2008 Six Nations Thread

[Mentalman]

Ireland bring in trio for France

Jamie Heaslip and Bernard Jackman start for Ireland in Paris
Six Nations
Date: Saturday, 9 February
Kick-off: 1600 GMT
Venue: Stade de France, Paris
BBC Coverage: Live on BBC One, BBC Sport website (UK users only), Radio Ulster MW and 5 Live Sports Extra.

Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan has made three changes in personnel and three positional switches for Saturday's RBS Six Nations trip to France.

Bernard Jackman replaces Rory Best at hooker; Jamie Heaslip comes in at number eight and Denis Leamy moves to flanker with Simon Easterby benched.

Due to Gordon D'Arcy's injury, Andrew Trimble moves to inside centre with Robert Kearney named on the left wing.

Leicester's Geordan Murphy switches from the left to the right wing.

O'Sullivan, however, has still ignored the form of Ulster winger Tommy Bowe who produced a five-star performance with the Ireland A team against the England Saxons at Leicester last week.

Bowe has not even made the replacements with O'Sullivan gambling on the form of Shane Horgan who has recovered from injury.

Horgan, who looked a little ring-rusty at Welford Road last Friday, can be an option to play wing or centre.

Bowe still gives way to Kearney who came on as a replacement when D'Arcy left the field at Croke Park with a broken wrist.

This will be the 21-year-old Dubliner's second cap after starting in the 16-0 defeat to Argentina last summer.

Kearney has a booming left foot which will come into focus in defensive positions in the way that the now retired Denis Hickie used to operate.

   
606: DEBATE
Give your reaction to the Ireland team
Meanwhile, the France game is Carlow-born Jackman's first start for Ireland. The 31-year-old made his debut during Ireland's tour to Japan back in 2005 and will be winning his sixth cap.

Israeli-born Heaslip was surprisingly omitted for the opening game against Italy, but with Easterby looking jaded, the Leinsterman comes in for his fifth cap due to the tinkering of the back-row.

Heaslip, 24, made his debut in the 2006 autumn international against the Pacific Islands and his explosive running and handling could bring a new dimension to Ireland's game.

Leamy has spent most of his international life in the middle of the back-row, but has played in every position although it was as a flanker with Munster where he made his name.

With a shortage of midfield players, Trimble was always going to partner Brian O'Driscoll at centre, although he may lack the nous as an inside playmaker.

The skills and ability of Murphy allow O'Sullivan to switch the Leicester to the right wing, although many still feel that full-back is still his best attacking position.

Ireland: Dempsey; Murphy, B O'Driscoll (capt), Trimble, Kearney; O'Gara, Reddan; Horan, Jackman, Hayes, O'Callaghan, O'Kelly, Leamy, D Wallace, Heaslip.
Replacements: Best, Buckley, M O'Driscoll, Easterby, Stringer, P Wallace, Horgan.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/7227892.stm

[Mentalman]

BBC first in with the News. Eddie has made a lot of the changes the critics wanted, bar bringing in Tommy Bowe and moving Murphy to full back which I thought would be unfair on Dempsey. Speaking of Bowe he must be cursing his exclusion. You can see Eddie's reasoning bringing Horgan in, covering two positions, but he is desperately short of game time, while Bowe has really won me over this year. My only gripe would be Trimble at inside centre. I think, given that we don't have an orthodox inside centre to create the room for his partner outside, maybe Brian O'Driscoll should be moved in there. We know he can play the position, even if he prefers not to, and could really increase the quality/quantity of ball moving to his outside.   

[GaillimhIarthair]

That is about as radical as it gets with EOS.  To be honest I didn't think he would make so many changes based on previous form and I had a horrible feeling he was going to pick Horgan in the centre.  Very disappointing not to see Tommy Bowe even make the bench and Easterby should be no where near it after last weekend.  I'd also swap BOD and Trimble as I think it would work better as a midfield partnership.  Hard to see us getting our 3rd win in Paris in 30 odd years based on current form but at least team selection has improved our chance, however slight.

