With the announcement of the Irish squad headed to Japan for the Rugby World Cup, this is the first of a two part series looking at the squad. To be honest, there is a lot of surprises made here in the selections, but it goes to show how much depth there is in Irish rugby. Forwards are usually the part of the squad that determines how matches go as they ultimately help decide the game. Joe Schmidt has put out a team that is filled with experience and talent as this is a very strong forward pack for Ireland. With that being said, let's take a look at the forwards Schmidt had picked for this years Rugby World Cup.
Props
Tadhg Furlong
Furlong might be one of the best tighthead props in the world and the Irish are blessed to have his talents on their squad. He's powerful and quick, plus he is bruising when it comes to the breakdown. He's also exceptional at the set piece. Not having him in the lineup would be a mistake.
Cian Healy
The grizzled veteran has had a resurgence after injuries had cost him some time and a starting spot, but Healy made the squad and instantly gives them more depth. While it will be interesting to see whether he will start or not, having him in the game day squad would be wise. He's also dangerous as a ball carrier as he is so effective and strong. His scrummaging is also superb.
David Kilcoyne
Kilcoyne is a very intriguing prospect as he is always vying for a starting spot. The question of whether or not he is good enough to start for Ireland is very silly as he is more than well qualified to do so, but the problem was whether he should start over Healy and Jack McGrath over the past couple of years. That being said, he is an excellent prop who is great at the set piece and he does provide some depth.
Andrew Porter
Porter is good enough to swing into either tighthead or loosehead prop as his versatility will come in handy if an injury occurs. One of his upside traits is his physicality as he is very strong, good scrummager, good at the breakdown, and clears the ruck well, plus he lifts well during the lineout. Schmidt should seriously consider him on match day to be in the 23.
John Ryan
Ryan is a talented prop, but because of the depth of at the position, Ryan is just depth at this point. Ryan is a good defensive player and also a very good ball carrier. While he might not get a chance to play in every match, if someone goes down with an injury, he would be a quality option to play on matchday.
Hookers
Rory Best
The long tenured and experienced starting hooker for Ireland, Best is the heart and soul of the team and is the captain. This World Cup will be his swan song as he will be retiring after the conclusion of the tournament. That being said, he still is a quality player despite his diminishing skills. If he can continue throwing well in the lineouts, then Ireland will be fine, but if not, Ireland may not even go deep in the tournament. However, sending Best out on a World Cup victory will be something all of Irish Rugby fans will want to see.
Sean Cronin
Cronin is an experienced hooker who is a quality backup to Best and who can start if Best injures himself. However, with the emergence of Niall Scannell, it will be a question as to whether Schmidt will pick him or Scannell to come on to replace Best during the match. Cronin has more experience and that should help make that decision. He is very good with his throwing in line outs. It will be interesting to see if Schmidt selects Cronin for matchday.
Niall Scannell
Scannell has come into favor for Schmidt as he has been in excellent form. Scannell will be looking to lock down the starting job once Best retires. However, Scannell has played so well that Schmidt has seemingly selected him for matchday over the experienced Cronin, which could suggest that Scannell might be ready to take the next step and could take the 2 jersey for the 2020 Six Nations.
Locks
Tadhg Beirne
Despite having only a few caps to his name, Beirne has been playing so well for Schmidt that he decided to include him for his World Cup squad. Beirne is likely to come in as a substitute, but he also has some versatility if an injury does occur as he can play in the back row as well as the second row. He is excellent in the ruck as that was probably the biggest reason why Schmidt selected him too.
Iain Henderson
Henderson has been a mainstay in the second row for what feels like an eternity, but he is an excellent lock and looks to be the main guy for the jumping responsibilities in the lineout taking over for the omitted Devin Toner. His ball carrying skills is excellent as he is a very hard man to bring down and he is a physical presence. His selection was not a shocker.
Jean Kleyn
Arguably the most shocking selection Schmidt has made especially as he made his debut for Ireland this summer and only has two caps to his name, but here he is in the squad. Kleyn is a physical player, but there are a lot of questions as to why he was selected as he essentially took Toner's spot. It's definitely a head scratching selection especially after looking well over-matched against England.
James Ryan
Ryan is a young player who has seemingly come out of nowhere and showed that he should be in the starting lineup. He carries the ball well and seemingly makes tackles all the time as he is always involved in every play. He is an integral part of the set piece and will likely be a mainstay in Ireland's second row for many years.
Back Row
Jack Conan
With injuries to Dan Leavy and Sean O'Brien, the back row needed to find other players to fill in and do a reputable job. Schmidt found Conan who has done a great job filling in and did such a nice job that he was selected to the World Cup. He is both speedy and physical and probably could state his case for a starting role. However, Conan shows how deep Ireland is in the back row as he is a quality player.
Peter O'Mahony
O'Mahony has been a rock in the Irish back row for a while as he has nearly 60 caps and still isn't 30 years old (though will turn 30 during the World Cup). He is a steady presence in the back row and almost seemingly a very key component to it too. He also might not get all the glory, but he does the dirty work.
Rhys Ruddock
Ruddock was also a shock selection, but he is a very talented player. There were a lot of questions as to whether he would ever suit up for Ireland ever again, but after putting up a solid campaign for Leinster, he will be a part of the World Cup squad. He is a physical player and his recent campaign with Leinster might have put him on the team ahead of Jordi Murphy along with his leadership skills.
CJ Stander
Stander has become a world class back row player for Ireland as he can play as a flanker or at the 8 jersey. An incredible ball carrier and physical, expect him to be in the starting lineup, but where is the question. He is also durable which will help in the World Cup as they face some physical teams. Stander will be an important part of the back row.
Josh van der Flier
One of the most underrated players on Ireland has to be van der Flier. He will be asked to shoulder a heavier load with both Leavy and O'Brien out of the World Cup, but he will likely get a starting role. He is a strong tackler and is a good ball carrier, but his presence will be the key for the back row if Ireland wants to win. He has a history of injuries, but don't let that discourage as to whether he will be healthy enough for the World Cup.
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