Ireland Team (Announced) vs Wales - 6Nations 2012 Round 1

First topic message reminder :

Here we go...

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)

*Denotes uncapped player



ORIGINAL: So the Declan Kidney will be naming his team to face Wales at lunchtime today. In preparation for complete meltdown of 606v2 as is customary for all Ireland team selections I suggest that we keep everything to one thread, namely here.

I'm assuming this one will be broadcast live on irishrugby.ie and as such, I'll be posting that link here before the announcement is made.

Helmets at the ready folks, this could get ugly.

So what are the nailed down positions?

1. Healy
2. Best
3. Ross
4.
5. POC
6. Ferris
7. O'Brien
8. Heaslip
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15. Kearney

That's pretty incredible really.

I noticed that Stag haha

Half the team up for grabs MMC - big change from Eddie O'Sullivan days.

I think it won't be long before fullback, hooker and backrow become more competitive too.

MMC wrote:So what are the nailed down positions?

1. Healy
2. Best
3. Ross
4. Ryan
5. POC
6. Ferris
7. O'Brien
8. Heaslip
9. Murray
10. Sexton
11. Trimble
12.
13.
14.
15. Kearney

That's pretty incredible really.

Added a few!

Emphasise looks better tho...

red_stag wrote:Half the team up for grabs MMC - big change from Eddie O'Sullivan days.

I think it won't be long before fullback, hooker and backrow become more competitive too.

Had Jones not been injured I think there would have been some battle for the 15 shirt.

Definitely Stag. With the likes of Sherry coming through and Cronin doing very well at Leinster, not to mention all the options in the backrow (some injured, some just breaking through) it's looking pretty good.

Oh the Eddie days. What was the team again?

1. Horan
2. Flannery
3. Hayes
4. DOC
5. POC
6. Easterby
7. Wallace
8. Leamy
9. Stringer
10. O'Gara
11. Hickie
12. D'Arcy
13. BOD
14. Horgan
15. Dempsey.

Subs:
Not required.

First time, every time.

My point exactly Rory. I can see Cronin v Best emerge next season as a real battle and I expect O'Mahony to target a backrow shirt next year too.

Ah gibbo with your fancy italics. In Limerick if you need to emphasise something you say it LOUD and include a nudge and a wink.

red_stag wrote:Half the team up for grabs MMC - big change from Eddie O'Sullivan days.

I think it won't be long before fullback, hooker and backrow become more competitive too.

It is good when you think back to the bad old days. We didnt even need a discussion then. EOS made it blatantly obvious he wasnt going to change things.
Its taken Deccie 3 years, but he is getting there on his promise, to have 30 players ready to play for Ireland. In all fairness.

1. Healy
2. Best
3. Ross
4. DOC
5. POC
6. Ferris
7. O'Brien
8. Heaslip
9. Murray
10. ROG
11. Trimble
12. Sexton
13. Earls
14. Bowe
15. Kearney

You heard it here 1st

red_stag wrote:My point exactly Rory. I can see Cronin v Best emerge next season as a real battle and I expect O'Mahony to target a backrow shirt next year too.

Ah gibbo with your fancy italics. In Limerick if you need to emphasise something you say it LOUD and include a nudge and a wink.

FAIR ENOUGH BIY!

MMC, not a bad looking team that though.... And not like there were a huge amount of options either in too many jerseys. But lets not go down that road as to why!

Really hope Ryan starts ahead of DOC. Honestly, while I like DOC and he has had a very good impact off the becnh, Ryan has been one of Munster best and most consistant players since his promotion. Short of scoring three tries a game he couldn't do much more; steals on the deck, excellent in the tackle & maul, running support lines and carrying well. Thinking on the pitch.

I don't think we have 30 just yet Gibbo

Healy, Cronin, Ross
O'Callaghan, O'Connell
Ferris, Heaslip, Wallace
Murray, O'Gara
McFadden, O'Driscoll
Fitzgerald, Jones, Bowe

Court, Best, Hagan
Ryan, Tuohy
O'Mahony, Leamy, O'Brien
Reddan, Sexton
Darcy, Earls
Zebo, Kearney, Trimble

The front row is the next step. I think we'll be fine in time.

roddersm wrote:1. Healy
2. Best
3. Ross
4. DOC
5. POC
6. Ferris
7. O'Brien
8. Heaslip
9. Murray
10. ROG
11. Trimble
12. Sexton
13. Earls
14. Bowe
15. Kearney

You heard it here 1st

I'd be shocked if that's the team.

