FORMER IRELAND PERFORMANCE analyst Eoin Toolan says Ireland should rotate their squad for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup Pool B clash with Tonga in Nantes, but believes Johnny Sexton should start against the Pacific Islanders a week out from Ireland’s pivotal meeting with South Africa.
Speaking on The The42′s Rugby Weekly Extra podcast with Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey, Toolan disagreed with Kinsella’s article earlier this week in which The 42′s rugby journalist argued in favour of Andy Farrell selecting a full-strength matchday 23 to face Tonga.
The former Melbourne Rebels and Kintetsu Liners coach, who worked under Joe Schmidt for Ireland, suggested instead that Ireland should put minutes in the legs of members of the wider squad upon whom Ireland may have to rely should they reach a quarter-final.
“I would think that there’d be a hope that all 33 of the squad would get some game-time in the first two rounds,” Toolan said. “How you integrate those players who didn’t feature against Romania would be interesting, whether you do it from the bench or from the start.
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“But I think it is important. Such is the precarious nature of a couple of our positions that I think it would be wise (to rotate); I’m thinking of Andrew Porter in particular, how important he is to this Irish side, that if Killer (Dave Kilcoyne) is fit, he comes back in.
“Jeremy Loughman needs some game-time. You would think Iain Henderson probably would start, and then Craig Casey, Ross Byrne, those types of guys (would be involved).
“I think it would be a big call not to have them play in the opening two rounds and then call on them in a quarter-final five weeks into the competition and expect them to be able to deliver a high-quality performance.
“So, I think you’ll see an integration of some of those players who didn’t feature against Romania, but with a view to starting with a strong 15.”
However, even with the obvious injury risk against Toutai Kefu’s physical Tongan side, Toolan agreed with his Rugby Weekly Extra colleague Kinsella that Ireland captain Johnny Sexton should start on Saturday.
Ultimately, both analysts felt that last weekend’s victory over Romania provided sufficient evidence that Ireland are simply not yet ready to face South Africa, with Toolan highlighting a number of attacking mishaps in his case to start the skipper against the Tongans.
“Sexton is almost nailed on to start, I feel,” said the former Ireland coach.”Just to maintain that flow.
“Even at times in the Romania game, there were times when our alignment in attack was slightly off. Players were probably getting ahead of Sexton at times, cutting off passing channels and things like that. He was showing his frustration in-game.
It’s more about the players getting on pace with Sexton than Sexton getting on pace with the game, such is his quality.
“But you can see how automated Ireland’s attack is, and how smooth it is, when he is the focal figure at 10. I’d expect a similar 50- to 60-minute cameo from him, and then put the feet up going into South Africa.”
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