EVEN JUST THE phrase ‘World Cup warm-ups’ is enough to send a shiver down some people’s spines. We hate to start on a note that will have some people touching wood or saying a quick prayer, but there is cause for those who hate this month before the World Cup.
David Wallace, Geordan Murphy, Felix Jones, and Tommy O’Donnell are a few examples of men who can tell you about the agony of getting the dream taken away in a warm-up Test. It’s the cruel reality of rugby sometimes.
So in terms of things Andy Farrell wants to see against Italy this evening at the Aviva Stadium [KO 8pm, RTÉ], all of his players coming through unscathed is top of the list.
Ireland’s build-up to the 2019 World Cup also started against the Italians in Dublin. There was a bad injury that day, with Joey Carbery’s ankle issue putting his World Cup in doubt. He did eventually travel but he clearly wasn’t fit in Japan and suffered for a long time after that tournament.
The 2019 warm-ups were an ominous foreshadowing of what was to come at the World Cup. Ireland’s second game was an absolute hosing at the hands of England as the sun split the stones at Twickenham. The Irish players had been run hard at a training camp in Portugal before arriving and the mental toll of that defeat was heavy. Trading wins with Wales in the last two games didn’t do much to restore dwindling confidence.
So while it’s easy to write off warm-up games as unimportant, that’s not always the case. As such, Farrell has been putting pressure on his Ireland team to come out of the blocks against the Azzurri. In fairness, lots of players today are fighting hard for a place in Farrell’s final 33-man World Cup squad, so there won’t be a shortage of motivation.
While there is much to be gained on an individual basis, Farrell has been stressing that the best means of doing so is by delivering a cohesive, selfless, fluid collective performance. Making it 15 consecutive wins at the Aviva Stadium would be pleasing.
There are loads of other boxes to be ticked along the way.
Farrell has handed an inexperienced halfback pairing a big opportunity, with scrum-half Craig Casey making his third start and Munster team-mate Jack Crowley getting his second at out-half. The Ireland boss will want to see them steering their team with composure but also bringing the sharp, high-tempo attacking instincts that make them such exciting players. Ross Byrne was the clear second-choice to Johnny Sexton during the Six Nations, but Crowley finished last season with Munster on a roll.
It’s reassuring for them to have an experienced centre pairing of Stuart McCloskey and Robbie Henshaw outside them. Given that Henshaw and Bundee Aki are certainties to travel to the World Cup, McCloskey will be keen to give Farrell another reminder of what he can do having enjoyed a strong 2022/23 season with Ireland.
In the back three, Farrell will be eager to see what the returning Keith Earls and Jacob Stockdale can offer after over one year and two years, respectively, out of Test rugby. Farrell rates Earls’ defence and would probably like to see dynamism in attack, while he knows Stockdale’s attacking prowess and would possibly like to see some dominant defence against what is a creative Italian team. At fullback, the versatile Jimmy O’Brien could nail down second-choice status behind Hugo Keenan.
In the front row, Farrell will hope to see 24-year-old Tom O’Toole handling the responsibility of starting a Test for the second time, having responded to a bit of pressure before the Six Nations by producing eye-catching performances off the bench. Hooker Rob Herring would be first-choice for some other nations, so the Ireland boss will be keen for him to remind everyone of his quality.
At loosehead, there’s a relative rarity for Dave Kilcoyne. Of his 51 caps so far, 13 have been starts. He’s seen as an impact player off the bench, so this is a chance to show what he can do from kick-off.
Iain Henderson captains the team as he looks for match sharpness, having last played in March, and his nous will be beneficial for 22-year-old Joe McCarthy, a big man and a big prospect in the second row. Farrell would like to see the Leinster lock’s destructive edge married to rigorous discipline. McCarthy has a chance to show that Ireland need a lock of his type in their final squad.
As for the back row, Ryan Baird’s first Test start on the blindside flank is a chance to confirm to Farrell that he simply has to be involved on the biggest occasions. Baird’s impact in the Six Nations was notable and concluded with him starting the Grand Slam-clinching game in the second row. Today, he should be freed to use his frightening athleticism a bit more.
The shapeshifting of Caelan Doris continues in a new role at number seven. It obviously looks like Ireland just giving themselves another option in case of injury to Josh van der Flier and Doris is hugely adaptable. Sometimes we can get too caught up on which number is on each back row’s jersey, but it’s always positive for Ireland when Doris is getting lots of touches of the ball.
Today’s starter at number eight, Jack Conan is also an outstanding back row and he finished the Six Nations strongly after a disappointing outing against Italy. Farrell will expect him to pick up where he left off.
As for the bench, Farrell will want to see debutants Ciarán Frawley, Calvin Nash, and Tom Stewart really challenge his decision-making as he moves towards selecting his final 33. They’ll hope for decent time on the pitch in which to impress and even if Farrell already feels that this trio, along with once-capped Caolin Blade and Cian Prendergast, will be part of his standby list, he’ll want them to show that they’re going to be ready when called upon. It would be thrilling to see these inexperienced men make a compelling case for inclusion today.
There’s a fair dollop of know-how to come off the Irish bench along with the fresh faces. Cian Healy will draw level with Rory Best as the third-most capped Irish player ever and Farrell will want to see that he’s still going strong at 35. Tadhg Beirne will be hungry to get back at it having been injured just two games into the Grand Slam campaign.
And Farrell will be pushing 30-year-old Tadhg Furlong to start working towards his very peak after injury niggles over the last couple of years. If the Wexford man can be the dominant force he’s capable of being, Ireland’s chances of World Cup success go up a level.
So there’s plenty to be excited about today and there will be lots of food for thought for Farrell and his assistant coaches. They’ve built huge momentum in the last two years and he won’t want to see it letting up in the slightest here.
Ireland:
- 15. Jimmy O’Brien
- 14. Keith Earls
- 13. Robbie Henshaw
- 12. Stuart McCloskey
- 11. Jacob Stockdale
- 10. Jack Crowley
- 9. Craig Casey
- 1. Dave Kilcoyne
- 2. Rob Herring
- 3. Tom O’Toole
- 4. Iain Henderson (captain)
- 5. Joe McCarthy
- 6. Ryan Baird
- 7. Caelan Doris
- 8. Jack Conan
Replacements:
- 16. Tom Stewart
- 17. Cian Healy
- 18. Tadhg Furlong
- 19. Tadhg Beirne
- 20. Cian Prendergast
- 21. Caolin Blade
- 22. Ciarán Frawley
- 23. Calvin Nash
Italy:
- 15. Tommaso Allan
- 14. Paolo Odogwu
- 13. Juan Ignacio Brex
- 12. Tommaso Menoncello
- 11. Montanna Ioane
- 10. Paolo Garbisi
- 9. Stephen Varney
- 1. Danilo Fischetti
- 2. Giacomo Nicotera
- 3. Marco Riccioni
- 4. Dino Lamb
- 5. Federico Ruzza (captain)
- 6. Sebastian Negri
- 7. Manuel Zuliani
- 8. Toa Halafihi
Replacements:
- 16. Luca Bigi
- 17. Paolo Buonfiglio
- 18. Simone Ferrari
- 19. Niccolò Cannone
- 20. Michele Lamaro
- 21. Lorenzo Cannone
- 22. Alessandro Fusco
- 23. Lorenzo Pani
Referee: Mathieu Raynal [FFR].
