The odyssey continues for Irish Rugby with the team announced for the pool game agaisnt Russia this Sunday morning KO 6:00am.
It’s very much a dirt tracker side with the second string getting a run out alongside those front liners who need some match time.
There are ten changes, one of which is a positional switch, to the starting line-up from Ireland’s 15-6 win over Australia last weekend.
Fergus McFadden starts on the right wing and is one of four Rugby World Cup debutants in the selected side. Keith Earls moves from the wing to outside centre to partner Paddy Wallace, who will be making his first appearance of the tournament.
Andrew Trimble is named on the left wing, with Ronan O’Gara, who played against Russia back in 2002, and Isaac Boss forming the half-back partnership.
World Cup newcomer Sean Cronin makes the switch with Rory Best from the replacements to start at hooker, while Tony Buckley has his first start of the tournament at tighthead prop.
The back row from the Australian game has been altered as Donnacha Ryan starts at blindside flanker in place of Stephen Ferris.
The final change to the side is the selection of Leo Cullen in the second row. He comes into the team in place of Paul O’Connell and will also have the honour of captaining the team in his first Rugby World Cup match.
IRELAND (15-9) Rob Kearney (Leinster), Fergus McFadden (Leinster) *, Keith Earls (Munster), Paddy Wallace (Ulster), Andrew Trimble (Ulster), Ronan O’Gara (Munster), Isaac Boss (Leinster). (1-8) Cian Healy (Leinster), Sean Cronin (Leinster) *, Tony Buckley (Sale Sharks), Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster), Leo Cullen (Leinster) * (capt), Donnacha Ryan (Munster) *, Sean O’Brien (Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster). (16-22) Rory Best (Ulster), Mike Ross (Leinster), Denis Leamy (Munster), Shane Jennings (Leinster), Eoin Reddan (Leinster), Jonathan Sexton (Leinster), Geordan Murphy (Leicester Tigers). * Denotes Rugby World Cup debutant.
Sadly, even against the minnows of the group, and despite last Saturdays historic win, Ireland have to concentrate on playing a limited game where they take it up short and rely on ferocity from the pack to maintain possession and eventually the Russian side should buckle. If Ireland try and play a fast paced off loading game that they just are not capable of they should still win but boy will it be messy!
I’m not saying the tries wont come, they undoubtedly will, but I’d rather see them come in a controlled manner, that Ireland will be able to recreate against better sides, rather than rely on the higher skill level of the individual players to see us through.
For a large part this seems to be the side that Kidney has picked with the scrapper Boss as an extra wing forward and there is no one better to control such a game than O’Gara at outhalf. Indeed Wallace and Trimble will have to be patient and when they do get the ball it has to be a case of maintaining possession rather than try and beat the Russians single handedly! The only real concerns I have is at prop with it being just the sort of game where Healy will get injured trying to win it on his own and then of course there is the great unponderable of Tony Buckles! By all acounts he’s been talking a big game in the media so hopefully we will see one!
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