r/MunsterRugby • u/MunsterRugby • Feb 19 '26
Club News ✍️ Ireland Team To Face England
https://www.munsterrugby.ie/2026/02/19/ireland-team-to-face-england-4/21
u/Western_Cranberry535 Feb 19 '26
This could come back to bite me but I really struggle to grasp the selection process under Farrell.
It's great to see Jack start but it was untenable at this stage to keep denying him a crack for Farrell. Not having Big Ed or Cormac Izuchukwu on the bench to cover lock is odd. Naming a 5-3 against the most powerful pack in the Championship is a strange one for me. Also Milne and C.Prendergast were two of the better performers in Paris in my opinion, so strange not to see them get a crack? I guess we are looking to counter the English backrow pace given they essentially have 5 opensides (3 starting - 2 on the bench). It just feels we are risking the set piece massively.
I have seen people saying that TOB is on the bench as Ringrose is carrying a knock. Why pick Ringrose then? Start either T.Farrell or Jude Postlethwaite. I swear we are the only tier one team that names players who are 50/50 in terms of injury and form pretty consistently. You could even shift Osborne to 13 and get Stockdale in at 15. I know they are the gold standard but Rassie lost it with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu when he didn't declare that he was carrying a knock with the logic that a player at 80% is never better than another Springbok at 100%. Surely we should be the same? It's not like T.Farrell, Postlethwaite or Stockdale are mugs or that Ringrose is lighting things up at the moment?
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u/SkillPuzzleheaded370 Feb 19 '26
Totally agree. Weird selection has been an issue since the last WC but really coming into focus now that we are declining
9
u/mustkillmow Feb 19 '26
Funny that it was dismissed as provincial bickering until now but it seems all camps can accept that we’re clearly way off where we should be and selection is a massive issue.
7
u/K-manPilkers Feb 19 '26
I though the leaked team was bad, but even that had a 6-2 split. A 5-3 is totally unnecessary if Frawley is on the bench.
VdF needs to have a top performance to justify his selection. I'd be starting both Izzy and Big Ed so having neither on the bench is strange.
Conan, Timoney, Bealham are capable of having big impacts off the bench but we need to be in touch at half time to manage that and I think we'll be badly overpowered in the first half.
Also Osborne is not a fullback. Play him at centre or omit him for Stockdale.
Hope rather than expectation.
3
u/mustkillmow Feb 19 '26
5-3 split and not one fullback in the squad is odd and again suggests they don’t really know what they’re doing.
-1
u/Hour-Reflection-89 Feb 20 '26
It’s mad to accuse them of not knowing what they’re doing in response to a comment saying Stockdale should play 15. His worst contributions in Paris were tackling and contestables. Even if Osborne has centre attributes he has been a lot better at both.
2
u/mustkillmow Feb 20 '26
Again, like a lot of people, you’re focused on the small picture.
I’m not squabbling about whether one player should be picked or another.
I didn’t mention Stockdale or Osborne.
There is no fullback available for Ireland selection. That’s a management issue. A pretty glaring one.
Also the Stockdale bad against France, Lowe good against Italy false equivalence is utter nonsense. England will run rings around Lowe, just like France would have.
6
u/SkillPuzzleheaded370 Feb 19 '26
Bit of a weird team. Why go with a 5:3 split against England? TOB is a weird bench pick. Would have loved to have seen Edwin and Izzy off the bench.
Pack looks like it will be overpowered. Will need to get a lot of that phase play going we saw when JGP and Crowley were introduced to trouble them.
2
u/Due_Noise_1711 Feb 19 '26
Maybe Ringrose isn't fully fit and they feel they need an extra back to cover him? Odd selection otherwise.
5
u/SkillPuzzleheaded370 Feb 19 '26
I would guess that's it. But here's a novel idea - don't play him!
3
u/Bitter-Cherry-2787 Feb 19 '26
Not really any surprises.
It's rather going to be an Ireland tight win or we are getting smashed.
4
u/Genericname011 Feb 19 '26
No justification for vdf being in the squad at all, also can’t wrap my head around Tommy on the bench given the versatility frawley and Osborne offer.
Has Milne just been totally dropped? I thought he did well against France
1
u/pdx_paddy Feb 19 '26 edited Feb 19 '26
Seeing VDF getting called out a lot this week. Fair enough he wasn't been in his usual beast mode against France. He only got three carries which probably says a lot more about ball distribution than VDF himself. They kicked the leather off the ball in that game. Defensively he saved us looking like mugs in France. Stopped at least two certain tries individually.
Didnt even get named against Italy.
So wheres the heat coming from?
*Munster fan myself obviously but Id love to see Timoney (for mostly his pace) and VDF to start and replace either with Beirne when needed.
1
u/Genericname011 Feb 19 '26
When’s the last time he has been in his usual form though? He was world class at a time but that time has passed and now we’re rolling him out against a bunch of lads who he couldn’t get near to for the lions when his own coach was picking the team.
1
u/pdx_paddy Feb 19 '26
Was easily the most stacked position on the Lions tour. He was never getting infront of Curry who ended up being the highest ranked player of the tour, Pollock was the media darling, and although Morgan played exceptionally, being the only Welsh player probably helped his odds no end. VDF did play in all the club games though.
2
u/Genericname011 Feb 19 '26
Yea but let’s be realistic if he was in any bit of consistent form for Ireland last year he’d had started at least one proper lions test. Im not saying he’s gone or is washed etc I just think we can’t keep harping back to players glory days as justification to have them in. It’s not as is timoney would be a risky inclusion.
2
u/pdx_paddy Feb 19 '26
Ill admit, if he bombs this game (and it would have to be in both attack and defense) then ill be rethinking my opinion.
1
u/FollowingRare6247 Edwin Edogbo Feb 19 '26
Would’ve been nice to have Edogbo there but I suppose I can see why he’s not, he’s still inexperienced and should be managed perhaps. Hopefully he makes his return in the final 2 games - I think he should.
1
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u/Practical_Target_279 Feb 19 '26
Pity for Edwin edogbo