Squad for Ireland

[fivepointer]

Forwards

Alfie Barbeary
Jamie Blamire
Ollie Chessum
Tom Curry
Nic Dolly
Alex Dombrandt
Charlie Ewels
Ellis Genge
Jamie George
Joe Heyes
Maro Itoje
Nick Isiekwe
Joe Launchbury
Courtney Lawes
Joe Marler
Bevan Rodd
Sam Simmonds
Kyle Sinckler
Will Stuart
Sam Underhill

Backs

Orlando Bailey
Elliot Daly
George Ford
George Furbank
Ollie Hassell-Collins
Louis Lynagh
Max Malins
Joe Marchant
Alex Mitchell
Jack Nowell
Luke Northmore
Harry Randall
Henry Slade
Marcus Smith
Freddie Steward
Ben Youngs

Sam Underhill, Nic Dolly and Alex Mitchell return to the squad for the first time since the 2021 Autumn Nations Series. Orlando Bailey and Luke Northmore are also named in the squad.

Alex Dombrandt tested positive for COVID on Friday 4 March. After recording a positive LFT in the morning, he immediately went into isolation and did not take part in training. A PCR test confirmed the positive result later that evening. He is expected to rejoin the squad later next week.

Raffi Quirke suffered concussion in Sale Sharks’ game against Exeter Chiefs and is unavailable for selection. Jonny Hill, who has been undertaking rehab on a low limb stress injury since he arrived into camp, has returned to his club Exeter Chiefs for the remainder of the tournament.

[32nd Man]

Underhill in at 7, Curry to 8, Lawes continues at 6 then?

Chuck the names of the backs up in the air and see how they land.

[Mikey Brown]

I feel like I’d rather chuck Barbeary in to start at 8 and have Curry as cover there, but it wouldn’t surprise me.

Realised I hadn’t even considered Simmonds coming back in at 8 there, not sure what to make of his appearances so far to be honest.

[twitchy]

I thought Rodd was injured vs exe but they must have cleared him.

[Mellsblue]

Chuck the names of the backs up in the air and see how they land.

On the team sheet or at any given time during the match?

[Oakboy]

Hill not being ready is bad news. I just hope Jones picks Launchbury.

If Simmonds does not start at 8, his international career must be considered over.

One way or another, if we don't see at least a 20% improvement from the forwards we won't beat Ireland.

[p/d]

No more locks in the back row. Build the holy trinity, and it starts now. Underhill, Curry and Barbeary. Let them loose and then start bringing in the Willis boys as back up. Come the WC no one will like playing against us cheating b*stards. And that’s how it should be

[Puja]

No more locks in the back row. Build the holy trinity, and it starts now. Underhill, Curry and Barbeary. Let them loose and then start bringing in the Willis boys as back up. Come the WC no one will like playing against us cheating b*stards. And that’s how it should be

Puja

[Banquo]

Out of interest, how much time has Barbeary spent at 8? (though probably about as much time or more than when Curry moved to 8)

[Which Tyler]

No more locks in the back row. Build the holy trinity, and it starts now. Underhill, Curry and Barbeary. Let them loose and then start bringing in the Willis boys as back up. Come the WC no one will like playing against us cheating b*stards. And that’s how it should be

[Mikey Brown]

Is Matavesi about to run in to a post there or what?

[Which Tyler]

Is Matavesi about to run in to a post there or what?

Nope just got about the biggest grin ever seen on a rugby field

[jngf]

Hill not being ready is bad news. I just hope Jones picks Launchbury.

If Simmonds does not start at 8, his international career must be considered over.

One way or another, if we don't see at least a 20% improvement from the forwards we won't beat Ireland.

