Jansen and Ward, scrum-half Nathan Doak, out-half Harry Byrne, centre Robbie Henshaw, and wings Ward and Jacob Stockdale.
So Farrell has plenty of scope for mixing things up, yet the suspicion is that he won’t completely ring the changes.
With a huge game against the All Blacks at Eden Park to come on the final weekend of this Nations Championship tour, the Ireland head coach will be keen for his frontliners to have the best possible chance of firing.
Rob Baloucoune at the Allianz Stadium in Sydney. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
For some, that might mean a rest for the Japan clash, but Farrell will back others to start all three games on tour.
While there is much for Ireland to improve upon after the win against the Wallabies, Farrell was delighted to get rolling in the new Nations Championship with a bonus-point win.
“We ended up with five points, which is great,” he said. “When you scrape through at the end in a high-scoring game like that, to get five points, that would be the pleasing thing I would have thought.”
His favourite part of the victory was Ireland’s grit to dig out the result, which he said is something he and his coaching staff are constantly trying to develop in their squad. Try-saving tackles and game-winning kicks don’t just happen by accident.
The Ireland boss enjoyed Sam Prendergast’s winning conversion of Thomas Clarkson’s try as one example of that development.
“It was a lovely, positive strike,” said Farrell. “It wasn’t something that just found its way over. It was direct and it had a proper meaning to it as well, so that’s great for him. His touchline kicking was excellent as well, so it’s a good day for Sam.
“He’s been great all week, but we’ve said it before, with our preparation being great, you’ve still got to go out there and deal with what the pressures international rugby throws at you.
“That type of game threw everything at them, and they found a way. That’s the most pleasing thing.”
The biggest fix-up for Ireland will be on the defensive side of the game.
They lacked their usual levels of cohesion in this aspect, which isn’t a huge surprise given that this was their first game back together and so many of them are readjusting to Ireland’s system after being focused on Leinster’s in recent months.
Farrell’s point of view was that Australia’s quality made Ireland struggle.
“Well, because of the speed of ball and how the breakdown was, they was onto the breakdown attacking-wise before the tackle was completed,” said Farrell. “That’s difficult to stop speed-wise.
“We became a bit disconnected away from the ball and they found, with their flowing rugby, people coming around the corner, they found a few tight-five forwards not connected enough, and that’s because of the speed of the ball, so they created that.”
It’s onto the next one for Ireland, with plenty to consider on the selection front.
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Baloucoune set to return for Japan clash as Farrell considers changes
IRELAND WING ROBERT Baloucoune is set to return for this Saturday’s Nations Championship clash with Japan in Newcastle after being ruled out of last weekend’s win over Australia.
Ulster man Baloucoune was named to start in the number 14 shirt for Andy Farrell’s side against the Wallabies, but his withdrawal was confirmed soon before kick-off, with Ireland citing a tight hamstring as the cause. Jimmy O’Brien started in his stead.
Baloucoune was present at Allianz Stadium for Ireland’s dramatic 33-31 win and head coach Farrell was happy to reveal that the 28-year-old is on track to be available for the Japan clash.
“We think so, we think so, yeah,” said Farrell.
“It’s just a tweak. Didn’t want to risk him.”
Ireland have remained in Sydney following the Australia game and will only make the two-hour drive north to Newcastle on Thursday, ahead of Saturday’s game at the 33,000-capacity McDonald Jones Stadium.
While Baloucoune is in line to return, Farrell is considering further changes to his side, with this clash against Japan having always looked like the most likely place for experimentation.
However, Farrell must balance the need to get greater connection into his side after a disjointed defensive performance against the Wallabies, as well as ensuring he respects Japan, who beat Italy 27-10 in Tokyo last weekend.
“They’re a good side, Japan,” said Farrell, “and you saw the result with the Maoris last week [Japan lost 38-31]. That wasn’t the full-strength side.
“They play some good rugby, and we all know how improved Italy are. That’s a hell of a win.
“To give people time in the saddle, experience, etc. at an international level, I certainly believe you’ve got to put them in a good team as well, so we’ll see who earns the right to do that.”
