To be fair to Sexton he’s starting three top-class games in as many weeks. Hasn’t done that for a while - and obviously the big risk with the RWC.
In the last 12-18 months Sexton has gotten even more influential while Carbery has just stalled for club and country. I think there’s more of a question mark over the back-up 10 than there is at starter at this point
I think the one thing for Farrell and Ireland is Munster are by far the worst coached team of the four provinces.
If the coaching ticket in Munster is good you could see several players significantly improve and that would be huge for Ireland.
Fair enough we will agree to disagree 
Very few top end Union coaches have come from league either barring Shaun Edwards and he was always happy to a role specific no 2
Farrell had the benefit of playing both codes
He did but he played limited enough union in fairness
Ireland need to play the second string. If they win, we’ll have done em with the second string. If we lose they’ll know beat em and got out the gate without them getting revenge. We’ll fucking have em mentally
Series win.
World Cup semi-final for me. Imagine the buzz of a semi-final against a beatable enough England team next year.
A World Cup semi final, I assume that means we don’t win it?
Then I think the win over the All Blacks is better,
If it’s the opportunity to play in a semi final and see how the cards roll then it’s the Semi Final
But neither means anything much to me
Player/Club/Province/Caps –
15. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster) 22
14. Mack Hansen (Connacht) 5
13. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 59
12. Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 39
11. James Lowe (Leinster) 14
10. Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) (capt) 107
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster) 19
1. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 45
2. Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster) 9
3. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 59
4. Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster) 32
5. James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 45
6. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 86
7. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) 42
8. Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) 19
Replacements:
16. Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 27
17. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 117
18. Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht) 24
19. Kieran Treadwell (Ballymena/Ulster) 7
20. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 29
21. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 98
22. Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Munster) 34
23. Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 97
Lowe Aki and Gibson Park wouldn’t make the all blacks D team yet here they are. It’s a funny old game.
The greatest ever achievment by an Irish team abroad? It’ll edge the cricket heroics
We are going to do it
Looking forward to it. Hoping they get off to another great start today.
Without fail i will always declare irelands call is a disgrace when its played.
A cod of a song
God Defend New Zealand is a fine anthem.
What a start.
Brilliant
Commentators hex on the conversion.