European weekend provides final audition for Schmidt’s November squad
Updated Oct 17th 2018, 9:49 PM
WHILE ALL EYES will be on the European club rugby again this weekend, the November Tests will rapidly come into view in Ireland next week.
Joe Schmidt is set to name his squad for the upcoming games against Italy, Argentina, the All Blacks and the US on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, allowing him one final view of some of his options over the coming days.
Schmidt has been planning and prepping for the November Tests. Source: James Crombie/INPHO
The Ireland head coach will already have his mind made up on most positions in a squad of around 35 players, but this weekend’s Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup action provides the last audition for those final few spots.
The majority of Schmidt’s squad is likely to be similar to the group he brought on the three-Test tour of Australia in June.
Schmidt said back in August that there was possibly room for a bolter to emerge over the course of this season, while underlining that he has capped quite a few new players – 34 to be exact – since the last World Cup.
With that figure in mind, blooding a swathe of fresh faces isn’t necessary for Schmidt over the coming year, rather fine-tuning his selection and allowing them to build up even more familiarity, cohesion and confidence.
Leinster’s Ross Byrne, who was on the bench for the final Test in Australia but didn’t come on for his debut, seems like a good bet to make his international bow next month, given his strong start to the season and, particularly, his performance against Munster two weekends ago in the Pro14.
Further exposing players like twice-capped Tadhg Beirne, Jordan Larmour [six caps], and eight-times capped Andrew Porter may be part of the plan for November too, particularly given that Ireland face 14th-ranked Italy and 15th-ranked USA.
Schmidt never takes any opposition lightly and will prepare as assiduously as ever for each November Test, but those games look like his final chance to build a little more depth in terms of the international experience of some of his players – with the Grand Slam defence next year no place for that.
As such, it looks like Schmidt will leave a handful of his biggest names at home for the trip to Chicago to face Italy on 3 November, bringing with him a combination of front-liners and players who have been pushing the front-liners over the past year.
Byrne will be hoping for another Ireland call-up. Source: Inpho/Billy Stickland
Johnny Sexton may be among those to remain in Ireland and it would make sense for Schmidt to give one of Joey Carbery or Byrne the opportunity to boss the team for a full training week and during the Test match itself.
With Argentina enjoying something of a revival under Mario Ledesma, Ireland will go full-on for their second November fixture back in Dublin, before the eagerly-anticipated meeting with the All Blacks on 17 November.
The US – who will, unfortunately, be missing Dublin native AJ MacGinty – are the final opposition in a busy month for Schmidt’s squad.
Even with the likelihood of a large degree of continuity, Ireland’s squad announcement next week will be interesting.
Leave A Comment