Four talking points as Ireland shake up their team to host Fiji

Added onus on captain Doris

There was criticism last week about the optics of veteran Peter O’Mahony delivering a gee-up speech to the team while new skipper Caelan Doris was also present. It was alleged that it undermined Doris and his new responsibility.

No one can tell what impact – if any – it did have. After all, O’Mahony is a legend who has seen and done it all and was the Irish captain as recently as July, so his words will always carry weight.

But the 2017 British and Irish Lions first Test skipper hasn’t been included in this latest match day 23, so the way is definitely clear for Doris to now go and lead without any potential distraction.

Being in charge of a team with seven XV changes and 11 alterations in the match day 23 from the narrow win over the Pumas will be a great test of his leadership credentials, especially as he was touted as a possible Lions skipper simply by virtue of becoming the permanent Ireland captain this November.

It’s time to provide proof that he has real clout in this area, not only in his communication with this week's referee Hollie Davidson but also in his on-field instructions to an Irish XV that hasn’t the experience it had in recent weeks.

Ten of the 23 have 18 caps or less, up from just four versus New Zealand and Argentina, so the onus on Doris to lead is hugely important, especially if the troubling recent team penalty count is to be reduced. His messages need to be on-point and impactful.

Attack upgrade wanted

Ireland’s attack will want to see an upgrade in performance in their third November outing. They have only scored four tries so far and just one – Joe McCarthy’s effort last week versus Argentina – has materialised when the opposition have had 15 players on the pitch.

Van der Flier’s try against the Kiwis and the early scores from Jack Crowley and Mack Hansen against the Pumas came with a yellow card in play. In other words, the Irish have been slack in executing in 15-on-15 scenarios with Andrew Goodman having succeeded backs and attack coach Mike Catt.

It’s a change from the summer in South Africa when the likes of Bath boss Johann van Graan sung their praises. “I believe a lot of teams are keeping the ball in hand,” he began. “I’ll give you one simple example: look at some tries that Ireland scored against the Springboks, specifically involving Conor Murray at the back. They have run a new shape.”

Similar-type creativity has been in short supply in recent weeks, but the ambition will be that the new starting half-back partnership of Prendergast and Craig Casey can enjoy incision, unlike last week when Ireland were held scoreless during their short time together as subs.

Osborne at full-back should potentially be a boon – he was excellent in South Africa whereas Hugo Keenan was quiet in recent weeks – while the return of Jacob Stockdale for the first time in a while will have fans crossing fingers that he can transfer recent excellent provincial form to the Test arena. Here’s hoping the backline overhaul – five changes in total – will get the attack purring again.

Time for O'Toole to deliver

Of all the names on the much-changed Ireland bench, Tom O’Toole is probably the player who most needs to impress. Yes, it is an important fixture for Iain Henderson, O’Toole’s Ulster colleague, to provide a level of accuracy that was totally absent from his cameo versus New Zealand.

Henderson has form for quickly making amends after a gaffe. He wouldn’t have 82 Ireland caps or be a British and Irish Lions tourist if he wasn’t a solid operator. But the clock must surely be ticking on O'Toole to deliver the evidence that he does have what it takes to demand a more regular selection from Farrell.

It was the summer of 2021 when he debuted at tighthead but he never kicked on in that role and now, at the age of 26, he has been chosen as Ireland’s sub loosehead two weeks after injury in a blink-and-you-missed-it, short-lived appearance as sub tighthead against the All Blacks.

Cian Healy’s achievement in equalling Brian O’Driscoll’s Ireland caps record last weekend was an unbelievable feat, especially as he was told a decade ago he should retire due to a slow-to-heal neck injury.

However, the fact is that Healy has levelled with O’Driscoll without much competition for a number of years now for his place in the squad behind first-choice loosehead Andrew Porter. That has to change, so how O’Toole fares will be significant.

His four URC starts this season at Ulster have been at tighthead but Farrell believes the prop has the ability to pack down on the other side of the scrum at Test level. Concrete verification of this would be useful on Saturday.