I think the problem with that is the lineout. With Toner out you need a safe lineout option (and someone to get up and put pressure on opposition lineouts) and the only guy we have have who is really good at that is O'Mahony. So much of Ireland's game plan is based off clean line out ball so we can't really do without POM, notwithstanding his mediocre carrying game.On the underpowered front, it'll never happen, but I'd love to see Beirne start at 6. O'Mahony has been good (despite him being struck by some of the same error rate and malaise that is affecting the whole team) but a more powerful 6 could radically change our game
This, for me, has been Ireland's biggest problem. We aren't winning nearly enough of our collisions. I wonder if this is due in part to other teams analyzing Ireland's play well. So much of Ireland's phase play has been based on strong forward collisions getting over the gainline until a pre-set strike move is called. Opposition teams seem to have figured out that if they double up the tacklers on the (usually) obvious ball carrier, they can rob Ireland of the gain line success they need to initiate the strike moves effectively. The solution from Ireland's perspective has to involve overcoming those double tackles which will either involve powerful pods to carry, or shifting the play away from where the defence have set up their double tackles.It gets lots of size into the team, lots of big men to go toe-to-toe with the French and not lose the f*cking collisions for the first time this tournament.
