Indo Sport
Farrell's 'World Cup' selection | Stockdale's last chance | Prendergast's next step
04 Mar 2026
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This is an Irish Independent Podcast. Now welcome to another Six Nations Round upon us, the final gallop this week and next. Ireland team has been named for Friday at home to Wales. England have made nine changes for Rome on Saturday.
And France are at Murrayfield, which to be fair at times in recent years has been a bit of a banana skin for them, albeit if they beat Scotland with a bonus point, then they win the title, which is a real...
anti-climactic thought and realistically even a four point win probably does it our rugby coverage as ever is with thanks to Energia they sponsor rugby in Ireland at all levels grassroots with the Energia AAL they are official energy partner to Leinster Connacht the Irish men's and women's teams and their rugby for all initiative welcomes everyone of all abilities to participate in the game if you want to learn more about Energia's exclusive home energy offer for rugby fans you can visit energia.ie forward slash rugby
Keane Tracy here in studio, hi. Hey Joe. And a recovering from the flu, don't worry about his voice, he's not feeling as terrible as he sounds, Eddie O'Sullivan.
Hi lads, how are you doing?
Oh, jeez. You are feeling okay, aren't you? Ish?
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Chapter 2: What are the latest updates on the Ireland team facing Wales?
Yeah, I'm still standing. But it might loosen out as I go on because it's early in the morning here as well.
Of course, okay. Well, listen, great to have you with us. You obviously weren't on with us post Twickenham, so I'm fascinated even with the benefit of having to think about it to get your thoughts on the Irish performance. But before that, we'll just get everyone's thoughts on the team. So, no real changes to the backline bar on the wing where James Lowe was an enforced change.
Osborne, Balacoon, how could he not continue? Ringrose and McCluskey. And then Jacob Stockdale gets the nod. I guess maybe Tommy O'Brien thought, did I do enough off the bench? But he drops out of the squad and Stockdale gets another chance. Crowley and Gibson Park, of course. And then Tom O'Toole.
who they've wanted to try obviously at loose head for some time now playing tight head with Ulster but in at loose head for a start Dan Sheehan gets a rest a total rest he's not in the squad Ronan Kelleher is in alongside Tyke Furlong and then James Ryan continues Tyke Byrne moves from back row into second row Joe McCarthy drops to bench and the back row has Jack Conan Nick Timoney and Caelan Dorris it's a 5-3 split in the bench Tom Stewart been playing very well for Ulster very athletic
Michael Milne, Thomas Clarkson, then Joe McCarthy, as I said, drops to the bench. Josh van der Vleer, so good the last day, drops to the bench. Nathan Doak gets the nod over Craig Casey. Tom Farrell gets the nod over Bundy Ackie. And then Ciarán Frawley is in. Am I saying he gets the nod over Sam Prendergast? Yep, he's covering 10, yeah. Thoughts on the team, Eddie?
Very interesting selection. I have to say, given it's the Six Nations, credit where credit is due, this is a selection with a view to the World Cup. He's failed the team, he's turned a corner. The two remaining games at home, very winnable. Triple crown, very doable, long shot at the championship. And he's still twisted and he's looking at, I need to find some depth here.
I need to start moving the chess pieces around. This is probably my best opportunity. Will he do the same against Scotland? I'm a little doubtful, but I think the whales, the wounded animal, he feels like these selections. And there's a lot of reconstruction, as you see. in the forwards. You know, Stewart, Milne, Clarkson, O'Toole, guys who he needs a good look at in a tight environment.
Tom Farrell, Nathan Doak, he needs to build depth at half-back. So I think he's looking at one eye on the World Cup and giving these guys a shot now where he thinks he can get the job done for sure. He's not putting on a team he thinks might lose, but... it's building some depth into the squad, which his hands have been tied a bit up to now. So I think it's a very brave selection.
I give a lot of credit for it. And I still think they'll get the job done because it's Wales.
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Chapter 3: How is Andy Farrell preparing for the World Cup with his team selections?
I'm sure Tommy O'Brien's kind of thinking, geez, did I not show I can do a bit of a job in the left wing? But it does feel for Stockdale that, you know, patience won't last forever here. Feels like a really big day for him.
It's probably a last chance alone for Stockdale. If he is a bad game on the weekend, I think he's gooses cooked for the World Cup, to be honest. To be fair, the guy has pedigree, you know. He's been unlucky, he's been out of form, he's lost out. He got his chance in Paris, we thought, and he fluffed his lines, and you think there might be no way back for him.
But quite literally, he's not writing them off. Now, if I was Tommy O'Brien, I'd be apoplectic, because O'Brien came off the bench, and basically he's up-twicken him. And O'Brien has said to us, well, why is he giving this guy who would take my shirt off me another shot? You know, so it's very frustrating for O'Brien.
