What is your Ireland XV for the 6 Nations

[joeSoap]

Based on recent Heineken Cup form, what would your team for the 6 nations be at the moment;

Mine would be: Girvan Dempsey; Shane Horgan, Brian O'Driscoll, Gordon D'Arcy, Geordan Murphy; Ronan O'Gara, Peter Stringer; Marcus Horan, Jerry Flannery, John Hayes; Donncha O'Callaghan Paul O'Connell; Denis Leamy, David Wallace, Anthony Foley.

Yeah yeah I'm picking the entire Munster pack blah blah bias blah blah. With Horan, Hayes, O'Connell and Leamy there are no better alternatives. Flannery ahead of Byrne cos the mullett isn't getting a game with Saracens and Flannery's been superb to date. O'Callaghan is more aggressive than O'Kelly, and Wallace is in the form of his life and imo a better option to Johnny O'Connor who i feel is rather overrated. Foley brings it all together and even though he might be getting on..32:eek: he commands the respect of the rest of them and they work their asses off for him.

And they're a unit that know each other inside out, and that counts for a lot.

Of course, he's probably going to play Byrne, O'Kelly, Easterby and O'Connor. But what can you do ??:confused:

[pete]

Geordan Murphy at fullback.
Probably Easterby for Foley in the pack.

[joeSoap]

Geordan Murphy at fullback.
Probably Easterby for Foley in the pack.

Murphy has played all his recent games on the left wing for the Tigers...and quite well too. Dempsey has been a revelation for Leinster.

Easterby for Foley...tougher call. I went for Foley cos of the Munster factor..

[Schumi]

I'd go with most of the team above but with O'Kelly in ahead of O'Callaghan and Easterby ahead of Leamy. I'm not sure on hooker tbh but Flannery has done well from the little I've seen and there's not much competition either. I'd have Gleeson at 7 too but that's obviously impossible. :rolleyes:

[finlma]

The only change to your team Joe Soap would be Easterby for Foley.

It was a great weekend for rugby.

[pete]

What team will O'Sullivan pick though?

I'm sure he will go with Shane Byrne at hooker, O'Kellys best days are behind him but O'Sullivan is very cautious...?

Given i think Wallace was ignored for the Autumn internationals would be some turn around if he picked for 6 Nations.

3 wins would seem like success not as expectations are very low.

[ThatGuy]

When you consider that Trevor Brennan isn't in consideration for a spot in the squad let alone being guaranteed a starting place (which he should be) it goes to show how much politics is involved in the selection.

[joeSoap]

When you consider that Trevor Brennan isn't in consideration for a spot in the squad let alone being guaranteed a starting place (which he should be) it goes to show how much politics is involved in the selection.Absolute sh1te...a place in the squad maybe, but not in the final 22 let alone a guaranteed starting place. Brennan's a good, aggressive converted second row, who got a new lease of life when he moved to France. He should have gotten a lot more caps, but many years ago and as a blind side flanker. He's getting great press at the moment, and being on a mega-successful Toulouse side greatly enhances his profile.

To say he's on a par with any of the three O's is very wide of the mark.


Easterby ahead of Leamy.:eek: :eek:

[Dodge]

I'd go with most of the team above but with O'Kelly in ahead of O'Callaghan and Easterby ahead of Leamy. I'm not sure on hooker tbh but Flannery has done well from the little I've seen and there's not much competition either. I'd have Gleeson at 7 too but that's obviously impossible. :rolleyes:
I'd have O'callaghan ahead of o'kelly (close though) but agree with your other changes

[joeSoap]

Easterby ahead of Leamy??? Come on lads...seriously!

[Aberdonian Stu]

I'm not a big fan of either but there's not much other option so you'd have to back Easterby.

[Dodge]

Might ahve Leamy at no 8 ahead of Wallace but Easterby would be the only definite in my back row

[Schumi]

No Foley, Hickie, Mullet or Dempsey (injured)

Marcus Horan
John Hayes
Simon Best
Rory Best
Jerry Flannery
Donncha O'Callaghan
Paul O'Connell
Malcolm O'Kelly
Simon Easterby
Denis Leamy
Johnny O'Connor
David Wallace

Eoin Reddan
Peter Stringer
Ronan O'Gara
David Humphreys
Gordon D'Arcy
Brian O'Driscoll
Andrew Trimble
Tommy Bowe
Shane Horgan
Geordan Murphy

[Dodge]

From that squad

Geordan Murphy
Tommy Bowe
Gordon D'Arcy
Brian O'Driscoll
Shane Horgan
Ronan O'Gara
Peter Stringer

Marcus Horan
Jerry Flannery
John Hayes
Donncha O'Callaghan
Paul O'Connell
Simon Easterby
David Wallace
Denis Leamy

Simon Best
Rory Best
Malcolm O'Kelly
Johnny O'Connor
Eoin Reddan
David Humphreys
Andrew Trimble

[joeSoap]

Exactly how I'd pick it too from that squad...

