There are far more pressing matters for Joe Schmidt to attend to at the moment.
Ireland face into this weekend looking to bounce back from their opening defeat to Scotland.
Ireland cannot afford to slip up again and if they want to keep their championship aspirations alive, then a five point return is a must for Schmidt’s side.
There is not much else that will concern Schmidt and the rest of his coaching staff besides getting their players in the right frame of mind for this weekend’s clash.
However, saying that, a glance over the starting lineups across the teams participating in the Six Nations offers some revelations which may be food for thought.
According to freelance sports journalist, Mike Pearce, Ireland have the highest average age of any team in this round of fixtures.
Ave age of the #RBS6Nations teams this weekend
Ire 28.5 years
Fra 27.9
Ita 27.9
Wal 27
Sco 26.5
Eng 26.3 pic.twitter.com/ppjzxHRZQN— Mike Pearce Rugby (@MPsportsdragon) February 10, 2017
Of course, data such as this can be misleading at times.
These trends can change based on player availability or other such variables.
Nevertheless, there is a question worth asking.
Should Ireland be concerned about the overall age profile of their squad?
Let take a look at the starting XV which will face Italy this weekend.
Here's the Ireland team for @SixNationsRugby v @Federugby #TeamOfUs #ShoulderToShoulder pic.twitter.com/Em9HTpNydA
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) February 9, 2017
A quick look at that team and you immediately pick out some players who are either in or entering the twilight of their careers.
This can be applied to the likes of Rory Best (34), Devin Toner (30), Donnacha Ryan (33), Jamie Heaslip (33) and Rob Kearney (30).
Now of course, these players are often indispensable on their day but where do you strike the balance between ensuring victory in Test match rugby and preparing for the future and in particular, the 2019 World Cup in Japan?
It’s not impossible, but it is unlikely, that the aforementioned players, especially Best, Ryan and Heaslip, will be on the starting side during the World Cup.
So when do you offer the opportunity to increase the experience to young and upcoming players who will be the cornerstone of the Irish team in the future?
Now, we are not talking about experience in summer tours against weaker nations or 20 minute cameo appearances against more formidable opponents.
This is about experiencing the highest level of Test match rugby, in an environment where you are tested to the maximum, both physically and mentally.
An example of this is the Six Nations.
Think of the players who are knocking on the door in the positions which some of the older generation currently occupy.
Ultan Dillane, Niall Scannell, Tiernan O’Halloran to name but a few.
Of course we want to see Ireland be as competitive as possible and win every Test match, the outcry to Ireland’s loss to Scotland is testament to this.
But with raising the Web Ellis Trophy the ultimate goal for this Irish team come 2019, perhaps there should currently be greater exposure to our younger players in the most intense and demanding of arenas.
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