Preview: Momentum Critical for Farrell in Autumn Series

By Sam Curtin The 38-man Irish squad was named last Wednesday for the upcoming Autumn Internationals with Japan, New Zealand and Argentina. There are a number of interesting takeaways from Andy Farrell’s selection.Firstly, there was a mix of returning stars and young prospects. Simon Zebo returns to the fold after a four year absence which was mainly due to playing with Racing Metro in France. There are also two new players featured Ciarán Frawley (utility back) and Dan Sheehan (hooker) from Leinster. Munster’s Thomas Aherne and Jamie Osborne of Leinster also come on board as ‘development players’. Perhaps surprisingly due to their form, scrum half Nathan Doake and Ben Healy are not included in this list despite their form of late. The main absentee is Robbie Henshaw who just got back training with Leinster last week and will be a big loss for Andy Farrell’s side as he was arguably Ireland’s player of the tournament in the Six Nations.Squad analysis As with any squad, there are plenty of debates which will continue on. There is a blend of younger and experience players here which could indicate that Farrell is gradually trying to bring through more players. 9 players have under 10 caps although how many of them will actually feature in the big games remains to be seen. Judging by recent campaigns, it’s perhaps unlikely as Farrell has tended to go with the tried and trusted in the big games with Sexton at 36, captaining the side. Which leads us to the matches.The matchesAs for the games themselves, Japan will likely feature a number of fresh faces who will look to stake their claim for the World Cup in 2023. New Zealand will likely feature the established players while Argentina will be the most interesting game in this regard. Will Farrell go with the tried and trusted or the young talent or maybe even both? One could argue that Farrell has been relatively conservative in his team selection up until now. His predecessor Joe Schmidt got ambushed on two occasions in World Cups because he did not have enough depth in his squad due to his reluctance to play younger, inexperienced players in big games prior to the tournament. Johnny Sexton will be 38 by the time France 2023 comes around, surely the likes of Joey Carbery, Harry Byrne and Ben Healy will have to play some meaningful games before then? Style of playAnother interesting aspect to look out for is the further development of the playing style. Critics have accused Ireland of not having a clear, coherent game plan, especially in attack. However, the last game of the Six Nations against showed that Ireland can be lethal with the ball while also mixing it with an effective kicking game, especially with the likes of Andrew Conway and the returning Simon Zebo. The willingness to offload has also become more apparent since the Schmidt era with the players speaking of Farrell wanting to empower them to play how they want and to make the important decisions on the field. Other hopes for the seriesWhile most of us will be looking at the number of players used and the type of rugby they will play, results should not be underestimated. A scalp, particularly against the All Blacks at a packed Aviva Stadium would do wonders for the side and give them plenty of momentum and belief going into the Six Nations. Although England were beaten in impressive fashion earlier in the year, they were a side clearly out of sorts and Ireland have never struggled to put in one off performances. A respectable showing with intent against New Zealand along with victories in the other two games with further new players and game development will suffice, however. As the previous nine World Cups have shown, there are more important games ahead.In terms of a prediction, Ireland should win two out of three while they will be fresh going in against New Zealand who are just off a long Rugby Championship campaign. This series feels different to past ones however as Ireland look to avoid the same mistakes as previous generations and try to avoid the short term thinking in another World Cup cycle.Overall, these three tests are crucial for the development of the squad, with the World Cup in France just under two years away where a maiden semi-final has to be the goal. The clock is ticking on decision time on who will feature and who may be cut adrift.