[Declan]

lol

[Hound]

Delighted to see Heaslip and Jackman in. I predict a very big game for Leamy.

I think we could well see Drico at 12, even though he'll always wear number 13.

A pity that bladdy rugby benches are so small so its been hard to accomodate Bowe. Though I have to say that I'd have Bowe ahead of Horgan, even if Horgan is deemed more versatile. Horgan is a dire centre, just like Momo Drisokko is a dire flanker (I'd have Cullen in the team and MOK on the bench), so their so-called "versatility" is irrelevant. In saying all that if Horgan is 100% fit, he is still a very useful winger, so his experience as a potential replacement v France could arguably give him the edge over Bowe. Of course the best idea would probably be to leave Paddy Wallace out, because its just a waste of space having him on the bench given Eddie will never use him unless ROG suffers a bad injury.

[Uladh]

Bowe's imminent defection across the water to the ospreys has probably ended his international career. he's certainly in great form and a much better footballer than trimble for example. i expect that BOD will actually play at 12 but no point advertising it i suppose.

[thebandit]

Thanks be to God that Eddie has finally changed things - Easterby and Best were dire last week

[Evil Genius]

Bowe's imminent defection across the water to the ospreys has probably ended his international career. he's certainly in great form and a much better footballer than trimble for example. i expect that BOD will actually play at 12 but no point advertising it i suppose.

Tbh it's probably the other way round: because there's nothing much down for him on the international front, Bowe has probably decided he might as well go to Wales, ditto Neil Best to England. (The current shambolic state of Ulster rugby doesn't help much either, mind)

With EOS there are some players whom he is loath to drop no matter how badly they play and others he is loath to pick no matter how well they play. Stringer got away with being amongst the former for years when there were better alternatives (as we're seeing now with Reddan). Even ROG only put distance between himself and Humphries in the last couple of years, but was always preferred when Humph had a pretty compelling case. Whereas Neil Best should have been given an extended run after the Autumn 06 internationals and Easterby should have been dispensed with years ago. Horgan is another "untouchable", even when unfit, whereas Bowe never gets an even break. And I wouldn't dare to ask Geordan Murphy what he thinks of his frequent non-selection down the years.

Indeed, I would have to say that Trimble seems to be another "untouchable", in that whilst he's clearly worth his place in his natural position, EOS still picks him out of position when he deems it necessary. I just hope this isn't because he's an amiable young guy who's useful, as the "token Ulsterman", for deflecting an additional  criticsm of EOS's selectorial "idiosyncracies" 

P.S. I'm surprised he didn't pick D'Arcy anyhow, at least on the bench. Sure it's only a broken arm...

[Main Street]

I find it increasingly difficult to listen to an Eddie O'Sullivan press conference.

[Hound]

That's untrue Evil Genius. Its only in the last few months that Trimble has passed out D'Arcy. The previous two years, Darce was head and shoulders better than him.  I believe D'Arcy deserved his one more chance v Italy, but also I think EOS would have dropped him for this game regardless of injury, just like he dropped Easterby and Best.

[Evil Genius]

That's untrue Evil Genius. Its only in the last few months that Trimble has passed out D'Arcy. The previous two years, Darce was head and shoulders better than him.  I believe D'Arcy deserved his one more chance v Italy, but also I think EOS would have dropped him for this game regardless of injury, just like he dropped Easterby and Best.

I don't necessarily disagree with you, as it happens. To clarify, whilst EOS claims to use selection criteria like current form, natural position or a preference for home-based players etc, I actually think he has got his favourites who can do no wrong, as opposed to other who can do no right.

A few years back, ROG was one of the former, whereas Humph was one of the latter. (I accept that ROG has upped his game this last couple of seasons whilst Humph's age has caught up on him, mind)

Similarly, Stringer was perservered with for far too long, even for unimportant matches where EOS could at least have taken a look at alternatives.

