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14th September 2023
09:49pm BST

Ireland captain Johnny Sexton, right, and head coach Andy Farrell (left). (Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile)[/caption]
"I don’t have any say in selection, I just rock up to training and do my best," Sexton remarked. "Obviously I want to play. When you only have a certain amount of games left in your career, of course you want to play, but it’s what’s right for the team, what’s right for different individuals."It is interesting to note how the Farrell decision are being absorbed by the public. He is so well regarded, and Ireland are on such a hot streak, that almost every call he makes is readily accepted. The unabashed reliance on Sexton and the frontliners in from the start against the two lowest ranked sides in the pool. Had Joe Schmidt done similar, in 2019, even that great man would have had his decisions questioned. Farrell does it and we can immediately see where he is coming from. Such is the credit this man has in the bank. Ireland have won 26 of their last 28 Tests, have beaten each of their big rivals in the last 14 months and have a Grand Slam and a sustained World No.1 ranking to show for it. Farrell has earned the right to make a stack of big calls and get the benefit of doubt will doing so. As Farrell observed, in his Thursday press briefing, anything can happen in the days and hours before games. Malcolm Marx did his ACL [knee] in training with South Africa and his World Cup is over. The same happened with Fiji's Caleb Muntz. That being said, this is how Ireland look to be shaping up for their September 23rd date with the reigning world champions. We consider players in bold locks to start, if fit.
15. Hugo Keenan 14. Mack Hansen 13. Garry Ringrose 12. Bundee Aki 11. James Lowe 10. Johnny Sexton 9. Jamison Gibson-Park 1. Andrew Porter 2. Rónan Kelleher 3. Tadhg Furlong 4. Tadhg Beirne 5. James Ryan 6. Peter O'Mahony 7. Josh van der Flier 8. Caelan DorisIt is hard to imagine Dan Sheehan or Jack Conan coming in from medium-term injuries to start against South Africa, so most of that XV looks set in stone. Tadhg Beirne could play blindside and Joe McCarthy start at lock, if Ireland wanted extra heft in the pack, while starting hooker could yet be Rob Herring, depending on how Rónan Kelleher shapes up against Tonga. Looking ahead to Scotland, three weeks away, we could see a few changes to keep things fresh. However, do not now expect Farrell to stray too far from his main men.
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