After a 10 point loss to New Zealand in Dublin on Friday evening, Ireland re assembled in camp yesterday to prepare for the visit of Argentina this Friday evening with another 8.10pm kick off. Ireland will know that discipline will need to drastically improve over the next few weeks along with improvement at set piece and line out time. Although the Six Nations was won last March along with a win down in South Africa over the summer. The issues at the set piece and line out have continued and again as was seen over the weekend you need a solid set piece and line out to keep at pace with most teams.
Andy Farrell and Paul O Connell have work to do alongside the players to solve the problems that have occurred in the last few months. You cannot give away penalties in a game but you can cut our repeated penalties and that is a thing this group will have to work hard to rectify in the next few weeks.
The players will know that they will be under pressure to turn things around this week but in the long term the search for term successors to Tadgh Furlong, Cian Healy in particular will need to go into over drive.
The HIA for Tom O Toole on Friday was cruel on him as I think he might have made an impression at scrum time as Ireland were in dire need of change of fortune in the aspect of the game. Oli Jager is injured at the moment and it will be interesting to see will Ireland look for reinforcements for the game on Friday at tight head, Tom O Toole will most likely miss out so there are openings for others to step up to the plate.
I know he has switched over the loose head but can still cover the tight head side on occasion if need be and this weekend, Ireland will be hoping for a change in fortune this week. We may just have to wait and see where Andy Farrell may go with selections later in the week.
Will Tadgh Furlong be deemed fit to step in to the 23 or will someone like Jack Aungier or even Sam Wilson of Ulster be called in to the squad. Aungier for his part played well for Emerging Ireland on the 3 game tour in South Africa and this is the very situation that tour was designed for…
Ireland may also look to make alterations on the bench and freshen things up, players like Ryan Baird, Cormac Izuchukwu may be brought into the 23 and others like Robbie Henshaw may get onto the bench. As I say time will tell and while wholesale change isn’t required maybe a few changes may still be warranted as Ireland need a reaction this week.
I will now select the 23 I would like to see face Argentina.
15 Hugo Keenan
14 Jamie Osbourne
13 Garry Ringrose
12 Bundee Aki
11 James Lowe
10 Jack Crowley
9 Jamison Gibson Park
8 Caelan Doris
7 Josh Van Der Flier
6 Cormac Izuchuwu
5 Tadgh Beirne
4 Joe Mc Carthy
3 Finlay Bealham
2 Ronan Kelliher
1 Andrew Porter
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16 Gus Mc Carthy
17 Jack Boyle
18 Jack Aungier
19 Ryan Baird
20 Iain Henderson
21 Craig Casey
22 Ciaran Frawley
23 Robbie Henshaw