Six Nations 2009

Sport
181

My prediction for the tournament:
I think Ireland will scrape a win on Saturday. We’ll beat Italy in Rome narrowly enough. We will give England a bit of a thrashing. Then the wheels will fall off the wagon in a big way in Murrayfield as Scotland shock us, before we also lose to Wales in Cardiff in the last game.

France will win all of their remaining games after Saturday and them and Wales will both end up on 4 wins each.
Ireland and Scotland will both get 3 with England on 1 and Italy whitewashed.

Martin Johnson to be sacked and Mike Catt to come back as first choice England out-half until the next World Cup.

182

The pack’s not bad, although I can still see Italy dominating there, but the backs are awful. Armitage aside, their is no spark, and the likes of Tindall, Flutey, and Goode aren’t up to this level.

England

15 Delon Armitage (London Irish)
14 Paul Sackey (London Wasps)
13 Mike Tindall (Gloucester Rugby)
12 Riki Flutey (London Wasps)
11 Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks)
10 Andy Goode (Brive)
9 Danny Care (Harlequins)
1 Andrew Sheridan (Sale Sharks)
2 Lee Mears (Bath Rugby)
3 Phil Vickery (London Wasps)
4 Steve Borthwick (Saracens, captain)
5 Nick Kennedy (London Irish)
6 James Haskell (London Wasps)
7 Steffon Armitage* (London Irish)
8 Nick Easter (Harlequins)

Replacements

16 Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
17 Julian White (Leicester Tigers)
18 Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers)
19 Joe Worsley (London Wasps)
20 Ben Foden (Northampton Saints)
21 Shane Geraghty (London Irish)
22 Mathew Tait (Sale Sharks)

183

Its the worst England team I have seen in a long long time.

None of them would be a definite starter for Ireland, maybe Vickery/Flutey but they would be marginal calls. A good out half would love to be facing that back 3, two wingers without a brain in their heads.

Tha pack is stink, absolutely stink, very pedestrian, only Haskell/Armitage could be called explosive players. Armitage is completely untested at this level, never even played in the HEC.

184

Especially when you look at the likes of Croft and Geraghty on the bench…The two second rows are poor, Mears isn’t up to international standard, Tindall, Goode, Easter and Cueto are all well past it at this stage…will be backing Italy on the handicap…

Anyone else think that Matthew Tait is hugely overrated…

185

Irish A team…Good youthful look to it

15 - Gavin Duffy (Galwegians - Connacht)

14 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena - Ulster)

13 - Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins - Ulster)*

12 - Keith Matthews (Buccaneers - Connacht)*

11 - Mark McCrea (Malone - Ulster)*

10 - Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College - Leinster)*

9 - Eoin Reddan (Wasps)

1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf - Leinster)*

2 - Sean Cronin (Buccaneers - Connacht)*

3 - Mike Ross (Harlequins)*

4 - Bob Casey (London Irish) (capt)

5 - Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon - Ulster)*

6 - Neil Best (Northampton)

7 - Shane Jennings (St. Mary’s College - Leinster)

8 - John Muldoon (Galwegians - Connacht)*

Replacements:

16 - John Fogarty (Clontarf - Leinster)*

17 - John Andress (Exeter)*

18 - Donnacha Ryan (Shannon - Munster)

19 - Sean O’Brien (Clontarf - Leinster)*

20 - Isaac Boss (Ballymena - Ulster)

21 - Ian Humphreys (Ballymena - Ulster)*

22 - Barry Murphy (UL Bohemians - Munster)

186

No future in Bob Casey, not even the player he was pre the last world cup when he was barely good enough to be holding tackle bags for the senior squad, but Eddie didnt fancy him… His place should have went to Ryan or McCullagh.

Humps should be ahead of Sexton as well, even though Johnno’s confidence must be shot the way Cheika is treating him, so this may give him the lif that he needs.

187

[quote=“HangBlaa”]No future in Bob Casey, not even the player he was pre the last world cup when he was barely good enough to be holding tackle bags for the senior squad, but Eddie didnt fancy him… His place should have went to Ryan or McCullagh.

Humps should be ahead of Sexton as well, even though Johnno’s confidence must be shot the way Cheika is treating him, so this may give him the lif that he needs.[/quote]

Ya found the Casey thing strange. Ryan is a superior player already, and is 7 years younger, pretty pointless “keep him somewhat happy” move.

188

If it wasnt for A caps, Casey would have no caps. Slowest mule I’ve ever seen tbh, never a fan.

189

Ya, and what about Horgan, Micko etc who get no game at all then. Are they just on standby.

190

what are the *'s beside each of the players for?

191

answer my own question - presume uncapped at senior level

192

Italy +15 against England at 11/10 and France at 11/10 to beat Ireland are 2 cracking bets.

193

The more I look at that English team the more I crack my arse laughing.

194

Italy are well worth a punt at that…I can’t see England winning in double figures…Reckon it will be a dour enough affairs coming down to who converts the more penalties…Something like 18-12 to England…

195

England saxons team v Ireland A:

Team: N Abendanon (Bath); T Ojo (London Irish), D Waldouck (Wasps), J Turner-Hall (Harlequins), M Banahan (Bath); D Cipriani (Wasps), H Ellis (Leicester)/P Hodgson (London Irish); M Mullan (Worcester), D Paice (London Irish), D Wilson (Newcastle), J Crane (Leicester), G Skivington (Wasps, captain), C Robshaw (Harlequins), W Skinner (Harlequins), T Guest (Harlequins).

