@PJ Smith: good one

@Tom Reilly: There is nothing inspiring about signing one of the best players in the world…..

@Fionn Bohane: You are looking at my post through a very black and white lense. If you study it more closely you may see it emerge in a more nuanced way. Many people would have criticised Leo for signing Barrett and denying Irish lads a place on the team.; as if he was a needless luxury. Now with all the injuries in the backs an injury free Barrett could be the key to Leinster winning a trophy this season. If that were to happen then indeed it would look like an inspired signing.

@Dara Gannon: Well listening to all the Leinster players saying how much Barrett inspires them then I would say that there is a lot of inspiration floating around and I haven’t even started on Snyman.

@Tom Reilly: I know what you’re saying it’s more convenient than inspired though and ye could easily have done without him and continued to be a fabulous team. Who wouldn’t want him in all fairness.

@Oran Burns: I’m not sure. I thought SP was still 1st receiver for most of the time RB was on the field

@Brian Corcoran: deagan has been excellent, Baird had no form as he’s not been playing.

@Carmine Lorenzo: yeah, good point – get him minutes, build hid confidence

@Shanie: such a shame, world class…..on his day.

@Peter McElwee: Baird is playing off the bench for Trinity this weekend, presumably because he is making his way back from injury and isn’t ready for champions cup level yet.

@brian o’leary: Very true

@Andrew Slazenger: So def not anything to do with the concussion. Maybe he and/or the coaches feel he needs a game to get back to match fitness.

@Caballo Blanco: James Lowe has an impressive strike rate as an international winger so your argument is a bit shakey there. “slowest winger in world rugby’….. a little over the top there too.

@Caballo Blanco: he’s on the current world rugby XV for the year so your opinion shows your lack of knowledge of the game

@John Ludgate: Chris Ashton once called him overweight and Slow, he knows a thing or two about scoring tries as was the Premiership top try scorer for quite a few years. We’re all allowed opinions and he is extremely slow compared to other wingers and usually runs into contact or kicks the leather off the ball. If you look at NZ or SA back line they have real speed there and score a lot of tries through their wingers. When your 32 years old you ain’t getting any quicker and btw unlike most of the armchair keyboard warriors out there, I’ve played rugby for nearly 20 years.

@adizlack93:Who picks the list ?, Pieter Steph Du Toit won World player of the Year again but Doris was on shortlist.

@Caballo Blanco: He is extremely slow by comparison to alot of wingers such as Kolbe, Penaud, Jordan, Bielle-Biarrey… but he is not slow. Chris Ashton only ever did one job so England had to sacrifice a bit of dynamism in order to get him in the team (it was probably worth it). Ireland just don’t produce fast wingers due to our heavily structured schools and youths system. Very often we end up hedging our bets on the centres & full backs through the academies and one of them gets converted. Obviously Lowe and Hansen did not come through the Irish system but they very definitely have the characteristics of a hard working Irish winger where speed is a secondary consideration. Not saying it wouldn’t be nice to have a Bielle-B but, unfortunately, guys like that don’t make the cut in Ireland.

@Caballo Blanco: you lose all credibility when you imply Lowe doesn’t score tries…he’s been a prolific scorer for both Ireland and Leinster and is one of the best wingers in the world. Plus his highlights reel is pretty awesome too

@Caballo Blanco: You make out like him making contact is usually the end. He’s a master at breaking at least the first tackle and typically makes good ground or scores as a result when in the right position. Hence his try scoring record is nothing to be sniffed at. He’s a different type of winger than what you want but that doesn’t make him bad

@Paul Ennis: I was unaware of the Irish schools system prioritising centers and full backs so that’s quite interesting Paul. The way the game is going well seem to be relying on what’s worked in the past but ultimately won’t work in the future and especially at World cups. Ashton was a bit of a one trick pony but he could score tries from 60m out and Irelands tries seem to come much more from the forwards than the backs which has been our downfall in the past. If there’s a turnover SA or NZ get the ball to Kolbe, Arendse, Jordan or Talea and it’s usually a try. Interesting points you make though !

@Paul Ennis: Dennis Hickey was probably our last speed merchant on the wing and obviously Stockdale is rapid but quite a few have their reservations about his defensive capabilities. Remember when Toulouse had Cedric Haymans, Vincent Clerc and Clément Poitrenaud what a back three that was.

@PJ Smith: If you weighed 16.5 stone, you’d make good ground too, watch him next time not take his opposite winger on the outside. Hanson I like as he gets involved off the ball and comes off his wing a lot roaming around.

@Caballo Blanco: It not that it is prioritised, it is that that there is very little space for a 60m try in schools rugby. All the schools players a very structured game and the speed merchant gets very few opportunities to shine. By the time the sub-academies are selected, a coach is not going to waste a space on a player with only one of the main skills required for rugby – for example: catch/pass, kick, tackle, awareness of space and whilst you might have speed, you will have had little or no opportunity to demonstrate the other skills when you have only played on the wing.

@Paul Ennis: it sounds like someone was listening to Irish Times podcast this week where the topic was exactly that ‘why doesn’t Ireland produce pace wingers’. They made exactly the point you’re making about schools preferring ball players to out and out finishers.

@Caballo Blanco: Robert Balacoune has serious pace but on top of being injured a lot, is not a Farrell type of winger (busy, messy, turning up everywhere). I agree though that our current wingers will not score from far out but Lowe is very good at finding the try line from close in. Very powerful in contact + very quick reaction and reading of the game.

@Michael Corkery: it’s just with our small numbers freaky speed doesn’t come along very often? Maybe it’s best to prioritise other qualities that can be coached?

@Michael Corkery: Yes… I did listen to that but I have been making the same point for a long time. John O’Sullivan and Gordon D’Arcy are just far more articulate and knowledgable than me!!

@Caballo Blanco: Everything you have said in response actually does nothing to address the points being out to you in my comment. There is more than one type of winger and way to play the game. You seem to struggle with the fact that your preference in winger is just that, a personal preference and it doesn’t negate his effectiveness which others have made clear and which you’ve bent over backwards to avoid addressing, instead repeating the same narrative. We get it, he’s not fast enough for you. Tough.

@Paul Ennis: don’t be putting yourself down, more articulate than most on here! Wouldn’t be hard, says you