Pick Your Ireland Squad for the Six Nations

by **Notch** Tue 10 Jan 2012, 12:55 am

First topic message reminder :

Pick your squad for Ireland in the Six Nations, and you could win the chance to be in a long, boring, meaningless argument with Sin E and/or rodders. Call now! Whistle

Here's my effort;

PROPS
Cian Healy, Mike Ross, Tom Court, Tony Buckley, Paddy McAllister
HOOKERS
Rory Best, Sean Cronin, Damien Varley
LOCKS
Paul O'Connell, Donnacha Ryan, Donncha O'Callaghan, Dan Tuohy, Devin Toner
BACKROW
Stephen Ferris, Sean O'Brien, Jamie Heaslip, Peter O'Mahony, Chris Henry
SCRUM HALF
Eoin Reddan, Conor Murray, Isaac Boss
OUTHALF
Ronan O'Gara, Johnny Sexton
CENTRES
Gordon D'Arcy, Paddy Wallace, Fergus McFadden, Darren Cave, Keith Earls
BACK THREE
Luke Fitzgerald, Andrew Trimble, Tommy Bowe, Rob Kearney, Gavin Duffy

Captain; Paul O'Connell
Vice-Captains; Rory Best, Ronan O'Gara, Johnny Sexton, Jamie Heaslip

Additional Players to feature for Ireland A but not the squad for the tournament proper;

Stephen Archer, Mike Sherry, Shane Jennings, Mike McCarthy, Paul Marshall, Ian Madigan, Nevin Spence, Simon Zebo, Craig Gilroy

by SecretFly Wed 25 Jan 2012, 12:46 pm

geoff998rugby wrote:He should pick for the here and now and not the future for 2 reasons.

The seedings for the 2015 WC will be based on this December rankings.
Staying in the top 8 is very important to avoid the proverbial ' group of death'

Yes, perhaps a little caution is advised until after December. But you could say caution got us whacked in the pre-WC games and to an extent, caution got us whacked by Wales. Sometimes the idea that sticking to the team we might expect is the right and proper and cautious thing to do needs more evidence of success rate before adopting it without question.

Sometimes assuming more rotation, or games given to a few surprises, will always spell doom also has to be challenged.

Anyway, ok - a little caution until December - but until the summer of 2014? Much too much caution for me.

by 1F'sgonnagetya! Wed 25 Jan 2012, 12:53 pm

I forgot about the rankings Geoff, good point!

I still don't think it's enough reason to just pick for the here and now because some of those younger players will be hungrier to prove they're worth their place.

by **Notch** Wed 25 Jan 2012, 1:02 pm

Sky Sports have the rights to England Saxons home games Rory.

by **rodders** Wed 25 Jan 2012, 1:03 pm

Sent you a PM rory.....

by Rory_Gallagher Wed 25 Jan 2012, 1:06 pm

Thanks a bunch thumbsup

Really looking forward to this one.

by **Notch** Wed 25 Jan 2012, 1:08 pm

It's been said many times already, but who is in the additionals means very little right now.

There is no established 6 Nations squad, just a core group of around 23/24 players. Ireland will name a 30-man squad after the Wolfhounds game for the games against Wales and France. So that squad is expected to consist of the core group this week and 6 or 7 Wolfhounds players.

Given we don't have a game for the seniors this weekend I wonder why everyone is so stressed about who is going to be holding the tacklebags.

by Rory_Gallagher Wed 25 Jan 2012, 1:10 pm

So how many players are expected to be moved up to the main squad after this game? Looks like about 7 to take him up to 30/31?

by Kingshu Wed 25 Jan 2012, 1:13 pm

I don't blame Kidney for not chosing any new caps yet either, apart from the rankings in Dec, Geoff pointed out.

There is a tour in NZ with the Irish team and the Wolfhounds, this is where kidney will start bringing younger players through, as he'll get plenty of time and games to view them all, and how they get on with the group etc etc.

Why bring new caps into teh 6 nations when you have a summer tour planned to do it?

by **Notch** Wed 25 Jan 2012, 1:19 pm

Rory_Gallagher wrote:So how many players are expected to be moved up to the main squad after this game? Looks like about 7 to take him up to 30/31?

7 to take him out to 30, now Cullen is injured as Coughlan called up the core group is at 23. And I doubt any will be in the matchday 22 for Wales unless Chris Henry replaces Jennings on the bench due to the fact he can cover more positions.

Here's how I see it going, I think there are four positions up for grabs; 4, 9, 10 and 12.

1. Cian Healy
2. Rory Best
3. Mike Ross
4. Donnacha Ryan or Donncha O'Callaghan?
5. Paul O'Connell
6. Stephen Ferris
7. Sean O'Brien
8. Jamie Heaslip
9. Eoin Reddan or Conor Murray?
10. Jonathon Sexton or Ronan O'Gara?
11. Andrew Trimble
12. Gordon D'Arcy or Paddy Wallace?
13. Keith Earls
14. Tommy Bowe
15. Rob Kearney

16. Sean Cronin 17. Tom Court 18. Donncha O'Callaghan/Donncha Ryan 19. Shane Jennings 20. Conor Murray/Eoin Reddan 21. Ronan O'Gara/Jonny Sexton 22. Paddy Wallace/Gordon D'Arcy/Fergus McFadden

The extra player is an outside back; either Paddy Wallace or Fergus McFadden will miss out entirely, the rest is as you'd expect.

by SecretFly Wed 25 Jan 2012, 1:38 pm

Kingshu wrote:
Why bring new caps into teh 6 nations when you have a summer tour planned to do it?