It looks like there will be at least one injury-enforced change to Ireland’s match day 23, with replacement loosehead prop Jeremy Loughman suffering a head injury when he came on against Australia.
That means Loughman could be set for a 12-day return-to-play process that would rule him out of the Japan game.
20-year-old Connacht loosehead Billy Bohan is now set to come into the match day 23 and looks likely to win his first Ireland cap against Japan.
It remains to be seen if Ireland call up an additional loosehead prop given Loughman’s unavailability.
“We will see,” said Farrell. “We’ve got props we can play both sides or whatever. We’ll see how that is, whether Jeremy is 12 days or whatever.”
There are four other uncapped players in Farrell’s squad in Connacht number eight Sean Jansen, Ulster back row Bryn Ward, Connacht tighthead prop Sam Illo and Ulster wing Zac Ward.
They will hope for a chance this weekend, but there are more experienced Ireland squad members who will surely be anticipating that the Japan game provides them with greater opportunity.
Rónan Kelleher, Thomas Clarkson, Tadhg Beirne, Nick Timoney, Ciarán Frawley, and Bundee Aki all came off the Irish bench in Sydney, and many of them made big impacts as Farrell’s side won against the Wallabies.
Scrum-half Craig Casey was an unused replacement at Allianz Stadium, with Farrell leaving Jamison Gibson-Park on for the duration.
The players who weren’t involved on Saturday but are part of Ireland’s wider squad in Australia are hooker Tom Stewart, props Bohan and Illo, lock Darragh Murray, second row/blindside hybrid Cormac Izuchukwu, back rows Jansen and Ward, scrum-half Nathan Doak, out-half Harry Byrne, centre Robbie Henshaw, and wings Ward and Jacob Stockdale.
So Farrell has plenty of scope for mixing things up, yet the suspicion is that he won’t completely ring the changes.
With a huge game against the All Blacks at Eden Park to come on the final weekend of this Nations Championship tour, the Ireland head coach will be keen for his frontliners to have the best possible chance of firing.
For some, that might mean a rest for the Japan clash, but Farrell will back others to start all three games on tour.
While there is much for Ireland to improve upon after the win against the Wallabies, Farrell was delighted to get rolling in the new Nations Championship with a bonus-point win.
“We ended up with five points, which is great,” he said. “When you scrape through at the end in a high-scoring game like that, to get five points, that would be the pleasing thing I would have thought.”
His favourite part of the victory was Ireland’s grit to dig out the result, which he said is something he and his coaching staff are constantly trying to develop in their squad. Try-saving tackles and game-winning kicks don’t just happen by accident.
The Ireland boss enjoyed Sam Prendergast’s winning conversion of Thomas Clarkson’s try as one example of that development.
“It was a lovely, positive strike,” said Farrell. “It wasn’t something that just found its way over. It was direct and it had a proper meaning to it as well, so that’s great for him. His touchline kicking was excellent as well, so it’s a good day for Sam.
“He’s been great all week, but we’ve said it before, with our preparation being great, you’ve still got to go out there and deal with what the pressures international rugby throws at you.
“That type of game threw everything at them, and they found a way. That’s the most pleasing thing.”
The biggest fix-up for Ireland will be on the defensive side of the game.
They lacked their usual levels of cohesion in this aspect, which isn’t a huge surprise given that this was their first game back together and so many of them are readjusting to Ireland’s system after being focused on Leinster’s in recent months.
Farrell’s point of view was that Australia’s quality made Ireland struggle.
“Well, because of the speed of ball and how the breakdown was, they was onto the breakdown attacking-wise before the tackle was completed,” said Farrell. “That’s difficult to stop speed-wise.
“We became a bit disconnected away from the ball and they found, with their flowing rugby, people coming around the corner, they found a few tight-five forwards not connected enough, and that’s because of the speed of the ball, so they created that.”
It’s onto the next one for Ireland, with plenty to consider on the selection front.
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andy farrell Changes Ireland Japan Nations Championship Selection