Six Nations 2012

[muppet]

Mike Ross wasnt deemed good enough at munster and he had IQ players ahead of him so he went over to Harliquins and improved himself as a player and came back and became first choice at Leinster and Ireland.

Dont think this is really relevant in the argument regarding players being ready to play for their country when they are not first choice for their clubs.

Gordon D'Arcy and Paddy Wallace are first choice for their provinces, but I would still rather O'Malley, Cave or Spence making the squad. O'Mahoney actually is first choice for his province but is a bag holder for Ireland when he should be playing for the Wolfhounds. Ross only started 8 games in his first year (09/10) when he arrived at Leinster. I believe that thinking held us back badly and we played Hayes and Buckley too long.

The selections of the Provincial managers are not necessarily the best barometer for the future of the Irish team.

[whitegoodman]

So you want one of 3 outside centres playing at inside centre??? Spence proved earlier in the season when playing 12 for Ulster that a very good player playing in the wrong position turns them into a very average player.  Inside centre and outside centre are completely different position with different skill sets.

[muppet]

So you want one of 3 outside centres playing at inside centre??? Spence proved earlier in the season when playing 12 for Ulster that a very good player playing in the wrong position turns them into a very average player.  Inside centre and outside centre are completely different position with different skill sets.

I am talking about bringing young players into the squad, relax.

[whitegoodman]

i can see that but u cant bring all 3 players in who play in the same position and not have any players in another position.

Add to this that Cave is currently out for 6 wks and Spence is only back after 6 wks out and ur options are becoming more limited. 

Im all for picking young talented players but picking young players for the sake of picking young players I am not, especially when they are not ready imo.

[muppet]

i can see that but u cant bring all 3 players in who play in the same position and not have any players in another position.

Add to this that Cave is currently out for 6 wks and Spence is only back after 6 wks out and ur options are becoming more limited. 

Im all for picking young talented players but picking young players for the sake of picking young players I am not, especially when they are not ready imo.

I would still rather O'Malley, Cave or Spence making the squad

[Milltown Row2]

Sat 4th Feb 12

14:30

France

  v 

Italy

Stade de France

Sat 4th Feb 12

17:00

Scotland

  v 

England

Murrayfield

Sun 5th Feb 12

15:00

Ireland

  v 

Wales

Aviva Stadium

More



Sat 11th Feb 12

16:00

Italy

  v 

England

Stadio Olimpico

Sat 11th Feb 12

20:00

France

  v 

Ireland

Stade de France

Sun 12th Feb 12

15:00

Wales

  v 

Scotland

Millennium Stadium

Sat 25th Feb 12

13:30

Ireland

  v 

Italy

Aviva Stadium

Sat 25th Feb 12

16:00

England

  v 

Wales

Twickenham

Sun 26th Feb 12

15:00

Scotland

  v 

France

Murrayfield

Sat 10th Mar 12

14:30

Wales

  v 

Italy

Millennium Stadium

Sat 10th Mar 12

17:00

Ireland

  v 

Scotland

Aviva Stadium

Sun 11th Mar 12

15:00

France

  v 

England

Stade de France

Sat 17th Mar 12

12:30

Italy

  v 

Scotland

Stadio Olimpico

Sat 17th Mar 12

14:45

Wales

  v 

France

Millennium Stadium

Sat 17th Mar 12

17:00

England

  v 

Ireland

Twickenham


Be some Paddy's day if they win, friend has tickets for it!!

[trileacman]

So you want one of 3 outside centres playing at inside centre??? Spence proved earlier in the season when playing 12 for Ulster that a very good player playing in the wrong position turns them into a very average player.  Inside centre and outside centre are completely different position with different skill sets.

I am talking about bringing young players into the squad, relax.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2012/0130/ireland.html

Seems you got your wish muppet. Try not to be as hard on Kidney the next time. 

[Hoof Hearted]

IRELAND Team & Replacements (v Wales, RBS 6 Nations Championship 2012, Aviva Stadium, Sunday, February 5th, kick-off 3pm):

15 -Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14 - Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 - Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
12 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
10 - Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
9 - Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 - Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
3 - Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 - Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster) Captain
6 - Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
7 - Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements:

16 -Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
17 - Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 - Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
19 - Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)*
20 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
22 - Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)

[DuffleKing]

DOC starts? Wow

[thewobbler]

I'm not one for wholesale changes, but as team selections go, if that was any more conservative it would be fascist. Kidney's definitely on a results driven bonus.

If Jamie Roberts plays, we might as well move Ferris into the centre, for he'll run clean over the top of our pair.

[trileacman]

Starting where he left off then so. Dislike Kearny as i think he is a one dimensional player but he's in flying form so good enough to have him there. Bowe is off form though and on his way out of Ospreys, one of the closest to being dropped and I hope a mediocre preformance on sunday will see him dropped (not wishing him ill, just mean a change wouldn't hurt). Don't like Trimble as a winger, scoring of late but is not the main player on that Ulster team, would have liked to try Zebo or McFadden (two in form players). Earls is grand in the centre, played well when Munster trampled Northhampton but I don't know how D'Arcy can be persisted with at centre. Barely Leinsters first choice anymore.

Murray/ Sexton pick themselves and if we win it will be these two who will carry us over the line.
Happy with the front row.
O'Callaghan is the worst pick of the lot of them, clearly Kidney's rational was to have Cullen and in his absence to punt for the old reliable Donncha. As of now Ryan and O'Callaghan are on equal footing and with Ryan being the younger it should be his shirt. Back row is grand. Would prefer if we could have an out and out 7 instead of playing two 6's but sure what can we do.

[deiseach]

IRELAND Team & Replacements (v Wales, RBS 6 Nations Championship 2012, Aviva Stadium, Sunday, February 5th, kick-off 3pm):

15 -Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14 - Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 - Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
12 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
10 - Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
9 - Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 - Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
3 - Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 - Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster) Captain
6 - Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
7 - Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements:

16 -Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
17 - Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
18 - Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
19 - Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)*
20 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
22 - Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)

When was the last time (for example) Ronan O'Gara played for Cork Con?

[AZOffaly]

They usually only play with their clubs coming back from an injury. Paul O'connell played with Munsters coming back from his injury, and Flannery usually gets a game or two in with Shannon on his way back.

[thejuice]

i have Wales down to do the slam this year.

Anyone expect there be much difference to what we saw in NZ a few months ago?

[Hardy]

i have Wales down to do the slam this year.

Anyone expect there be much difference to what we saw in NZ a few months ago?

No. I'm amazed at the seemingly unanimous view among the Irish pundits that that was just an aberration. We didn't play well that day. Wales ambushed us. That couldn't happen again, etc.