MAYBE IN THE end, the back five of Ireland’s scrum will have a very familiar, tried-and-trusted look to it when the biggest games of their pool campaign against South Africa and Scotland roll around.
Maybe it will be James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier, and Caelan Doris are in jerseys number four to eight again.
That was the combination that started all three Tests in New Zealand last summer, as well as the opening two games of this year’s Grand Slam campaign.
Beirne was injured in round two against France, so after rotating his team for the Italy game, Ireland boss Andy Farrell brought Iain Henderson into the first-choice XV along with Ryan, O’Mahony, van der Flier, and Doris for the Scotland clash.
Henderson himself was hurt in Edinburgh and so Ryan Baird started the Grand Slam-clinching win over England, with Kieran Treadwell – who wasn’t picked for the World Cup – coming into the matchday 23 to offer bench impact alongside Jack Conan.
So maybe we will just see Ryan, Beirne, O’Mahony, van der Flier, and Doris continuing as that front-line back five in the forward pack.
But Ireland have some interesting options if they do reckon a different approach will work in this World Cup. The selection of Joe McCarthy in the second row against Romania among an otherwise experienced Ireland team is intriguing in this light.
The Ireland coaches have been excited about McCarthy for a while but he had injury misfortune, missing this year’s Six Nations, while he also had rough edges to polish off in his game. But his two outings in pre-season were eye-catching. He’s a big, dynamic man, clearly a pain in the hole to play against, and of the profile Irish rugby doesn’t produce often. He’s almost a South African-style tighthead lock. He’s highly rated as a scrummager on the right-hand side of the scrum.
So you came into this World Cup suspecting that McCarthy could have a big role to play, even in Ireland’s strongest matchday 23 on the most important days. For this weekend, he is picked alongside a vastly experienced Ireland team on the opening day. McCarthy really does offer a lot of punch and the Irish coaches have now popped him into a seriously strong team.
Beirne has been outstanding in the second row for Ireland, working well in tandem with Ryan, who has been playing some of the best rugby of his career recently without getting too many plaudits for it. They’re two world-class second rows and both have the potential to be stars of this World Cup.
Henderson has had his injury travails over the years, and some dips in form as a result, but he is highly valued by Ireland. You don’t win 74 Test caps without being an outstanding player. Henderson captained Ireland in two of their three warm-up games, underlining how respected he is, and was one of the best performers against Italy.
He’s is a lineout leader, though he’ll have been frustrated in that area against Samoa, and looks more explosive now than he has at times in those injury-hit years. He backs up McCarthy and Ryan tomorrow.
Baird is another option in the second row. His talent and athleticism have been well-flagged for a long time now but last season was when he kicked on with Ireland. The 24-year-old did well in three Six Nations appearances, being trusted to start that crucial clash with England in the second row.
He was excellent at blindside flanker against Italy in the first warm-up game this summer and did well against Samoa in the same position, showing his versatility.
Baird and McCarthy are the energetic cats among the pigeons but the flexibility of more established players also gives Farrell and forwards coach Paul O’Connell different possibilities in how they put their back five and replacements together.
So it is that Peter O’Mahony moves from the blindside over to the openside this weekend against Romania. He started there twice for Ireland in 2020 and has played at openside for Munster to fine effect too.
Let’s not forget that Caelan Doris demonstrated he can shine from the number seven shirt against Italy, but he is at his best when he’s at number eight, where he will line out against Romania. His fellow number eight, Conan, is still on the comeback trail from a foot injury, but he finished the Six Nations strongly and has generally been the bench impact player when Doris, van der Flier, and O’Mahony start.
Having last started a game at blindside flanker for Ireland back in 2021, it is also interesting to see Tadhg Beirne slotting in there this weekend. Beirne’s most recent 18 starts for Ireland have been in the second row. Now, on the opening weekend of the World Cup, Farrell has shifted him to the back row, where we know Beirne can be brilliant. Indeed, some believe he’s at his best as that hybrid player in the number six jersey.
Obviously, Conan’s injury limited Farrell’s options in the back row but this selection is intriguing.
We haven’t yet mentioned Josh van der Flier, the reigning World Rugby player of the year, and a totem at openside for Ireland in recent years. His sheer consistency is remarkable, especially when it’s consistent excellence. Van der Flier is on the bench against Romania and will likely be one of the experienced figures who start against Tonga in Ireland’s second pool clash.
So there are lots of brilliant parts in this puzzle for Farrell and co.
It can be easy to read too much into a team like the one for this weekend but equally, it can be naive to think that what has been the first-choice selection will just continue as that for every game, even if players have been in good form.
Ireland have been plotting for these World Cup games for a long time now and specific game plans may call for specific selections in the back five of the scrum, as well as in the lock and back row bench spots, and elsewhere.
We also know how decisive injuries can be in this tournament. As Farrell keeps telling up, best-laid plans can quickly go out the window, but he and Ireland have given themselves a bit of room to manoeuvre.
