June 16 is a key date in Ireland’s World Cup preparations. An extended training squad is set to descend on Carton House as Project France 2023 gets going in a meaningful way.
A squad of approximately 45 players will be summoned by Andy Farrell.
The Ireland head coach will spend the summer whittling a hefty roster down to a crew of 33 which will board the flight to Paris in late August. There are sure to be plenty of surprises along the way.
A few bolters and a maybe a few shock exclusions. Munster’s South African second row Jean Kleyn was an 11th-hour inclusion on the eve of the ill-fated 2019 edition in Japan – having qualified on residency just a few days before – with Devin Toner, a trusted stalwart of the Joe Schmidt era, cut adrift.
Schmidt had displayed a ruthless edge long before that divisive call. Rory Scannell and Ultan Dillane had barely unpacked their bags before they were told to pack up and head for home.
John Cooney was informed he wouldn’t be heading to Japan after completing the entire pre-season process. History shows there is little room for sentiment when it comes to the World Cup.
No doubt, Farrell will be having plenty of awkward conversations as well. After a staggeringly good 24 months, Farrell will have felt his squad for France was taking shape nicely, especially after the recent Grand Slam triumph – a tournament which featured no end of adversity and injury setbacks.
It was another good omen ahead of the big one later this year.
The Ireland boss would have felt this Leinster-led squad had the right stuff to mount a major challenge for the Webb Ellis Cup in September and October.
And why not? This group has achieved extraordinary things on the international stage in recent times.
Have recent events changed that perception, perhaps?
Leinster lost to Munster and La Rochelle by a combined total of just two points. Small margins, indeed. Delve a bit deeper, however, and some worrying issues were discovered.
All of a sudden, some Leinster players who appeared bulletproof have some asterisks attached. And some of Munster’s hopefuls could capitalise this weekend. Graham Rowntree’s side have staged a remarkable late-season flourish to make it to the URC Grand Final in Cape Town.
A string of backs-to-the-wall, away wins has secured the most unlikely of final appearances.
The Stormers, Glasgow and Leinster have all been beaten on their home turf along the way.
Leinster vs Munster
Munster’s Jean Kleyn and Tadhg Beirne celebrate after the game. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Of course, the chance to land a first trophy since 2011 has dominated the narrative. For a clutch of their international contingent, this is a final audition in front of Farrell before the World Cup takes centre stage.
Tadhg Beirne and Peter O’Mahony are major players in Faz’s grand plans. They have so much credit in the Ireland bank at this stage. Fitness permitting, both are guaranteed to feature in France. Craig Casey and Conor Murray, too.
Both half-backs have been jostling for position in Munster. Casey surged ahead at one point before Murray – who found himself outside the matchday 23 for a few crunch Champions Cup pool games – fought his way back into contention on the back of a restorative Six Nations.
Both could potentially usurp Jamison Gibson-Park as Ireland’s frontline scrum-half at the World Cup as well. Leinster’s all-action half-back has been sublime for a while, but some of his decision making in the loss to La Rochelle, particularly during that frantic and problematic late siege on the French side’s line, will have given Farrell and his fellow coaches food for thought.
World Cup knockout games are decided by the tiniest of margins. And Gibson-Park, for all his attacking brilliance, lacked a cool head in the heat of battle.
In the fallout from last Saturday’s defeat, Leinster out-half Ross Byrne has been in the firing line, while the Blues’ failure to go for a late drop goal has also been the focus of much scrutiny.
Footage has now emerged of Byrne trying to organise his forwards to carry towards the post to engineer a drop-goal opportunity, only to be frustrated by Gibson-Park switching direction and probing the wide channels on a few occasions.
This is not a blame game – and it’s easy to cast aspersions from the cheap seats – but it was obvious that Leinster’s half-backs weren’t on the same page at a critical juncture of a European final. They will obviously learn from this experience. They will have to learn quickly. The pressure will be even more suffocating in a World Cup knockout game.
When push came to shove in the dying minutes of that URC semi-final at Aviva Stadium, Casey and Jack Crowley got into the right positions, and the Munster out-half duly struck over the match-winning drop goal.
Should Munster’s spirited and youthful half-backs stage another smash and grab in Cape Town, their stock will rise even higher heading into the summer.
This is a big game for Gavin Coombes as well. The Munster No8 has been on a journey this season. He was sent home from Ireland camp before the autumn internationals got underway.
‘Get fitter and get move involved around the pitch’ was the feedback from Faz and Co. Coombes is a handful with ball in hand, particularly from close range, but the Ireland brains trust wanted to see more from the Skibbereen man.
He’s been a leaner, meaner specimen ever since.
Coombes is still punching holes in opposition defences, but he is making tackles, winning turnovers and doing so much more.
It hasn’t been enough to break up Ireland’s established order.
Leinster’s elite stable of backrowers and O’Mahony were ahead of the queue during the Six Nations.
Maybe Farrell and forwards coach Paul O’Connell are having second thoughts now, especially after seeing what La Rochelle’s behemoth pack did to the Leinster forwards during the second half of the thriller in Dublin.
They may feel the Irish pack needs a bit more muscle, especially in that crunch pool encounter with South Africa on September 23.
A big game from Coombes in Cape Town and he will be bouncing into Ireland camp in June. He wouldn’t be the only Munster player with a spring in his step if they manage to defeat the Stormers tomorrow.
Confidence and momentum are priceless commodities in a World Cup. Munster have it in spades at the moment.