Like, if I was O'Brien, I'd be furious because O'Brien really did what he was asked to do off the bench. He was outstanding. He made a huge impact on the game. And the guy who could eat your lunch, you know, was getting a shot...
on the back of that so that's pretty frustrating but I would say that's Tommy O'Brien's position as any player would but the bigger picture is I'd say Farless Hill I think Stockdale has it but I just need him to prove it to me and if he fluffs it no I think that's the case closed So there's massive pressure on Stockdale.
If Stockdale fluffs these lines again on the weekend, I'd say there'd be a long road back to the World Cup for him because there'd be a lot of injuries. So I think this is probably the conversation that's been had with Stockdale. Look, Jacob, this is your shot here. Either take it or you don't.
And how significant is it that he has a left foot and Tommy O'Brien doesn't?
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Chapter 4: What are the implications of Stockdale's selection in the upcoming match?
It's a plus because if you think of it, how we exit with Lowe all the time. His left foot isn't as cultured as James Lowe's, but it's a very good exit strategy on that side of the field. It takes massive pressure off the 10. That pass is so deep from Gibson Park. It doesn't matter that the opposition know they're going to the pocket on Lowe.
Now, it would be interesting to see if Stockdale's as comfortable, as low in that pocket, because his foot is not as cultured. I would say the ball is not as quick from hand to foot. But having said that, it's still a good exit. But I don't think that's the real reason. I think this is Stockdale's chance. It's a ball that he's got a left peg in him.
There's other ways to exit without a left-footed winger. Other countries do it. It suits Stockdale to be able to do it. But I think there's a bigger picture here on Stockdale.
Yeah, it's worth mentioning that Jamie Osborne has that left boot in terms of the exit. So I would agree. I don't think it's the reason he's been picked. He is more of a like for like replacement, for want of a better term, for James Lowe. But I would fully expect Tommy O'Brien to come back into the team or to come into the team.
for the Scotland game I think if this was a grand slam decider I think if it was a World Cup quarter final I think Tommy O'Brien would be picked but I think it's good man management by Andy Farrell because if he was going to give Jacob Stockdale another opportunity I think this is the ideal opportunity he has been playing well for Ulster I know he had a poor night in Paris
he wasn't the only one he was the one who got bombed out of the team along with Tommy O'Brien but Tommy O'Brien got his opportunity in Twickenham came off the bench like you said Joe and took it so I would imagine Andy Farrell is having a very similar conversation with Jacob Stockdale now that look you've been out of the team you're back in and I agree with Eddie it does feel like a big opportunity for him to stake his claim ahead of the World Cup but I think Tommy O'Brien will come back into the team like Jacob Stockdale would have to shoot the lights out I think this weekend for Tommy O'Brien not to come into the team
We mentioned Tom O'Toole then. We've talked a lot about loose head this championship. So club level, tight head and Ireland are trying to utilise him at loose head. Has he done any, like down the years, was he ever initially a loose head and then moved to tight head club level? Has he been back and forth and back and forth kind of thing?
He played a little bit underage. He was actually up for media the week of the England game. So we were asking him about it. He played a little bit underage.
underage it's quite a curious scenario because it's not something that Ulster have been keen to go down the road of they see him primarily as a tight head but it was John Fogarty the Ireland scrum coach a couple of years ago who broached the subject with him because we're seeing it more and more like look at the South African props guys you can switch across now he's done it in the last two games off the bench
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Chapter 5: How does Eddie O'Sullivan assess the performance of the Irish team post-Twickenham?
Any word on the great flanking on Bundiaki? There was kind of an expectation he'd go straight in. Maybe he's like number 23, people felt. So Tom O'Farrell gets the nod. Is this... Extra little bit of punishment for the discipline. Is this, you haven't been playing very well and I'm making a decision to go more with form over names now? Or are you hearing much through the grapevine?
I would say it's all of the above. And also Tom Farrell was one of 11 players sent back to play URC last weekend and was probably Munster's best player. And he has done very well every time, the few times that he's been called upon to play for Ireland. And again, I go back to that sort of man management piece that I think this is very smart by Andy Farrell to give Tom Farrell his opportunity.
He's been in holding tackle bags for the first few weeks of Six Nations camp. You'd imagine he's obviously training well if he's getting his opportunity. And it does probably send out another little message to Bundy Ackie. Again, if we're talking about a potential Triple Crown showdown next weekend, and if Andy Farrell does go to 5-3 split, I wouldn't be surprised if Bundy Ackie is recalled.
He's still very much firmly part of Andy Farrell's plans, despite the sort of uncertainty about his future.
you one for you Eddie so Doak is in ahead of Casey there's a general kind of sense against Italy albeit you know getting smashed in the face practically breaking your nose when you were you know standing there wasn't very probably very helpful but there's a sense you know
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Chapter 6: What changes have been made to the England team ahead of their match against Italy?