Tainton dropped a large hint. It is Earls at 13. Good.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0201/1224311049856.html

debaters1 wrote:MMC, not a bad looking team that though.... And not like there were a huge amount of options either in too many jerseys. But lets not go down that road as to why!

Really hope Ryan starts ahead of DOC. Honestly, while I like DOC and he has had a very good impact off the becnh, Ryan has been one of Munster best and most consistant players since his promotion. Short of scoring three tries a game he couldn't do much more; steals on the deck, excellent in the tackle & maul, running support lines and carrying well. Thinking on the pitch.

Don't forget the warface debaters. Scary stuff.

I am excited reading through all the comments.. most of it tripe mind you but all part of the Pageantry that is the 6N's..

I wolfed down my lunch so I can focus on pressing F5 4000 times in the next 15 minutes to see the team that most of us are able to predict anyway

MMC wrote:

debaters1 wrote:MMC, not a bad looking team that though.... And not like there were a huge amount of options either in too many jerseys. But lets not go down that road as to why!

Really hope Ryan starts ahead of DOC. Honestly, while I like DOC and he has had a very good impact off the becnh, Ryan has been one of Munster best and most consistant players since his promotion. Short of scoring three tries a game he couldn't do much more; steals on the deck, excellent in the tackle & maul, running support lines and carrying well. Thinking on the pitch.

Don't forget the warface debaters. Scary stuff.

Yea himself and O'Mahony both have it.

Gerry Thornley thinks DOC will start.

red_stag wrote:I don't think we have 30 just yet Gibbo

Healy, Cronin, Ross
O'Callaghan, O'Connell
Ferris, Heaslip, Wallace
Murray, O'Gara
McFadden, O'Driscoll
Fitzgerald, Jones, Bowe

Court, Best, Hagan
Ryan, Tuohy
O'Mahony, Leamy, O'Brien
Reddan, Sexton
Darcy, Earls
Zebo, Kearney, Trimble

The front row is the next step. I think we'll be fine in time.

Yeas Stag, he needs to get 2 decent props and 2 decent locks coming through. Our cup overfloweth elsewhere.

Read that a few places Notch, seems to be a done deal.

In Deccie we trust.

It's good to have some genuine nutters on the team alright Stag!

Speaking of both Ryan and nut(ter)s...


@ProperChurch Cian Healy tweeted just now
Donners ryan stood heavily on my manhood in training today! I was genuinely scared......

Apologies stag but as we have had previous, you (and certain others) can surely understand why i thought you were getting upset .

Just a check to see who we have as the future, here is my young potential stars' team:

McAllister - ? - Macklin
Nagle - ?
Ruddock - O'Mahony - Ryan
? - Madigan
Marshall - Spence
Zebo - Kearney Jr - Gilroy

Looks good to me! Anyone care to fill in the gaps?

Notch wrote:Gerry Thornley thinks DOC will start.

And he always gets it right.
Let's hope he's wrong this once though.

Gibbo - Tuohy, Ryan and Toner are coming along nicely.

RE: Props it is a case of thrown in the deep end and sink or swim (like Healy).

BTW great shot of D.Ryan - http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/images/tile/2008/1120/1227134379261_1.jpg

ha just seen that MMC.. ouchy she wrote.

eirebilly wrote:Apologies stag but as we have had previous, you (and certain others) can surely understand why i thought you were getting upset .

Again, Im surprised to hear that we had "previous". We had a good old ding dong about picking best team v team for future but wasn't aware it was very heated.

We had a nice chat about 'the Bridge' too.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:Just a check to see who we have as the future, here is my young potential stars' team:

McAllister - ? - Macklin
Nagle - ?
Ruddock - O'Mahony - Ryan
? - Madigan
Marshall - Spence
Zebo - Kearney Jr - Gilroy

Looks good to me! Anyone care to fill in the gaps?

Annett/Sherry at two, foley, docv2 at 4/6, foley at 6, Qualter from connacht is a 4/6/8
Luke McGrath at 9 is supposed to be class. Jackson at 10, Hanrahan at 10/12.

