With less than a week to go until Ireland head coach Andy Farrell names his final 33-man squad for the Rugby World Cup, this week's RTÉ Rugby took a deep-dive into the Irish squad and selected the group they'd like to see head to France next month.
Bernard Jackman, Jonny Holland and Fiona Coghlan were in broad agreement on their selections, with all three opting for 19 forwards and 14 backs mirroring most of the major countries who have already named their squads.
There are some cavaets to be made around the selections; Dan Sheehan's unclear return date from his foot injury complicates the process, with the trio of RTÉ Rugby analysts making their selections on the assumption that the Leinster hooker is fit to play a part in the pool stage.
Here's what they came up with, you can listen to the full podcast right here.
Holland: "I think 19/14 [19 forwards, 14 backs] for the moment is the way I'd be thinking, but with France being very close, I don't think it’s going to be a turning point.
"Three of each (hooker, tighthead and loosehead), yeah. That's an attritional position, I do think that’s something I’d be more comfortable with as a coach, having cover in those positions. Especially for training, having people banged up, you have to have full squads going against each other."
At tighthead all three opted for Tadhg Furlong (above), Finlay Bealham and Tom O'Toole, before Fiona Coghlan ran through the selections at loosehead and hooker.
Coghlan: "We won’t know the injury until Thursday, how bad it is [Sheehan's injury], but even if he gets back for the Scotland game, that’s seven weeks post the injury.
"You would hope he could make it back for that – even a quarter-final – the way he plays when he’s on form.
"It’s a big call to make, but you’re bringing Sheehan, [Rob] Herring and [Rónan] Kelleher. [Tom] Stewart is there and did a fine job when he came in against Italy, and he’s there if Sheehan doesn’t make it, but you really would hope that Sheehan makes it through.
"At loosehead - Andrew Porter, Cian Healy and Dave Kilcoyne. I know Kilcoyne had an injury, they didn’t say how bad it was. I think the impact he brings on the pitch as off it, that he’ll go."
After the front row, the second and back row were also unanimous decisions; James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Iain Henderson, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan, Caelan Doris and Peter O'Mahony were all guaranteed to travel, while the panel believe Ryan Baird, Joe McCarthy and Cian Prendergast will also join them in the final 33.
Coghlan: "I’m with a 19/14 split because of what Prendergast and McCarthy brought to the party, they’ve come through on what the coaches have seen and the impact they can make."
Jackman: "The casualties are going to be in the backline. Joe McCarthy and Prendergast and Baird go for me, and then it’s the three 9s, the three 10s."
Although Ireland brought just two scrum-halves to the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, Andy Farrell is expected to increase that to three this time around, while the RTÉ panel agreed that Jack Crowley and Ross Byrne would supplement Johnny Sexton at out-half.
That left 11 players fighting for the final eight places, and they agreed that a lack of versatility could count against Stuart McCloskey, while Keith Earls could sneak in alongside Jimmy O'Brien in the back-three cover.
Jackman: "This is where it gets tight; I think [Stuart] McCloskey loses out in a 19/14 split, which is a big call.
"You bring Robbie [Henshaw], Bundee [Aki] and Garry [Ringrose], your back three is Hugo [Keenan], Mack [Hansen], James Lowe, Jimmy O’Brien. Earls is in, but Jacob Stockdale, Stuart McCloskey and Ciarán Frawley miss out."
Holland: "I’m in full agreement on that. It all hinged on McCloskey and Earlsie for the last week or so.
"I’ve been thinking about this, the combinations of it. Look at the centres: Bundee and Robbie Henshaw both play 12, all three of them can play 13 with Garry Ringrose. You have centre covered.
"Because you have two 12s, McCloskey can’t go as a 12, and you have Jimmy O’Brien and possibly Keith Earls that can play at 13 depending on the physicality of the opposition. When you get to choose which games you use them for, Jack Crowley can play 12, Earlsie and Jimmy O’Brien can play 13.
"They can play in those positions, but when you’re playing Tier 1, backs to the wall, must-win rugby, that’s where it might get hard. You have to risk something, so risking losing a centre and bringing Earlsie in the back three – to cover centre as well – that's where I’d be going."
Coghlan: "We’re so close to France, if an injury happens one week, McCloskey flies over. He’s been in training the whole time, he knows the systems, he knows he can step in. That makes the selection easier for Farrell to make.
Jackman: "He [McCloskey] would definitely be the most unlucky to miss out in a long, long time.
"There's not many people there who would feel massively unlucky. Ciarán Frawley didn't get the opportunities to play, Jacob Stockdale is a class player but his form as been mixed and the injuries [held him back]. He came back against Italy but probably knew he was behind. The ones who got cut last week realistically wasn't a surprise.
"Farrell has done a great job of giving lots of people game time over the last four years, but it's pretty clear who his top 34 are. The challenge for him now is if he can fit McCloskey in, which we don't think he can.
"It's very hard on McCloskey because of what he's done when he had opportunities. When he's played, he's been very reliable. Garry [Ringrose] can play wing as well if you're stuck, so just being a one-position player in this backline is probably going to cost him."
Ireland's RWC squad, as chosen by Bernard Jackman, Fiona Coghlan and Jonny Holland:
Forwards: Andrew Porter, Cian Healy, Dave Kilcoyne; Dan Sheehan, Rónan Kelleher, Rob Herring; Tadhg Furlong, Finlay Bealham, Tom O'Toole; James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Iain Henderson, Ryan Baird, Joe McCarthy; Josh van der Flier, Peter O'Mahony, Caelan Doris, Jack Conan, Cian Prendergast
Backs: Jamison Gibson-Park, Conor Murray, Craig Casey; Johnny Sexton, Ross Byrne, Jack Crowley; Bundee Aki, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw; James Lowe, Mack Hansen, Jimmy O'Brien, Keith Earls, Hugo Keenan
Listen to the RTÉ Rugby podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Watch live coverage of Ireland v Samoa on Saturday 26 August on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1 Extra or follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News app.