Casey didn't massively state his case against Italy. Doak has been playing well at Ulster. You know, at times we've talked about the gap between Casey and Gibson Park. How big is it? Maybe Casey needs to be looking over his shoulder here ahead of Doak or how close is that race?
We'll know on Saturday, actually, if Doug gets a good 20 minutes into the game and he gets a good rattle. But I still think Farrell's got to look at, I need a third scrum half here. I mean, Conor Murray's gone, and there's been no one step into that third short situation. Give some power to an ill-done starter. Casey's done well. I mean, he didn't...
He didn't set the world on fire against Italy, but I think we know what he can bring. We know what he does. I think he'll get better as well as time goes. He's a young player. He's coming through. No, he's not that young anymore, but I think he hasn't had a ton of experience. Gibson Parker's dominated that shirt for a while. So I think this is Doak's chance to make a case.
Not sure he makes the case for, at the moment, to overtake Casey in the short term, but makes the case to be part of the squad going into the next two years in the build-up to the World Cup.
OK. And then just a last one. Frawley over Prendergast. People had also wondered, might this be... a good game to kind of nurse Prendergast back into the fold and all that kind of thing. Obviously, we're not privy to behind the scenes. We don't know his Prendergast confidence, like in a very genuine way, affected, shot by all of the...
The recent experiences, we don't know, is he chomping at the bit? We don't know. So there's speculation at play here. But what is your read on that?
For all he did very well off the bench against England, albeit it wasn't a 10 he played. I think he came on actually on a 13. And he does offer you that versatility, which Farrell clearly values. And look, he's a guy who's obviously desperate for a game time in the number 10 position. That's why he's moving to Connacht the next season.
I was a bit surprised that Sam Prendergast wasn't sent back to Leinster last week to get some game time. Obviously, that went to Harry Byrne, who unfortunately picked up a head injury and that ruled him out of selection. But I thought that game, the URC game last weekend, would have been an ideal time to put Sam Prendergast back in, like let him run the week back in Leinster.
But obviously Farrell did not opt to go down that route, which actually made me think that maybe he is going to be involved against Wales. And it looks like now he's just going to be taken out of the firing line for the remainder of the Six Nations. And you never know in the long run, that could be the best thing for Sam Prendergast. I think we'd have to...
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Chapter 7: What strategies are being discussed for the upcoming matches in the Six Nations?
We don't fully know where Prendergast's head is at. Were you expecting him to come back in?
No, not shocked. I think it's a good selection again to put Frolly on the bench. Covers more positions. But I think in the euphoria of the win over England, and justifiable euphoria, although there's a tale of caution there as well I think we can talk about in a minute. There's no doubt Farrell got this wrong. I don't think anyone wants to ask the most obvious question to Farrell.
You must believe at this point you got the selections of the first two games wrong. Now, if Jack Crowley started in Paris, would he have beaten the French? Unlikely, to be fair. France were on a different level. I don't think Jack would have fixed that. Would it certainly cost at home probably more comfortably against Italy? And you saw the pain we inflicted on the English.
So by any metric as a coach, I would say he got that completely wrong. Those first two selections. And it goes back to the fact that in his head, and this is a title thing to do. He's the head coach. He has to make the tough calls. He really backed Sam. He thought Sam was the man. There was grounds for that. We were all on the same boat, really. We thought, Sam, he's a special talent.
He'll come right. But it didn't work out. So sometimes you put your hand and say, got that wrong. And I think there's no way of avoiding that. I don't know if anyone's asked the question directly at a press conference, but it's an obvious question to me. You know, as I said, we're probably won the Grand Slam with Jack starting in Paris, but we might be still in the championship.
We're really going out of the championship now. So I think that's a fair question. And the other question now is what now for Sam? You know, the kid must be close to broken. Like, let's be fair. It's a huge step down from going from the guy who started
started up to his early game 10 of the last 13 tests for Ireland and now he's subsequent to requirements I would also I think Cain's point is good there about him going back it would be good for him to go back to Leinster and get a game last weekend in Leinster Leo might not have equated us to that We all know Leo likes, Leo likes Harry Byrne, that's it.
And he may have said, well, he's come back, but he can sit the bench. And there might have been a bit of over and back there. I wouldn't be surprised if Leo had dug in on that. No, I don't know. I'm just speculation on my part. But I have to say that the worrying thing is how does he build some prep to get us back up now? and you still have Harry Burnham making his case for Leinster.
Like, when the end of the season plays out here, and we go back to the Champions Cup and the URC, and he's back in Leinster, and Harry Burnham is still starting, and Jack Crowley is playing his trade in one store, it's very hard for Sam Prendergast to get on the horse here and take control, which is kind of what he needs to do. So, I think there's a good discussion around that.
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