Replacements: R Webber (Wasps), D Cole (Leicester), S Hooper (Bath), P Dowson (Newcastle), P Hodgson (London Irish)/J Simpson (Wasps), S Myler (Northampton), D Strettle (Harlequins).

The Saxons backs look every bit as good as the Test teams backs…

196

Mauro bergamasco is playing scrum half for Italy. I cant see that they will score that many points.

197

From rte.ie

Edinburgh prop Geoff Cross was today handed his Scotland debut for the RBS 6 Nations opener against Wales after Euan Murray failed to recover from injury.

Northampton star Murray (rib) has been unable to train all week and did not make the 22 for Sunday’s clash at Murrayfield.

Perpignan lock Nathan Hines (knee) is also injured, meaning Sale’s Jason White - nominally a flanker - will start in the second row.

There is no place in the side for record points-scorer Chris Paterson, who is on the bench.

Edinburgh team-mate Hugo Southwell starts at full-back instead.
Simon Webster keeps his place on the right wing, with Glasgow’s Thom Evans not even making the 22.

Head coach Frank Hadden said: 'I have been referring recently to the growing strength in depth of the Scotland squad.
‘The quality of the side we’ve chosen to play Wales is an excellent example of that.’

Of Cross’ selection at tight-head in an all-Edinburgh front row, Hadden added: 'Geoff first joined the squad during our tour of Argentina last summer, and we have every confidence in him.

'Having waited patiently through five games, it’s great that he now has this opportunity."

Of Murray and Hines’ unavailability, team doctor James Robson said: 'They continue to make slow but steady progress. ‘It’s too early at this stage to give an accurate prognosis of whether they will be available for selection next week.’

Scotland team to play Wales in RBS 6 Nations at Murrayfield on Sunday, February 8 (kick-off 3pm): H Southwell, S Webster, B Cairns, G Morrison, S Lamont; P Godman, M Blair; A Jacobsen, R Ford, G Cross, J White, J Hamilton, A Hogg, S Taylor, J Barclay

Replacements: D Hall, A Dickinson, K Brown, S Gray, C Cusiter, C Paterson, M Evans

198

From rte.ie

Ospreys stars Gavin Henson and Mike Phillips will return to Test rugby when Wales launch their RBS 6 Nations title defence against Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday, kick-off 3pm.

Neither player has featured for Wales since last season’s Six Nations Grand Slam-clinching victory over France in Cardiff.

Injuries sidelined both players last summer when Wales toured South Africa and for the four-game autumn series which culminated in a thrilling win over Australia.

Henson is back in his familiar number 12 shirt, while Phillips reclaims the scrum-half role he performed so effectively last term.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has made three changes to the side which defeated Australia 21-18 in November - all behind the scrum.

Henson replaces Tom Shanklin with Jamie Roberts moving to outside centre, while Phillips takes over from an injured Gareth Cooper, who was due to undergo minor knee surgery today.

Gloucester star Cooper is expected to be sidelined for a fortnight, meaning he could also miss the Millennium Stadium appointment with England on Saturday week.

Leigh Halfpenny, meanwhile, makes a Six Nations debut on the wing. The 20-year-old Cardiff Blues prospect, one of Wales’ autumn stars, starts with Mark Jones still recovering from appendix surgery.

Shanklin and fit-again Ospreys hooker Huw Bennett are on the bench, where their colleagues will include Sale Sharks scrum-half Dwayne Peel, who was initially omitted from Gatland’s 28-man Six Nations squad but then called up when Cooper succumbed to injury.

The starting XV features five survivors from Wales’ last Murrayfield trip two years ago which resulted in a 21-9 defeat - captain Ryan Jones, fly-half Stephen Jones, prop Adam Jones, lock Alun-Wyn Jones and flanker Martyn Williams.

Gatland said: 'We have tried to select on form and are particularly keen to get a look at the partnership in midfield of Gavin Henson and Jamie Roberts, which we have been able to select for the first time.

'But we have had close calls to make throughout the squad, and selection is always down to a matter of opinion. Now we wait and see if these players selected can prove those options correct.

‘Teams have gone to Scotland in the past and been over-confident and expected a result. But the Scots will be looking forward to taking us on, and if we take the challenge lightly we will be playing straight into their hands.’

He stressed: ‘They are a much-improved outfit over the last 12 months, and they have the talent and the ability to turn teams over.’

Wales team to play Scotland in the RBS 6 Nations Championship at Murrayfield on Sunday, February 8, kick-off 3pm:

L Byrne (Ospreys); L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), G Henson (Ospreys), S Williams (Ospreys); S Jones (Scarlets), M Phillips (Ospreys); G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), M Rees (Scarlets), A Jones (Ospreys), I Gough (Ospreys), A-W Jones (Ospreys), R Jones (Ospreys, capt), M Williams (Cardiff Blues), A Powell (Cardiff Blues).

Replacements: H Bennett (Ospreys), J Yapp (Cardiff Blues), L Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), D Jones (Scarlets), D Peel (Sale Sharks), J Hook (Ospreys), T Shanklin (Cardiff Blues).

199

Head coach Frank Hadden said: 'I have been referring recently to the growing strength in depth of the Scotland squad.
‘The quality of the side we’ve chosen to play Wales is an excellent example of that.’

Chemical Ali couldn’t have carried that sentence off.

200

But neither will England.