There is a load more I'm leaving out but they are the most promising I've seen.

The tension is killing me... 7 minutes to go...

F5
F5
F5
F5

Well it was heated enough for you to PM me stag.......


Anyways, i will be happy if D'Arcy does not start...

valjester wrote:

Rory_Gallagher wrote:Just a check to see who we have as the future, here is my young potential stars' team:

McAllister - ? - Macklin
Nagle - ?
Ruddock - O'Mahony - Ryan
? - Madigan
Marshall - Spence
Zebo - Kearney Jr - Gilroy

Looks good to me! Anyone care to fill in the gaps?

Annett/Sherry at two, foley, docv2 at 4/6, foley at 6, Qualter from connacht is a 4/6/8
Luke McGrath at 9 is supposed to be class. Jackson at 10, Hanrahan at 10/12.

There is a load more I'm leaving out but they are the most promising I've seen.

Forgot about all of those guys. Not sure who McGrath is though. Hanrahan looks a talent. Butler too at 8.

a tweet from the Declan Kidney Parody account

Thank God there is no live stream for the team announcement. I won't be able to keep a straight face when Paddy Wallace is named at center.

eirebilly wrote:Well it was heated enough for you to PM me stag.......

Oh yea forgtot about that. Must have been "that time of the month" for me.

Anyway top bloke.

Haha! That's very good mickyt! I wonder why they're not doing a live stream this time.

606v2 meltdown in T-2 minutes...

Rory_Gallagher wrote:

valjester wrote:

Rory_Gallagher wrote:Just a check to see who we have as the future, here is my young potential stars' team:

McAllister - ? - Macklin
Nagle - ?
Ruddock - O'Mahony - Ryan
? - Madigan
Marshall - Spence
Zebo - Kearney Jr - Gilroy

Looks good to me! Anyone care to fill in the gaps?

Annett/Sherry at two, foley, docv2 at 4/6, foley at 6, Qualter from connacht is a 4/6/8
Luke McGrath at 9 is supposed to be class. Jackson at 10, Hanrahan at 10/12.

There is a load more I'm leaving out but they are the most promising I've seen.

Forgot about all of those guys. Not sure who McGrath is though. Hanrahan looks a talent. Butler too at 8.

He played for St Michaels in the senior cup last year, one of the most promising scrumhalves around, only 18 i think,
will be on the bench for the u20s this week but hopefully will get a chance a some stage.

No need to post the team in comments by the way folks. I'll edit the article straight away.

McGrath is a very promising scrumhalf. He will get Leinster game time next season I'd say with few options ahead of him.

I'm so excited. Love this time of year.

Twitter now. DOC starts. Big call

Please please no D'Arcy

HOW THE HELL IS DOC STARTING.. CRIMINAL

WillyGilly wrote:Twitter now. DOC starts. Big call

Not too happy about that....

valjester wrote:Appparent team is

Healy Best Ross
DOC POC
Ferris Sob Heaslip
Murray Sexton
Darcy Earls
Trimble Bowe
Kearney

Cronin Court Ryan Pom Reddan Rog McFadden


Kearney will come on to the bench if one of the players fails a fitness test, not sure which one,
I know that Earls missed some training this week but that may be due to the fact that is partner
gave birth to their first child during the week.



Disappointed with DOC and Darcy starting but what are you going to do.
Beginning to get really excited about the Six Nations now, can't wait for
Saturday, wish Ireland were playing first.

As posted on the first page, source says that Earls is about 80% likely to play but if he fails fitness test,
kearney the younger moves on to the bench.

Yea ye were all right lads. Gordon the Savior at 12. Fergus on bench. Earls at 13 and Peter O'Mahony on the bench.

No Paddy Wallace though . . . . . .

red_stag wrote:Yea ye were all right lads. Gordon the Savior at 12. Fergus on bench. Earls at 13 and Peter O'Mahony on the bench.

There is an * beside Peter O'Mahony's name. is he a doubt?

Sigh Donnacha O'Callaghan?Ryan should be doing his nut at that decision.

Why is DOC there? Hasn't Ryan been the starting 4 for Munster? Really don't get that. Apart from that (ignoring D'Arcy who I knew anyway was not going anywhere) I like that team.

MickyT the * means he is uncapped.