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Farrell to spring last minute Emerging Ireland tour to SA - report
By Ian Cameron
It is being reported that head coach Andy Farrell is set to bring an Emerging Ireland team for a last-minute tour of South Africa this September.
The Irish Independent's Brendan Fanning reports that a squad of roughly 30 players will contest three games against non-URC teams across the course of three games against the likes of the Cheetahs, Griquas and Pumas.
Farrell is apparently keen to expose players to more game time in an Irish national squad environment after being said to be pleased by the learnings garnered during the recent Ireland trip to New Zealand.
Ireland fielded a midweek side against the New Zealand Maori in July - losing the first game and winning the second - and it is quite likely that the touring squad for South Africa will closely resemble that team. That means the likes of Craig Casey, Ciaran Frawley, Jimmy O’Brien, Jeremy Loughman, Dave Heffernan, Tom Toole, Kieran Treadwell, Joe McCarthy, Cian Prendergast, Nick Timoney and Gavin Coombes could all be involved.
It might not be news that is widely welcomed by URC organisers. The players involved are likely to miss URC Rounds 2 through to 4 as a result of the late tour and could leave the Irish provinces significantly undermanned as a result.
Given that senior internationals that participated in summer tours are not typically fed back into provincial squad selection at the start of the URC, it means that the four provinces could be forced into fielding some relatively callow teams in the opening rounds.
Should the report be accurate, the logic of playing an Emerging Ireland team against second-flight South African sides instead of packing down against URC opposition is not immediately clear.
If the games are played during URC 2, 3 and 4, Leinster players will miss a derby game against Ulster, as well as fixtures with Benetton and the highly rated Sharks.
Munster players will miss two fixtures against the Dragons, Zebre and a derby make with Connacht, while Connacht will miss the aforementioned derby with Munster as well as fixtures with Edinburgh and URC champions the Stormers.
Ulster for their part will miss a derby with Leinster, as well as Ospreys and Scarlets.
A frequent criticism of the league has been that the Irish provinces in particular have been reluctant to play their best teams. The optics of this tour certainly don't help that perception.
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Latest Comments
The way Ratima has been treated he needs to look OS. Same with Perofeta and Love, Hothem too. Razor is a token coach. Gives debuts but very few mins. Also DM too. Just go earn millions elsewhere DM as all you get in NZ is bagging.
BB is coaches favourite and I say let him have BB right thru to the next 2 or maybe even 3 World cups.😁😁 Have JB outside him at 12...That just works so well.
Go to commentsIt certainly needs to be cherished. Despite Nick (and you) highlighting their usefulness for teams like Australia (and obviously those in France they find form with) I (mention it general in those articles) say that I fear the game is just not setup in Aus and NZ to appreciate nor maximise their strengths. The French game should continue to be the destination of the biggest and most gifted athletes but it might improve elsewhere too.
I just have an idea it needs a whole team focus to make work. I also have an idea what the opposite applies with players in general. I feel like French backs and halves can be very small and quick, were as here everyone is made to fit in a model physique. Louis was some 10 and 20 kg smaller that his opposition and we just do not have that time of player in our game anymore. I'm dying out for a fast wing to appear on the All Blacks radar.
But I, and my thoughts on body size in particular, could be part of the same indoctrination that goes on with player physiques by the establishment in my parts (country).
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