Andy Farrell may be about to experience an issue at No8 for November games

There was a rollicking start for the Irish provinces in Europe, four wins and a collective points total that sounds an impressive darts score, 166.Leinster’s de facto Ireland side with 14 senior and an Ireland A international deputising for Jamison Gibson-Park smashed Clermont at Clermont.Munster without their Ireland out-half and with a calculated rearranging of their back-row assets, produced the goods against Racing.Connacht went a dozen points behind against Saracens and came back with gale force effect to win by nine points.Ulster were scoring points as well, crossing for six tries against Zebre in Parma albeit in the lesser competition.So Sam Prendergast, Craig Casey, Ciaran Frawley and Juarno Augustus picked up the relevant Man of the Match awards.A tale that revolves around the executive positions - no10, no9 and no8 - and to which TV eyes, likes kids in candy shops, are drawn to.

But in a week where Andy Farrell will name the first of his 2027 Rugby World Cup (347 days to kick-off) squads this is confirmation-form for three of Ireland's already booked in RWC half-backs. Augustus is South African.Rather, what's become incumbent on Farrell ahead 2026/27's first squad this week is identifying who's hot and who's not and in the context of Ireland’s very settled first team and the wider question of an aging squad.

Let’s introduce Cian Prendergast, Ryan Baird, Ben O'Connor and you are entitled to ask who on earth is Henry Walker and what competition is he even playing in.While, make no mistake, there were other decent performances across the four games.Take Jimmy O'Brien, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Jack Conan, Shane McCarthy, Jeremy Loughman, John Hodnett, Finn Treacy, Josh Murphy, Shamus Hurley-Langton and Cormac Izuchukwu into this set.Cian Prendergast though, wearing no6 for Connacht, against Saracens whose pack was there specifically to try to beat them upGiven Lions captain Maro Itoje was opposite at no6 Prendergast didn't just contribute 14 carries, 55 metres, three offloads and a line-break.

He was central to convincing the English side's bruisers Connacht were not conceding dominance up front.This comes on a weekend when Baird was reminding Leinster management Mo there is no peak-Leinster without him in the side, no matter where it is they choose to play him.Right now the Blues will be working until Christmas with RG Snyman and Caelan Doris and the evidence is their lineout is bordering on shambles...when Baird is not playing.Indeed Leo Cullen had stopped one of my questions in it's tracks last week when I asked given all the talk of how many lineout callers Leinster had, would Baird be the one calling in Clermont?

"I can't answer that," came back Cullen slapping a 'Classified' notice on it, "We can be giving away lineout triggers in the media to the opposition."Munster full-back O'Connor covered every blade of Pairc Ui Chaoimh and the air for about 10 feet up as if he knew it - okay, he is an All Ireland Minor and U20 All Ireland hurling winner...But his ability to cover the field against Racing was remarkable and he has the manoeuvrability and first-metre pace that is Hugo Keenan's trademark.There was 62 metres with the ball in hand from 16 carries although, and we need to see more of him in the first team, in particular his tackling.And while Walker is a virtual unknown and he was playing in the lesser competition with Ulster, he has emerged from the Academy for this season.His two tries, 14 carries for 20 metres, two defenders beaten and 11 tackles in 62 minutes on the pitch is worth putting a tick against.Other notes concern Leinster test players Jimmy O'Brien's form on both sides of the ball, Porter-Sheehan-Furlong's scrum-set-piece and Conan at no8.There was also Treacy's carrying for 106m, Shane McCarthy's ranginess, Hodnett at no7, Josh Murphy's 19 tackles, Hurley-Langton's 18 and Izuchukwu's 15 in defence.Alongside Augustus, his fellow Saffer Marnus van der Merwe, Kiwis Sam Gilbert and Alex Nankivell (two key turnovers) were among their respective province's top performers.The posts, the pitch, the ball are sure the same but there is a change happening at one remove as the new maul guidelines kick in.The corollary to the note that Ireland four teams scoring 166 points was conceding 122.Leinster made 119 and missed 27 tackles, Ulster made 149 and 27, Connacht made 164 and missed 24, Munster made 98 and missed 19.The Blues 22.5 percent miss rate is an is an issue between the outside-centre and wingers away from the middle of the pitch.While Connacht's 91 percent success is specific credit for Murphy, Hurley-Langton, Sam Illo, Matt Victory, Prendergast, Cathal Forde, Sean O'Brien and the group’s fantastic heart.