Ireland won’t have much time to look back on the defeat in Chicago on Saturday evening as they will have arrived back to Dublin yesterday and will soon begin preparations for the visit of Japan this weekend with a game in the Aviva Stadium kicking off at 12.40pm.
Several players who didn’t see action alongside some players who came on as subs will be used in the game on Saturday.
Andy Farrell has so much to ponder given the manner of the display in particular the 2nd half where Ireland wilted in the final 20 minutes very reminiscent of the old days of the amateur era that also happened in the early years of the professional game. The set piece is a major concern having been a vital cog in the Andy Farrell game plan over the first few years of his time in charge.
As well as fresh blood, the attack needs fresh impetus and that will be down to Andrew Goodman who has had the Irish attack under his tutelage for almost a year and we really need to see a move away from the attack that served Ireland well and some real innovation and not just a rehash of old moves.
Ireland have been found out a few times over the past year and even though the Championship was won in 2024, Ireland were badly exposed by France in early 2025 and now New Zealand at the set piece. There certainly will be renewed focus on the selection policy of Farrell. He has gone back to the tried and trusted many times and did so again for New Zealand bar the selection of Jack Crowley at 10.
Injury has robbed him of a few players but for the most part Irish teams have been picked on past form and this has cost them. Ireland were badly exposed on Saturday and you can be sure there other opponents this November will have noted that fact and will try and expose them in similar fashion in particular South Africa and Australia and to a lesser extent Japan given results over the last year.
Farrell and his coaches in particular Paul O Connell have plenty of food for thought and O Connell will have to work hard with the main squad as well as the players from the Ireland XV squad who will face Spain in a game on Saturday evening after the main squad have faced Japan early in the day.
The next few weeks are big for Ireland and for Andy Farrell’s ability as a coach, the pressure is on now after the loss in Chicago.
Andy Farrell will be the man to lead Ireland to Australia in 2027 but his selections will be under the microscope as well as the work of his other coaches because Ireland suffered in a number of aspects of the game this past weekend but in truth France and Georgia for 40 minutes last summer although with different personal put the Ireland set piece under real pressure and that continued on Saturday.
Farrell has plenty of credit in the bank but people will want to see change in attack and a functioning line out as well as getting back to basics at scrum time.
While the next 3 weeks will have an impact on the Pool Ireland find themselves in at the World Cup in 2027 as the draw takes place yet again 2 years out from the competition, other madness in itself but that is for another day.
Here is the 23 I would select to play Japan on Saturday :
15 Jamie Osbourne
14 Tommy O Brien
13 Tom Farrell
12 Stuart Mc Closkey
11 Jimmy O Brien
10 Jack Crowley
9 Craig Casey
8 Caelan Doris
7 Nick Timoney
6 Cian Predergast
5 Ryan Baird
4 Thomas Ahern
3 Thomas Clarkson
2 Gus Mc Carthy
1 Jack Boyle
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16 Ronan Kelleher
17 Paddy Mc Carthy
18 Andrew Porter
19 Iain Henderson
20 Jack Conan
21 Caolin Blade
22 Ciaran Frawley
23 Jacob Stockdale