Gerry Thornley: Toner and Addison the fall guys as Schmidt opts for physicality

Amid all the many balancing acts that the Ireland coaches would have considered in their deliberations on Sunday, seemingly high among them was physicality. Size matters.

That has been hammered home to Joe Schmidt and his assistant coaches in this calendar year, with England's 57-15 win over Ireland last Saturday week underlining the message. Whatever about Scotland and Japan, they must also have had one eye on a prospective quarter-final against South Africa or New Zealand.

So it is that Jean Kleyn, despite not figuring that strongly at Twickenham, and Rhys Ruddock are chosen ahead of Devin Toner and Jordi Murphy, and Chris Farrell's hard carrying and tackling in midfield are preferred to Will Addison's versatility.

Farrell’s durability, as against Addison’s injury record, was probably a factor too. However, Addison’s omission is somewhat surprising. With his strength in the air, balanced running and kicking game, he might have been a gamble worth taking on the basis that he looked as if he could give Ireland something different.

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Farrell's inclusion leaves a certain thinness in the back three, although Garry Ringrose will be asked to cover wing, where he played the last half-hour on Saturday against Wales, at a push.

Toner’s omission will be a huge disappointment for the likable 33-year-old, but again the ankle injury which prematurely ended his campaign last season was also, presumably, a factor.

Toner had been a near ever-present for the last 6½ years under Schmidt, playing in 60 of the coach's 70 matches in charge, and very often completing the full 80 minutes as well. No other player has figured as prominently, not even other stalwarts such as Conor Murray (54 games), Rory Best (52) and Johnny Sexton (47).

He has been Ireland's primary ball winner in that time and in omitting such a key lineout figure, Schmidt and Simon Easterby are undoubtedly taking something of a gamble.

It’s true that two of the five lost lineouts in Twickenham occurred after Toner had been introduced and although that set-piece improved in Cardiff, these things are relative.

As is so often the case against Wales, Ireland only had six completed throws at the Principality Stadium. Of those, they won five, but all of them were thrown to the front. On the one occasion they went to the middle in a shortened lineout, Scannell's throw – which was intended for Peter O'Mahony – was slightly undercooked and picked off by Aaron Shingler.

Five of those were while Scannell was on the pitch. The first hit James Ryan at the front, the second was a quick flat throw to Tadhg Beirne at the front, the third attacking throw was again to Ryan at the front and uncontested, as was Scannell's fifth throw in the 47th minute.

After the introduction of Best and Toner for Scannell and Ryan in the 52nd minute, Ireland only had one more lineout on their throw, when Best found Henderson, again at the front.

Ruddock too deserves his place for when fit and in form he can be an explosive carrier with a high work rate

Kleyn’s scrummaging on the tighthead is highly regarded within the coaching set-up. Even so, it comes at the risk of affecting Ireland’s lineout, which has often struggled without Toner, while of all the selections, Kleyn’s inclusion after qualifying through the residency ruling two days before his debut against Italy four weeks ago will undoubtedly rankle the most with Irish fans.

It certainly will rankle more than the inclusion of Beirne, whose selection is to be welcomed simply because he is such a fine player, with X-factor.

Work rate

Ruddock too deserves his place for when fit and in form he can be an explosive carrier with a high work rate. Although not as proven across the backrow as Murphy and more of a specialist blindside, Ruddock gives Schmidt and co options too, having been a try-scoring man of the match when called up as a late replacement for Chris Henry at openside in the win over South Africa in November 2014. He can also cover the secondrow if needs be, and as well as having a 3-2 record in games against the Springboks, Ruddock has a 7-0 record as Ireland captain. He'd be a good fit to captain the side against Samoa, and be capable of being on the bench in the quarter-final.

As he showed last Saturday, O’Mahony can also cover openside, while Beirne and even Henderson can be an option in the backrow as well.

It’s good too to see Seán Cronin’s ballast off the bench will be an option. Jack McGrath’s exclusion continues quite a fall since playing five games in the last World Cup and all three Lions’ Tests in New Zealand off the bench only two years ago. However, David Kilcoyne’s form and Andrew Porter’s ability to cover both sides of the scrum made that almost inevitable.

The choice of Luke McGrath over Kieran Marmion is something of a surprise given the latter has won 27 caps compared with McGrath's 13 and has been the second-choice scrumhalf for much of that time. He also had the credit in the bank of deputising for Murray in home wins over England and New Zealand.

But McGrath has backed up his strong body of work with Leinster when featuring in all three warm-up games. He probably has the better pass and as he showed in saving another try last Saturday with a last-ditch tackle on the line, punches way above his weight defensively.

Jack Carty mixed his game really well last Saturday and provides more of a running threat and invention than Ross Byrne, who nonetheless assuredly drew the short straw when starting against England rather than last Saturday. Andrew Conway has been in sharp form for some time.

Were Ireland to reach the last eight, Schmidt could rest the vast bulk of his starting XV for any quarter-final from the final pool game against Samoa.

All in all, while it remains to be seen if a first-choice team can rescale the heights of 2018, it’s a strong looking squad.

[ gthornley@irishtimes.com ]