To maybe spring a surprise star on opposition and win a Grand Slam in the process? I just don't buy this deal that 6N is in guaranteed safer hands with the oft capped players. That could very well prove to be true. The oft capped players might win a Slam this year. I can't tell. But neither can anyone tell you that using a few uncapped players throughout the championship would not execute the same result - and perhaps more clinically. Risk is risk - playing the five games is risk enough in itself. Nothing is guaranteed.

by Rory_Gallagher Wed 25 Jan 2012, 1:42 pm

Notch wrote:
Rory_Gallagher wrote:So how many players are expected to be moved up to the main squad after this game? Looks like about 7 to take him up to 30/31?

7 to take him out to 30, now Cullen is injured as Coughlan called up the core group is at 23. And I doubt any will be in the matchday 22 for Wales unless Chris Henry replaces Jennings on the bench due to the fact he can cover more positions.

Here's how I see it going, I think there are four positions up for grabs; 4, 9, 10 and 12.

1. Cian Healy
2. Rory Best
3. Mike Ross
4. Donnacha Ryan or Donncha O'Callaghan?
5. Paul O'Connell
6. Stephen Ferris
7. David Wallace
8. Jamie Heaslip
9. Eoin Reddan or Conor Murray?
10. Jonathon Sexton or Ronan O'Gara?
11. Andrew Trimble
12. Gordon D'Arcy or Paddy Wallace?
13. Keith Earls
14. Tommy Bowe
15. Rob Kearney

16. Sean Cronin 17. Tom Court 18. Donncha O'Callaghan/Donncha Ryan 19. Shane Jennings 20. Conor Murray/Eoin Reddan 21. Ronan O'Gara/Jonny Sexton 22. Paddy Wallace/Gordon D'Arcy/Fergus McFadden

The extra player is an outside back; either Paddy Wallace or Fergus McFadden will miss out entirely, the rest is as you'd expect.

Even for us Ireland fans, I don't think anybody could argue that that will be the starting 22.

by UlstermaninGlasgow Wed 25 Jan 2012, 1:49 pm

Notch wrote:
Rory_Gallagher wrote:So how many players are expected to be moved up to the main squad after this game? Looks like about 7 to take him up to 30/31?

7 to take him out to 30, now Cullen is injured as Coughlan called up the core group is at 23. And I doubt any will be in the matchday 22 for Wales unless Chris Henry replaces Jennings on the bench due to the fact he can cover more positions.

Here's how I see it going, I think there are four positions up for grabs; 4, 9, 10 and 12.

1. Cian Healy
2. Rory Best
3. Mike Ross
4. Donnacha Ryan or Donncha O'Callaghan?
5. Paul O'Connell
6. Stephen Ferris
7. David Wallace
8. Jamie Heaslip
9. Eoin Reddan or Conor Murray?
10. Jonathon Sexton or Ronan O'Gara?
11. Andrew Trimble
12. Gordon D'Arcy or Paddy Wallace?
13. Keith Earls
14. Tommy Bowe
15. Rob Kearney

16. Sean Cronin 17. Tom Court 18. Donncha O'Callaghan/Donncha Ryan 19. Shane Jennings 20. Conor Murray/Eoin Reddan 21. Ronan O'Gara/Jonny Sexton 22. Paddy Wallace/Gordon D'Arcy/Fergus McFadden

The extra player is an outside back; either Paddy Wallace or Fergus McFadden will miss out entirely, the rest is as you'd expect.

Notch you realise you have Wally in at 7 instead of SOB?

by Feckless Rogue Wed 25 Jan 2012, 1:59 pm

The seedings for the 2015 WC will be based on this December rankings.

This year? That's ridiculous though isn't it? I've yet to here a valid explanation for the seedings being done so far out from the tournament. They may well be meaningless three years later.

by 1F'sgonnagetya! Wed 25 Jan 2012, 2:15 pm

Notch, do you know you haven't got SOB in your squad?

by ME-109 Wed 25 Jan 2012, 2:18 pm

He just copied and pasted from last years discussion...

by **rodders** Wed 25 Jan 2012, 3:07 pm

Nah he's just caved in to pressure from Sin E..... Whistle

by **Notch** Wed 25 Jan 2012, 3:10 pm

DOD wrote:He just copied and pasted from last years discussion...

Busted!

Nope, that was an honest to God brainfart. I'm not advocating the dropping of O'Brien from the entire squad or Wallace hopping around on his one good leg. Just to be clear.

by Gibson Wed 25 Jan 2012, 9:26 pm

Actually, with our Deccie, you could and copy and paste the squad, long before he picks it.

by **rodders** Thu 26 Jan 2012, 11:35 am

Deccie has indicated that he's going to pick Paddy and D'arcy in the centre together....I knew he had a trump card up his sleave... Wink

by thebandwagonsociety Thu 26 Jan 2012, 11:57 am

I'm starting to think 10, 12, 13 revolves around Sexton's fitness. What is the story, it is kept fairly quiet which for an Irish setup usually means more serious than they want to let on.

ROG will start
Earls will be 13

I reckon if they can have Sexton on the bench, he might bring in Wallace at 12. If Sexton's niggle rules him out then Wallace takes the outhalf cover on the bench and Darcy plays 12. Wallace in that position on the bench frees up Kidney for the other backs spot. Won't like it if it works out this way, but I fear that will be how it goes.

by thebandwagonsociety Thu 26 Jan 2012, 11:57 am

Oh, and outside of injuries, all remaining positions to be virtually identical to the team that played Wales in NZ.

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