Murray Kinsella
- Loosehead: Andrew Porter, Cian Healy, Dave Kilcoyne.
- Hooker: Dan Sheehan, Ronan Kelleher, Rob Herring.
- Tighthead: Tadhg Furlong, Finlay Bealham, Tom O’Toole.
- Lock: James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Iain Henderson, Joe McCarthy.
- Back Row: Caelan Doris, Josh Van der Flier, Peter O’Mahony, Jack Conan, Ryan Baird.
- Scrum-Half: Jamison Gibson-Park, Conor Murray, Craig Casey.
- Out-Half: Johnny Sexton, Ross Byrne, Jack Crowley.
- Centre: Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, Garry Ringrose.
- Back Three: James Lowe, Mack Hansen, Hugo Keenan, Jimmy O’Brien, Ciarán Frawley, Keith Earls.
We were asked to do this task back in November and already, this selection has changed quite a bit, as it surely will in the coming months. The toughest thing is figuring out how many back rows and outside backs to bring, as well as who covers where.
Ryan Baird is lumped in with the back rows here but obviously plays lock too, while a couple of the locks can play at blindside. The back three contingent includes the versatile Jimmy O’Brien and Ciarán Frawley, who cover everywhere from 10 to 15.
This prediction is based on how we have seen Farrell and his coaches select their squads over the past year. Regardless of what happens next and even with the squad size going up from 31 to 33 this year, some seriously good players are going to miss out on the World Cup with Ireland.
The likes of McCloskey, Larmour, Coombes, Carbery, Osborne, Stockdale, Baloucoune, Hume, Loughman, Timoney, Prendergast, and Frisch could be right in the mix for selection and I could well be missing a couple more bolters. This may well be the strongest squad Ireland ever bring to a World Cup.
*****
Gavan Casey
- Loosehead: Cian Healy, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter.
- Hooker: Rob Herring, Rónan Kelleher, Dan Sheehan.
- Tighthead: Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Furlong, Tom O’Toole.
- Lock: Tadhg Beirne, Iain Henderson, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan.
- Back Row: Ryan Baird, Jack Conan, Caelan Doris, Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier.
- Scrum-Half: Craig Casey, Jamison Gibson-Park, Conor Murray.
- Out-Half: Ross Byrne, Jack Crowley, Johnny Sexton.
- Centre: Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, Garry Ringrose.
- Back Three: Ciarán Frawley, Mack Hansen, Hugo Keenan, Jordan Larmour, James Lowe, Jimmy O’Brien.
This is just a rough estimation of how things might be shaping up in Andy Farrell’s head at the moment, with a couple of projections of my own thrown into the mix.
I see one of the back three slots as being a straight-up race between Keith Earls and Jordan Larmour and, while we know the esteem in which Farrell holds Earls — both as a player and, equally pertinently of late, as a sort of key piece of the feng shui — I believe Larmour’s provincial form is tracking towards him winning that race.
In-field, it could be argued that Ciarán Frawley is in a race against time but, presuming Leinster’s season will go late, he has plenty of road to run. If Frawley can rediscover the 2022 form that briefly saw him take pole position as Johnny Sexton’s successor, his virtually unique versatility across the entire backline may mean that both Stuart McCloskey and Jamie Osborne (almost as versatile, but not as seasoned outside of midfield), miss out.
That will read like madness given their international and provincial form respectively, but the condensed squad size dictates that World Cup selection has to be mad to some degree. I would see Gavin Coombes and Cian Prendergast as the two others most unfortunate to miss out if Farrell selected as above, but there are loads more. The fact that the players on the fringes will inevitably finish their seasons like men possessed might mean that the whole picture is rearranged by May or June.
*****
Ciarán Kennedy
- Loosehead: Cian Healy, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter.
- Hooker: Rob Herring, Ronan Kelleher, Dan Sheehan.
- Tighthead: Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Furlong, Tom O’Toole.
- Lock: Tadhg Beirne, Iain Henderson, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan.
- Back Row: Jack Conan, Caelan Doris, Ryan Baird, Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier.
- Out-Half: Ross Byrne, Jack Crowley, Johnny Sexton.
- Scrum-Half: Craig Casey, Jamison Gibson-Park, Conor Murray.
- Centre: Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart McCloskey, Garry Ringrose.
- Back Three: Mack Hansen, Hugo Keenan, Jordan Larmour, James Lowe, Jimmy O’Brien.
A couple of 50/50 calls in there and trying to squeeze it down to 33 players wasn’t easy. I’m glad I don’t have to phone the lads I’ve left out to explain my thinking.
I think most of the pack picks itself at this stage. Joe McCarthy squeezes in with Ryan Baird also covering the back row. Tom O’Toole’s Six Nations form keeps him ahead of John Ryan, but I think that might be one to watch.
Looking at the backline, I’m a big fan of Jamie Osborne but don’t see a place for him ahead of anyone else there just yet. I’ve also opted for Jordan Larmour ahead of Jacob Stockdale and Keith Earls because I think Larmour might have a couple of big games in him before the end of the season. His versatility helps too as that can be so important in a World Cup squad. The rate of attrition at centre keeps Stuart McCloskey in, but I can see Farrell bringing just three out-and-out centres.
At out-half, it feels harsh leaving Joey Carbery out but Ross Byrne had a good Six Nations and like Larmour, Jack Crowley can also cover more positions across the backline. That said, I’d be telling Joey to keep his phone on.