I would say Simmonds has to go one step further than Ben Earl and make a convincing case for having an out and out flier start on one of the flanks - appreciate this is a departure from the Curry and Lawes approach. Agree inasmuch that I don’t think Simmonds is perceived as the first choice 8 and to some extent the tight, close quarters demands of playing 8 at test level have been better demonstrated by Dombrandt imo. Having said all that Simmonds is good enough to be a regular starter albeit not in his club position - he’s perhaps the nearest thing we’ve ever had to a player with the explosive pace to be a Michael Jones style of openside? (the last and Earl aside only one prior to that being Tom Rees and I’m not sure even he was quite as quick as Simmonds).

[Mikey Brown]

So... looking like a windy, rainy afternoon on Saturday. I wonder how that might affect things.

[jngf]

No more locks in the back row. Build the holy trinity, and it starts now. Underhill, Curry and Barbeary. Let them loose and then start bringing in the Willis boys as back up. Come the WC no one will like playing against us cheating b*stards. And that’s how it should be

What made the holy trinity so effective was that Hill, Back and Dallaglio each had distinctive and to some extent contrasting strengths which in aggregate made a beautifully and optimally balance backrow (arguably the most cohesive ever fielded in rugby). Underhill,Curry and Barbeary imo are all too similar to one another to offer that range of skill and balance btw I appreciate you strongly disagree no doubt p.s. and before anybody implies to the contrary that DOES NOT mean I’m applying they aren’t all highly skilled themselves

[Banquo]

Must hold back.....

[Stom]

So... looking like a windy, rainy afternoon on Saturday. I wonder how that might affect things.

Genge
George
Sinckler
Itoje
Launch
Isiekwe
Lawes
Curry
Youngs
Smith
Nowell
Simmonds
Slade
Malins
Steward

[Stom]

Must hold back.....

lol, I didn’t even read it until you posted.

Surely the take away from the holy Trinity is that we convert our best 7 to 6, our best 6 to 8, and then pick an annoying imp at 7.

[jngf]

Must hold back.....

lol, I didn’t even read it until you posted.

Surely the take away from the holy Trinity is that we convert our best 7 to 6, our best 6 to 8, and then pick an annoying imp at 7.

(the bit you missed out)…and win a World Cup final!

[Which Tyler]

Must hold back.....

lol, I didn’t even read it until you posted.

Surely the take away from the holy Trinity is that we convert our best 7 to 6, our best 6 to 8, and then pick an annoying imp at 7.

6. Underhill
7. Simmonds
8. Curry
you mean?

[Oakboy]

Brian Moore mentioned that a maximum of 17 matches remain before the RWC.

Thinking about that, we have no single unit established as a definite pick. Arguably, we only have one player as a certain starter - Itoje. Concerning, perhaps?

[32nd Man]

Brian Moore mentioned that a maximum of 17 matches remain before the RWC.

Thinking about that, we have no single unit established as a definite pick. Arguably, we only have one player as a certain starter - Itoje. Concerning, perhaps?

I'd say 2 with Curry, and then hooker is then probably LCD or George so call that 2.5?

In fact there's plenty of spots where it's between 2 or 3 people, which can as easily be seen as positive depth, vs negative uncertainty. Though I'd err to the latter the way Eddie is selecting at the moment.

Steward carries on as he is and he can probably be added.

[fivepointer]

Ideally we'd have 8 or 9 definite starters penned in by now and about 25 squad places ticked off.

Injuries don help but the time and scope for experimenting is narrowing.

[Raggs]

Ideally we'd have 8 or 9 definite starters penned in by now and about 25 squad places ticked off.

Injuries don help but the time and scope for experimenting is narrowing.

Genge, George/LCD, Sinkler
Itoje
Curry
Smith/Ford
Farrell/Slade
Steward

Now some of them have alternatives, but I don't quite view that as a negative.

I don't think there's even that much experimenting going on, there's just injuries and depth. The back 3 is perhaps the most fluid, with the centres also being tricky. But again, a lot of that is injury enforced.

[Mikey Brown]

It wouldn’t surprise me if the team going in to RWC 23 is much closer to the RWC side than what we have now now. Nobody else?