Neil Best had a storming Autumn 06, but was never given the opportunity to cement his place in the team, being subsequently being overlooked because "his form for Ulster had dipped". Yet Easterby was being picked whilst his form (for Ireland) was dire.

D'Arcy on his day is magnificent - no doubt about that - but throughout his Ireland career, his form has been very patchy.

BOD is an absolutely world class player and has mostly demonstrated that (injuries notwithstanding), too, but I am beginning to wonder about his captaincy. The team hasn't always appeared united under EOS and it should be for the captain to act as a "go-between", standing up to the Manager if need be. But whilst Keith Wood always said what had to be said, I get the feeling BOD is too close to EOS.

Geordan Murphy had been harshly treated imo. OK, he isn't always consistent, but it's hard to be if you don't feel the boss has confidence in you. And let's face it, the test of anyone in EOS's position is how he makes the most of the talent available to him. In that respect, GM is one of the most talented 3 or 4 individuals in the squad, but he hasn't been one of the best 3 or 4 players in the team.

Trimble always seems to get picked, which is fair enough when in the centre, but I don't think he has enough experience yet to play far out of position.

And although I will probably get slated by the Leinstermen for this, for all that Shane Horgan looks the part, I'd like to see his game stats for Ireland. Is it only me, or should he have a higher try count, at least against the leading countries? And I'm not at all convinced at him playing centre, either.

Anyhow, the team has underperformed for some time now, yet EOS seems content to shuffle around the same old faces such that if it weren't for injuries, he gives the impression it would be the same 15 every game, regardless of results or performances.

To be honest, if he were a soccer manager, EOS would be Sven Goren Erikkson - alright up to a point, but bottles it when he hits the big time.

[Dinny Breen]

And although I will probably get slated by the Leinstermen for this, for all that Shane Horgan looks the part, I'd like to see his game stats for Ireland. Is it only me, or should he have a higher try count, at least against the leading countries? And I'm not at all convinced at him playing centre, either.

20 tries in 58 internationals is not a bad return especially as he played a lot at inside centtre, he has scored tries against every country bar NZ include 3 against England in 5 appearances, 3 against SA and 2 against Oz. He is however not an inside centre but a formidable wing when in form. And that is the crux he is not in form and hasn't been all season. It's quite ridiculous to see him and Easterby on the bench.

EG is right Eddie has his favourites and the SGE analogy is spot on....

What odds after France hammer Ireland, they have picked a more experienced team, that Heaslip, Jackman and Kearney all get cast aside. Can't believe he selected Murphy after saying during the WC that Geordan doesn't play well against the French 

[AZOffaly]

And although I will probably get slated by the Leinstermen for this, for all that Shane Horgan looks the part, I'd like to see his game stats for Ireland. Is it only me, or should he have a higher try count, at least against the leading countries? And I'm not at all convinced at him playing centre, either.

20 tries in 58 internationals is not a bad return especially as he played a lot at inside centtre, he has scored tries against every country bar NZ include 3 against England in 5 appearances, 3 against SA and 2 against Oz. He is however not an inside centre but a formidable wing when in form. And that is the crux he is not in form and hasn't been all season. It's quite ridiculous to see him and Easterby on the bench.

EG is right Eddie has his favourites and the SGE analogy is spot on....

What odds after France hammer Ireland, they have picked a more experienced team, that Heaslip, Jackman and Kearney all get cast aside. Can't believe he selected Murphy after saying during the WC that Geordan doesn't play well against the French 

Eddie is spinning his wheels frantically now. He's selecting people based on media pressure, albeit the ones that should have been selected anyway. He'll go ultra conservative if France go to town, and he'll bring back in Easterby and Best. He;ll pick Horgan on the wing, and drop Murphy.

He's like a blind man in an unfamiliar room. Thrashing his arms around trying to find a way out. The sad thing is that it was all so avoidable.

[brokencrossbar1]

Flannery got suspension cut in half so will be available to play last 3 games.  Puts pressure on jackman to cement his place and I hop it doesn't affect his game.

[The Real Laoislad]

Even the French anthem died a death