Ireland vs Italy: Intriguing selection by Andy Farrell before Rugby World Cup

There’s always a danger in reading too much into these things but like all first World Cup warm-up games Andy Farrell’s selection for Ireland’s seasonal opener against Italy at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow (kick-off 8pm) looks intriguing.

Certainly, at first glance, opportunity would appear to knock in a major way for Jacob Stockdale, matchwinner in that glorious 2018 playing his first Test in over two years. For Keith Earls, earning his 99th cap, also. And most definitely for the 22-year-old Joe McCarthy, that rare Irish beast of a lock – in that he is a beast – and whose injuries have delayed this first Test start.

As a specialist number 12, Stuart McCloskey probably needs a big game too given the logjam in midfield, while Ryan Baird at 6, Caelan Doris at 7 and Jimmy O’Brien in just a second Test start at full-back, tick further boxes as Farrell and company seek to cover all eventualities.

Likely debutants?

Of course, it is also a big day in the careers of the young half-backs, Craig Casey (23) and Jack Crowley (22) in just their third and second Test starts.

Last but not least, a sizable part of the bench needs to make a positive impression, including the likely debutants Tom Stewart, Ciaran Frawley and Calvin Nash, not to mention Cian Prendergast and Caolin Blade.

The training squad of 42 will be trimmed to 33 after additional warm-up games at home to England and against Samoa in Bayonne a week subsequently, but Farrell maintained: “It is open, because it has to be to give people a fair opportunity you’ve got to be open-minded. If I am, everyone else will be as well. Hence, everyone’s excited to get going.”

Andy Farrell has named a mixture of youth and experience in his starting team to face Italy in Irleland's opening World Cup warm-up fixture. Video: Irish Rugby

Farrell was unsure as to whether he will release players along the way, as Joe Schmidt did, but doesn’t sense undue anxiety among his players yet at any rate.

“There’s certainly a realisation that 42 doesn’t fit into 33 but at the same time there’s been no chat in regards to ‘if you don’t pull your socks up today, you might be out.’ It’s everyone’s team. It’s all 42′s team. This World Cup – I’m not that good at predicting anyway but if I was a betting man I’d think that there will be more players used, just because of the nature of concussion and everything that goes with it,” said Farrell, also citing the under-20 World Cup as an example of the need to be adaptable and to have reserve back-up.

Farrell hailed his side’s adaptability in recent times, be it Covid, injuries and midweek games in New Zealand, and late injury-enforced withdrawals during the Six Nations, most notably away to Wales and Scotland.

“So I go back to the point, it takes all 33 in a 33-man squad to be absolutely rock solid to be able to win a World Cup. And that’s why I’m looking forward to this game more than a lot of games we’ve played in the past really and that’s why, when you make so many changes, that you’ve got to have a bit of balance within that as well.”

Farrell’s thinking

To this end, the young halves start alongside a wily three-quarter line, McCarthy packs down alongside Iain Henderson, and Stewart is accompanied by Cian Healy and Tadgh Furlong off the bench.

Of course, to be talking in terms of winning a World Cup also betrayed Farrell’s thinking and that of the squad.

“Why wouldn’t we? Why wouldn’t we?” he reasoned when asked. “There’s only an attitude within the group that we chase every day to make sure that we’re better as a team, better as individuals. What we’ve done in the past adds a little bit of belief. How we’re pushing to try and get better in our training obviously will be built and will be judged in the coming weeks but the confidence that we hope to have going into a world cup has to be rock solid. There’s no point in turning up for a World Cup if we don’t believe that we can win it.”

However, all of Farrell’s palpable sense of anticipation in advance of what should be a singularly revealing evening comes with caveats, not least should the team and individuals underperform.

A prime example, with which he readily agreed, was the eminently uninspiring and forgettable 35-17 win over Fiji last November, which also acts as a salutary warning. Afterwards, Farrell could scarcely conceal his annoyance, which was out of character, but by all accounts echoed the sentiments he expressed in the post-match dressing-room as well.

Wholesale changes?

Just as pertinently, Joey Carbery, who won the last of his 37 caps that day, Nick Timoney and Robert Baloucoune, have never played for Ireland since, and didn’t make the cut even for this 42-man squad, much less the World Cup. Like any head coach, Farrell can be ruthless when he feels he has to be as well.

“I’ve referenced it [that Fiji game] to them, I’ve been honest with them,” admitted Farrell, in also highlighting to the players how adaptable they’ve been, with one apparent exception.

“But wholesale changes,” he mused, more or less conceding that this had been a different matter. “I go back to the Georgia game. I probably look at the Fiji game and probably the Italy game last year as well, it wasn’t the type of performance that we expect of ourselves.”

For his part, Kieran Crowley has made 10 changes to the Italian starting XV from last week’s 25-13 defeat by Scotland in Murrayfield. With the return of Paolo Garbisi among others, this also appears much closer to a first-choice selection, allowing for the presence of frontliners such as the Cannones, Niccolò and Lorenzo, scrum-half Alessandro Fusco and captain Michele Lamaro on a strong-looking bench.