[quote=“gola”]Both Neil Francis (I know, I know) and Mark Jones, the rugby writer in the Sunday Tribune picked the exact same XV for the Six Nations in last week’s paper. Thought this was strange as usually they’d pick them without seeing each others and often vary them on purpose just to stimulate debate.
Francis had BOD as captain, the other fella had O’Connell.
Interesting to see both of them picked Darcy when none of ye seem to want him near the team.
Both of their teams were
Kearney
Horgan
O’Driscoll
Darcy
Fitzgerald
O’Gara
O’Leary
Horan
Flannery
Hayes
O’Callaghan
O’Connell
Ferris
Wallace
Leamy[/quote]
Firstly i wouldn’t take much notice of what either says, they both have bias against certain teams, clubs or provinces because they both believe their shit don’t stink.
Anyone who thinks Shane Horgan should be on the Irish team obviously is too tight to get in the Setanta!
In fairness I thought the backlines were ludicrous in two regards
Including Darcy at Centre, the lad hasnt played in ages and has played a game/two and a half on the wing. How you can translate this into picking him in the centre when there are loads of viable alternatives is beyond me. Id be delighted to see Darcy gettingback to his old self, but the 6N isnt the place to do it, let him get his form with leinster. If he isnt good enough to play centre with Leintser he shouldnt be picked there for Ireland.
Exclusion of Tommy Bowe, he has been the most inform Irish back this season. Francis has a bee in his bonnet about Bowe for ages. he has done very well for the Ospresys and seems to have trained on a good bit. I would even consider him at 13 maybe. Most journalists have him down a s apotential Lion but the two lads think hes not good enough for Ireland? I think he will travel with the Lions because Gatland and Edwardsw ill be keeping a v close eye on the Welsh clubs.
Is it possible that they just printed Francis team twice? I thought it was very very unusual they both had exact same team (although the different subs would blow that thoery out of the water I guess)
In fairness I thought the backlines were ludicrous in two regards
Including Darcy at Centre, the lad hasnt played in ages and has played a game/two and a half on the wing. How you can translate this into picking him in the centre when there are loads of viable alternatives is beyond me. Id be delighted to see Darcy gettingback to his old self, but the 6N isnt the place to do it, let him get his form with leinster. If he isnt good enough to play centre with Leintser he shouldnt be picked there for Ireland.
Exclusion of Tommy Bowe, he has been the most inform Irish back this season. Francis has a bee in his bonnet about Bowe for ages. he has done very well for the Ospresys and seems to have trained on a good bit. I would even consider him at 13 maybe. Most journalists have him down a s apotential Lion but the two lads think hes not good enough for Ireland? I think he will travel with the Lions because Gatland and Edwardsw ill be keeping a v close eye on the Welsh clubs.
Is it possible that they just printed Francis team twice? I thought it was very very unusual they both had exact same team (although the different subs would blow that thoery out of the water I guess)[/quote]
I woudld agree with there teams 1-10 as it is a bit of a no-brainer, only debate there for me is who wears the numbers 18 and 19 jersey (Ryan, Caldwell, Cullen or Heaslip/Quinlan/Jenning).
But the backs is ridiculous. D’Arcy, no chance. The current form of Earls, Cave and Bowe have those three ahead of D’Arcy, Horgan and even Fitzgerald. Now, I dont hink Cave will make an auxilary winger and the centre would be the only place to play him, bt would worry about giving a lad a debut at 13 v France in Croke park and would hold him back for Italy or Scotland.
For me the Best back line, on current for would be 15 - 11 ;
Kearney, Earls, Bowe, O’Driscoll, Fitzgerald. With this you could have both Wallace and Cave on the the bench as they offer cover for 10-14, and there are already 3 fullbacks on the pitch.
With regards O’Driscoll, he is still out best 12 option by a long shot as his defence is super and he will always be the focus of the oppositions defensice thoughts. However, Kidney or somebody would want to beat it into him that he is a shite kicker, and not to kick the ball unless completely necessary.
Lads, is Johne Murphy any use? Seems to be scoring a glut of tries for Leicester but is never mentioned as a potential Irish or Irish A player. Who is this John Andress lad in the A squad? Hardly encouraging picking a lad playing for a National League side in England - The Exeter Chiefs. He also looks about 12! http://www.exeterchiefs.co.uk/site/1/Players___coaches.html?&ar_item=1094
Is there no-one in the provincial A sides that could be called up as well?
