Andy Farrell: 'The performance comes from the experienced lads, the lads we expect to perform'

TIME TO SHINE: Andy Farrell urged his senior players to give his new recruits the freedom to perform after handing Ireland debuts to Gus McCarthy and Cormac Izuchukwu for Saturday’s Autumn Nations Series showdown with Fiji. 

Andy Farrell urged his senior players to give his new recruits the freedom to perform after handing Ireland debuts to Gus McCarthy and Cormac Izuchukwu for Saturday’s Autumn Nations Series showdown with Fiji.

The Ireland head coach has also handed Sam Prendergast a first start at number 10 a week on from his debut off the bench against Argentina while there is a first home start for full-back Jamie Osborne after an impressive summer tour to South Africa as Hugo Keenan’s stand-in.

There are seven changes in total from the side which started the 22-19 win over the Pumas with Jacob Stockdale, Bundee Aki and Craig Casey returning after varying lengths of absence, Robbie Henshaw switches from inside to outside centre and Tadhg Beirne accommodates Izuchukwu’s inclusion at blindside flanker by moving from number six to the second row.

Senior backs Keenan, James Lowe, Garry Ringrose, Jack Crowley and Jamison Gibson-Park are given a down day on Saturday ahead of the following week’s IRFU 150th Anniversary Test against Australia while amongst the forwards, lock James Ryan is rested and hooker Ronan Kelleher makes way for 21-year-old debutant and fellow Leinsterman Gus McCarthy.

Just six senior games into his senior professional rugby career, McCarthy earns his first cap while still a member of the Leinster academy but will be flanked by experienced props Andrew Porter and Finlay Bealham while Izuchukwu is surrounded by the likes of Beirne, Josh van Flier and captain Caelan Doris and it is that rugby intelligence Farrell wants to see put to good use to shepherd the new recruits into the Test arena against an in-form Flying Fijian side.

The Ireland boss spoke of his excitement at McCarthy and Izuchukwu’s potential, and of his confidence in Prendergast and Osborne to realise theirs by grasping their opportunities having been selected ahead of some trusted players in key players. Now it was up to the older heads to help them reach their objectives.

“Take your chance,” Farrell said. “But I’d say this, the lads that we spoke about already, rightly so, it’s their time and you want to know about them. But to me the performance comes from the experienced lads, the lads that we expect to perform. It’s up to them to show the way.

“I’ve no doubt the young lads are the lads that they they’re getting the first or second or an important opportunity. They’ll be carried along through the fight and the grit of the others being the best version of themselves. So, there’s a responsibility in that regard.” 

Farrell also wants the newcomers to give him some tough choices for selection to face the Wallabies in the final match of an intense four-Test window.

“Four games at this level on the trot is tough enough. It’s always in the back of our minds. We’re looking at energy levels, how people are turning up at training on a daily basis, how they’re marking down their wellness and the chats that we have along the way, but yeah, performance matters. It should matter. So, we certainly haven’t picked a side for next week.”

The carrot is being dangled and no more so than for Stockdale, who replaces James Lowe on the left wing for just his fourth cap since the 2021 Six Nations and a first since facing Samoa in Ireland’s final World Cup warm-up match in August 2023.

Stockdale, 28, played that game knowing he was already out of the running for tournament selection but has remained a squad member of Farrell’s through 2024 and the head coach said the 2018 Six Nations top scorer and player of the championship deserved his opportunity.

“His form has been great. He's been back in the fold with us, albeit not getting an opportunity, over the last 12 months and we've seen that improvement within his game. He's champing at the bit and this is his chance to show us what he's about at this level again.

“He’s in good nick, in good spirits. There’s something that’s turned the corner. He’s obviously had a word with himself. One, he’s in good form, he’s making things happen, which was always his point of difference.

“But he’s fit, you can tell he’s looking after himself, you can tell he’s minding himself. He’s speaking up more, taking more ownership around the group, there’s a maturity about him that’s a little bit different and all those things tell me that he’s hungry and ready to go.” 

IRELAND: J Osborne (Leinster); M Hansen (Connacht), R Henshaw (Leinster), B Aki (Connacht), J Stockdale (Ulster); S Prendergast (Leinster), C Casey (Munster); A Porter (Leinster), G McCarthy (Leinster), F Bealham (Connacht); J McCarthy (Leinster), T Beirne (Munster); C Izuchukwu (Ulster), J van der Flier (Leinster), C Doris (Leinster) – captain.

Replacements: R Kelleher (Leinster), T O’Toole (Ulster), T Clarkson (Leinster), I Henderson (Ulster), C Prendergast (Connacht), C Murray (Munster), C Frawley (Leinster), S McCloskey (Ulster).

FIJI: V Karawalevu; J Wainiqolo, W Nayacalevu - co-captain, J Tuisova, P Loiganimasi; C Muntz, F Lomani; E Mawi, T Ikanivere - co-captain, L Tagi; M Vocevoce, T Mayanavanua; R M Derenalgi, K Salawa, E Canakaivata.

Replacements: S Matavesi, H Hetet, S Tawake, S Turagacoke, A Tuisue, P Matawalu, V Botitu, S Maqala.