After the 2019 Rugby World Cup, the question about what the direction was for the national team for Ireland. New head coach Andy Farrell will have to come up with a plan after taking over for Joe Schmidt as clearly it's a new cycle before the new World Cup. There is a lot to address and with a new wave of players up and coming for Ireland, decisions will be made. This article will take a look at one of those positions Farrell would have address as this will look at scrumhalf.
Conor Murray
Murray is regarded as a world class scrumhalf and some have coined him as the best 9 in the world. There's good reason for that as he is excellent with ball distribution, his box kicking is excellent, and he's intelligent. In the 2018 Six Nations Grand Slam campaign, Murray was the one controlling the tempo of the offense which made it more efficient and quite dangerous. However, in 2019, he dealt with injuries and the last few months he has not looked like himself. He is only 30, so he's still got a lot to offer and can play for a while, but in what capacity? While his form is a bit off, the question is whether he should be the starter for the upcoming Six Nations campaign. That all could change, but there needs to be a question mark about Murray.
John Cooney
Many fans have been clamoring for Cooney as he has been excellent of late. He's undoubtedly been the best scrumhalf for any Irish team the last few months. There's a very strong case that he should be starting for Ireland in the Six Nations. He's been in very strong form, so it would make sense for him to be the starter and having Murray come on as a replacement. He's also an excellent kicker, though it's more likely whoever starts at flyhalf will do the kicking. To even think he wasn't even in Japan for the World Cup with the performance he has been having of late is just absurd. While Murray might be a smart player, Cooney is right up there and actually might be better overall especially with the defensive plays he makes and the amount of tries he scores. Anything at this point to talk about when it comes to Cooney is only going to be positive. If he is still playing like this going into the tournament, then Cooney probably should be the starter. The question is can he continue his form while playing in the Six Nations? That remains to be seen.
Luke McGrath
He surprisingly made the World Cup squad, but now he should be seriously considered for a gameday selection for the Six Nations team. One factor that helps him is his partnership with Jonathan Sexton at Leinster and once Sexton gets back from an injury, the partnership could be beneficial for Ireland. He has the propensity to stay cool in high pressure situations, is a good passer, manages the game well, is a decent box kicker, and an excellent defender. McGrath is not better than the two others mentioned here, but plays consistently and that could help him earn a spot in the Six Nations squad.
There's a couple of ideas of how to approach the position in the upcoming Six Nations matches. Murray is a better box kicker than Cooney, but Cooney has been in the best form so no doubt that both of these two should be named to the squad on matchday. Now, how to use them is the question. Depending on the skill sets they both possess and on form, it's kind of interesting how to utilize them both. Theoretically Farrell could start Cooney, who's been strong and in great form and then bring in Murray for his box kicking and his ability to control the game. Another idea is to use Murray's international experience and start him while then putting in Cooney and take advantage of his strong form to finish the match. Either way, Farrell must name these two on matchdays, but it will be interesting how he will utilize them. Both have good reasons to start the match and then there is great points as to why they should close a game out.
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