Have at it in the comments⚔️- this is what I think is the best way to approach this window.

The assumption is Prendergast would be still injured v Argentina, and that Farrell would like to see him v Fiji before starting him v SA. That said, I’m in camp Frawley anyway but Prendergast offers a fair more complete skillset and seems to have added both size and pace during the summer.

Jansen starts all 3 games to get comfortable in the jersey. Tadhg Furlong is somewhat preserved for the SA scrum. Baird is phased back in slowly due to him just back from injury. Still could start v Fiji. Cian Prendergast is rewarded in games 1 and 2 due to him being one of the best form players in Ireland at the moment. Starting Big Joe and Osbourne in all 3 games might be overkill but I think both would heavily benefit and are well able.

Notably, a few players do not feature at all- Henshaw, Murray and Bohan. I don’t see any need to play Murray or Bohan, as harsh as it may seem. Both are very low in pecking orders and this window needs to be taken seriously. The Henshaw choice speaks for itself- I would’ve liked to see Postlethwaith ahead of him if he was fit. Bundee down to start v Fiji for realism purposes because somehow Bundee always ends up finding a way into teams 🙄

this sucks big time

How blessed are we to be treated to such an entertaining interpro this past Saturday. For so long, the Munster Leinster rivalry has been completely one sided but this past year, the games have gotten so much better and so much closer.

This has injected a bit of spark back into the fanbases when it comes to this derby. Munster and Leinster for the past ten years, its really been a case of Leinster bashing and a "I don't even know who you are" attitude towards Munster. I think ts bloody fantastic that we're at each other's throats again.

Giving out about the ref, the Gavin Goones incident, national squad discussions and the toxicity (Edit: cannot believe I didn't mention Zebo) between these two sides in a very odd sort of way is amazing. There's venom in this derby that's been missing for years and I'm so glad its back, it makes this fixture all the most entertaining. In a way, I like to imagine that the toxicity is a form of respect for the opposite team.

Kudos too to Leinster and the fans for the Anthony Foley tribute as well as Carbery stopping the game when Daly went down. Think it shows that deepdown we do love each other, we just pretend not to.

Thank you comments, yall are making my day.

With Keith Wood as our best ever hooker and with Dan Sheehan hot on his heels, who would you select ahead of the other in an all time Irish XV?

Ringrose is apparently ‘nursing a hamstring strain’ and it’s not too clear how bad it is. Knowing his injury history, past injury recovery times and the fact of how vague/little reporting of it there has been, I wouldn’t be hoping for the best at the moment.

I thought he might be injured due to his omission in a near-full strength leinster side that played Munster on saturday, but hadn’t seen it reported until earlier today, he was making his presence known in the coaches box though.😂

Ringrose seems to be a bigger worry than Prendergast based on the articles - the Ireland camp gathered today for a gym session and Prendergast trained, Ringrose didn’t.

The injury apparently only flagged up on Friday morning according to Cullen (after the Ireland squad announcement) so we’ll see what the IRFU says in due course.

My guess is that he won’t be ready until the South Africa game at the earliest, and that we’ll likely see Osborne or Henshaw slot in at 13 for the first game v Argentina

- Leinster 18

- Munster 9

- Ulster 6

Not in the 'buying players' sense like in american sports.

But taking areas of the game and systematically targeting them to improve them.

For example, the SA front row/second row players are 10-20kg heavier than ours, how can we compete with that in the scrum? they have Etzebeth (6ft 8in, 125kg+) and Snyman (6ft 9in, 130kg+) in the second row. Should we be put more effort into getting our athletes into the physical condition required to compete? should we be developing props who could carry a bit more weight? or looking at Spicer & Irvine as potential physical freaks and helping them reach the potential of their size?

Or have a national program looking to convert GAA players into rugby. Every school in the country plays GAA and then most of them will never play a competitive game again after school. Its better than losing them to the AFL. We dont have lads with pacific islander size, but we have some with farmer strength.

For all the differences we may have. I was there and everyone on their feet clapping for the full minute on 8 minutes was a great testament to Irish rugby and its fans. And just thought this was worth showing too. It’s only a game and when an opponent is down Carbery doing the right thing and looking out for Daly. What you’d expect to see but also great to see it.

Love him or hate him, ROCis rarely too far wrong in fairness

Andrew Brace got hammered lol

I'm probably as guilty as the next guy after a tight match but I hate what this sub becomes after an interpro.

It was a dramatic game today but blaming the referee for the outcome is completely unfair. Two great sides going hard at it. If I were a Munster fan I would be proud of that performance considering how hard the last few years have been.

Chin up lads. We are all on the same team for the next few weeks.

It looks like he's coming back into top form at just the right time. Put in his usual huge shift around the pitch, but this week and last week has seen him give opposition tight heads the run around at the scrum.

It was fantastic seeing Porter have such a dominant game against the recently feted scrummager Kieron Brookes. Seems we're going into the internationals in form and with a solid platform to work from at the scrum.

Overrated - Daragh Murray

I sometimes wonder, if I knew nothing about the Irish rugby scene, which players would genuinely stand out as international-level talents. He’s one of those players I just don’t quite see it with. He’s not a particularly strong carrier, doesn’t stand out defensively, and while his lineout work is excellent, I’d argue that his brother is just as good, if not better, in that area—and is also a better ball carrier.

I’d much rather see Edwin Edegbo in the squad. He’s a huge presence, a powerful carrier and an absolute menace at the breakdown.

Correctly rated - Joe McCarthy

Not too much to say here. I think the general consensus worldwide is that he’s a top-five lock in the world, and I’d personally have him in the top three.

Underrated - Jude Postlethwaite

Unbelievable player who’s really come on over the past two years. I’d have him as the highest-rated player outside of the Irish squad regulars. Personally, I’d take him over Forde, Henshaw, Hume, Kelly, Benson, etc.

Curious to hear other’s picks.

Was listening to a podcast yesterday and Gerry Thornley was on.

He was a bit annoyed that Andy Farrell couldn't be bothered doing press conferences anymore. Mentioned that there are still tickets to be sold but journalists don't have much to write about because they can't ask Farrell questions, questions the fans have.

He raised another good point (which needs to be said) about the IRFU and Provinces websites. To paraphrase, they're crap.

Player profiles are clearly done half arsed. Most profiles I see are out of date. The U20s had NO profiles up which was a disgrace. They worked hard to get to U20 level and the IRFU couldn't be bothered promoting them with a profile, typing in a bit of data.

I'm glad someone said it and I'll add the IRFU are always highly praised but they had 4 ready made provinces (remember they tried to get rid of Connacht!) and a network of private schools to produce a conveyor belt of players.

Shocking stuff really

I know the criticisms of low turnover were quieter after this squad, but it’s really quite impressive to see so much of the squad being relatively new internationals (and still performing very competitively)