With Jordie Barrett in town and playing out of his skin, how can Leinster keep all their stars happy?
Rival fans were rightfully pissed off when Leinster announced the signing of Jordie Barrett back in April, months after their theft of RG Snyman from Munster.
Given Leinster’s inherent advantages of population and private schools, along with the central contract system saving them wads of cash, scorn levels from rival supporters were at an all-time high.
Topping up an already world class squad with one of the finest players in the game – 6ft 5in, 16st, and 60 plus All Blacks caps – was so outrageous all some could do was laugh at the absurdity of it.
Although most of his career starts have been at fullback, Barrett considers himself a centre, yet at Leinster they already have two of the worlds best in Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw.
If you look at Barrett as a utility back, well Leinster have the two best in the country in Jamie Osborne and Ciarán Frawley.
This poses a rather complex selection dilemma for coaches Leo Cullen and Jacques Nienaber.
How will Leinster fit all their back line talent into one 23?
With most of the contenders fit for this weekend’s Champions Cup clash with La Rochelle, the answer to this question will become a lot clearer tomorrow when the team is named.
Of the front liners only James Lowe is missing, while Jordan Larmour is reportedly unavailable also.
With everybody fit, the contenders are the following: Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Jordie Barrett, Ciarán Frawley, James Lowe, Jimmy O’Brien, Jordan Larmour, Jamie Osborne, and Hugo Keenan.
First we must look at some of the guarantees, or non negotiables, when selecting a Blue backline (half backs must also come into consideration when thinking about bench splits):
- Jamison Gibson-Park and Sam Prendergast start at half back
- James Lowe starts at left wing
- Jordie Barrett starts
Centre options
The next question is who partners Barrett in the centre, Henshaw or Ringrose? In our opinion it should be the former.
The 31-year-old’s current form is the best in Ireland, and his superior defence and size will be more useful over 50-60 minutes, while Ringrose’s pace against tired legs can bring impact off the bench, like we saw when Ireland took on Australia in November.
Henshaw’s passing at 12 has been dodgy at times this season, but playing outside the playmaking Barrett would take a weight off.
Back Three
Next to consider is the back three.
This is where the potential combos begin to spiral.
With the left wing owned by Lowe – Osborne, Keenan, O’Brien, Larmour, and Ringrose are the options available on the opposite side.
Of the five, O’Brien and Larmour are the inferior players, but have played far more games on the wing. Osborne has only started twice on the left, and while Ringrose has filled in out wide for Ireland and Leinster in recent years he has not started there since 2015.
This leaves Ireland and Leinster’s established and undroppable fullback Keenan. He he has not started on the wing since 2020, but he did begin his career with Ireland on the left, scoring two tries in his debut against Italy. He has also played Champions Cup rugby out wide and started on the right in the 2020 Pro14 final.
He is not lacking for pace and is far superior in the air and defensively than Larmour and O’Brien. Also, his nature as a player and adaptability means that slotting into a less familiar role would not be an issue.
The biggest question mark over moving the 28-year-old would be taking him away from fullback – the position in which he has established himself as a world class operator.
Last year this argument would have prevented him from moving, but the emergence of Osborne as a 15 during Ireland’s summer tour to South Africa means that shifting Keenan is a viable option.
If Cullen and Nienaber truly wanted all of their best players starting, then Ringrose at 14 would be the play, but it is an outside bet.
Bench Splits
Lastly, there is the bench and the choices of 5/3, 6/2, or even 7/1 splits.
5/3 is straightforward. Luke McGrath covers scrum-half, Ciarán Frawley – who is more of an impact player than Ross Byrne and covers multiple positions – covers out-half, and Garry Ringrose is ready to be unleashed as well.
Six forwards and two back is our preferred split on the bench, as dominance up front, go forward ball, and set-piece remain the keys to victory.
The obvious choice is Ciarán Frawley at 23. He is the perfect jack-of-all-trades for the job, and covers 10, 12, and 15 at a high level.
This, however, would mean dropping Garry Ringrose entirely. But should the centre be kept on the bench, Jordie Barrett would become the cover for a position he has not started in since the 2019 World Cup.
It would be high risk, but very high reward with such an array of talent in a single match-day squad.
If Barrett is given a test outing at 10, this could be a realistic option for the latter stages of the season.
Nienaber is a pioneer of the 7/1, employing the tactic in the 2023 World Cup final as head coach of winners South Africa. It’s unlikely to be the favoured choice in a knockout game, but if we were to see it in the URC, Frawley would be the man for the No 23 jersey.
Our first-choice Leinster backline and bench:
9. Jamison Gibson-Park
10. Sam Prendergast
11. James Lowe
12. Jordie Barrett
13. Robbie Henshaw
14. Hugo Keenan
15. Jamie Osborne
22. Luke McGrath
23. Garry Ringrose