My team for the record anyway would be -
Kearney
Bowe, O’Driscoll, Fitzgerald, Earls
O’Gara, O’Leary
Horan, Best, Hayes
O’Connell, O’Callaghan (who’s lucky Cullen is injured)
I’d mix Fitzgerald, Earls and Kearney up a bit in some of the plays depending on field position. Paddy Wallace is fairly close to starting in the centre as I think he’s currently playing the best rugby of his life and is the most form Irish centre at the moment.
Horgan is past it, D’Arcys not back long enough. Trimble might have an outside chance of getting on the left wing but the fact that he’s a shite kicker might work against him.
Non selection of Humps is very surprising. He is the form outhalf in the country by some distance and if he were playing for Leinster or Munster there would be an outcry. It might not sell newspapers tomorrow and I don’t expect it to dominate the southren agenda but it is a disappointing ommission. If BOD doesn’t play at 12 I’d like to see Wallace continue his superb international and provincial form there. Shane Byrne was tipping Best for the captaincy today. While I’d have him starting at hooker I don’t think I’d have him as captain just yet as he hasn’t quite nailed down the slot.
Get that chip off your shoulder Larry. I just came back from soccer with the lads, who would be my rugby friends, and it was the first thing mentioned. It has also been noted here by a few southerners, and i’m absolutely sure
Donal Linnehan will bring it up for sure in his next Examiner column. Its a bad call, but in fairness Ulster have gotten a few dodgy ones over the past few years. I just can’t believe he’s not in even the initial squad.
Very low key build up this year, I think the Heineken Cup is detracting from it. Heard a few lads in work the other day hoping Earls would be out for the 6 Nations so he’d be fresh for the H Cup Quarters.
Will there be inflatable goalposts in the IFSC this year or will they be a victim of the recession?
Well I have contacts in O2 who get tickets for all games and with rugby clubs and while I can get tickets to the English game I can’t find anything for the Frogs.
I am looking for 1 ticket and I’m confident I’ll get 1 floating around.
Terrace? Not for me that frosty zone teetering on the brink of the pitch.
Terrace might be ok for the hurling but for Rugby it’s mostly all played between the two 22s. Being down at the terrace you can’t see offsides or people running good lines or anything really. You’re just there for the craic then.
Having said that, 10 minutes before kick off and Ive a choice between TV and being in the terrace in the middle of the Fingal Alliance I think I’ld nearly go for the terrace.
7 Feb England v Italy (England) England
7 Feb Ireland v France (France) Ireland
8 Feb Scotland v Wales (Wales) Scotland
14 Feb France v Scotland (France) France
14 Feb Wales v England (Wales) Wales
15 Feb Italy v Ireland (Ireland) Ireland
27 Feb France v Wales (France) Wales
28 Feb Scotland v Italy (Scotland) Scotland
28 Feb Ireland v England (Ireland) Ireland
14 March Italy v Wales (Wales) Wales
14 March Scotland v Ireland (Ireland) Scotland
15 March England v France (France) France
21 March Italy v France (France) France
21 March England v Scotland (England) England
21 March Wales v Ireland (Wales)Wales [/quote]
That would mean that:
Wales 4 wins
Ireland 3 wins
france 3 wins
Scotland 3 wins
England 2 wins
Italy 0 wins
Reckon it will be close enough this year, think the scots will go well at home but struggle on the road, while this current English team are very poor…
Although a lot can depend on team selections and injury also…Take Martyn Williams and one or two out of the welsh side and they couls struggle, same for Ireland if O Gara, O Connell or O Driscoll get injures
Id be surprised if Italy get no win to be honest. Read somewhere that Nick Mallet is looking at playing Mauro Bergamasco (the back row) at scrum half for some games maybe?!!!
[quote=“dancarter”]England in Twickers maybe, they will beat them around up front.
France at home in the last game if the frogs are out and have no more interest.
Shite backs alright though. Paddy Wallace would be like the second coming if he was Italian[/quote]
Possibly but if Italy are to win it will be one of the first two or three games as they seem to run out of steam and the injuries/ wear and tear takes its toll on them…
Yeah I would say if they had Barry Everitt at Fly half even they might do something, at least he would kick his goals
You’d never know what kind of French team would turn up in Rome, and they are likely to fuck up somewhere so thats Italy’s best chance of a win. Its a shame England aren’t going to Italy this year. They have some decent backs playing in France, but no 10 to get them going.
But I agree, the differences in quality aren’t going to be huge this year. Anything could happen.