[Soko]

Watch Leamy closer, he's our best back row forward.

[joeSoap]

Watch Leamy closer, he's our best back row forward.
The man's a pure savage on the rugby pitch. An extremely aggressive ball carrier and tackler, and a good line-out option too. And, he's just a kid....wait till he gets another year or two's experience....:eek:

[Soko]

Leamy went down under with the Irish Schools team and was man of the series going directly opposite George Smith. He was offered countless contracts to stay in Australia and NZ but came home. He then became a victim of Munsters success with the outstanding backrows and tore his cruciate a couple of years ago as he was just about to make the break through. This just delayed the inevitable a year and now we can all see how good he is.



Once again Eddie O' Sullivan put him out to the slaughter by playing him 7 against Italy. He played there for Munster because everyone else was injured, he's a natural 6 but can play 8, he could have been a lion but for the injury. Warren Gatland had him as an outsider to go to NZ when no one knew his. Leamy is and will be our best back row forward for the next 8 years.

[pete]

Bold squad selection by O'Sullivans standards.

[tipp man]

Leamy went down under with the Irish Schools team and was man of the series going directly opposite George Smith. He was offered countless contracts to stay in Australia and NZ but came home. He then became a victim of Munsters success with the outstanding backrows and tore his cruciate a couple of years ago as he was just about to make the break through. This just delayed the inevitable a year and now we can all see how good he is.



Once again Eddie O' Sullivan put him out to the slaughter by playing him 7 against Italy. He played there for Munster because everyone else was injured, he's a natural 6 but can play 8, he could have been a lion but for the injury. Warren Gatland had him as an outsider to go to NZ when no one knew his. Leamy is and will be our best back row forward for the next 8 years.


I know I'm from Tipperary but this post is spot on. I have been watching Leamy since he was playing junior rugby at school. He is a top class player and a top class guy. You couldn't meet nicer. He is a shoe in for our world cup squad so with that in mind he should be a regular for all of this year.

[CollegeTillIDie]

Seems that a lot of the criticism of O'Sullivan for not picking players based abroad, ( weekly on Newstalk 106 Off the Ball show) has been listened to, he even included David Wallace in the squad.

In spite of his blind spot about Trevor Brennan it is given the injury situation as near as the best 22 available as possible!

[Dodge]

Well I think Hickie is a better winger than Bowe

[Soko]

Trevor Brennan should not be ahead of any of those back rows, we cant afford to have him in as a second row.

[Aberdonian Stu]

I'd have him ahead of most of the back row in a heartbeat. Also I completely agree that Bowe is inferior to Hickie but given how rarely we've seen O'Sullivan experiment with youth at least it's a step in the right direction (albeit in an area where we need it the least).

[Soko]

Brennan ahead of Simon Easterby, Denis Leamy, Johnny O'Connor or David Wallace? Why exactly?

[joeSoap]

It is pretty common knowledge that Trevor Brennan played by far his best rugby 7 or 8 years ago as a blind side flanker for St Marys (when the AIL was strong), Leinster and in a few caps for Ireland. Murray Kidds reluctance to acknowledge him back then and subsequently Warren Gatlands was largely determined by the fact that even though Brennan played great, aggressive rugby back then, he was surplus to requirements mostly because of his appalling disciplinary record, and the fact that Ireland's number 6 at the time was David Corkery, probably the best six we have had since Fergus Slattery, whose career was cut short by injury.

Brennans move to Toulouse has improved him as a player, albeit as a second row where the pace required is not as much as that of a back row. His quality of life has no doubt improved and he is happy to play every second game, as a second row.

To say he could handle the sheer pace of International rugby today is a complete joke. To consider him as a second row ahead of O'Connell, O'Callaghan, O'Driscoll or O'Kelly is laughable. To say he could displace any of Leamy, Wallace, Foley, Easterby, O'Connor, Quinlan, Shane Jennings, Roger Wilson or even Stephen Keogh is even more laughable.

Because he has won two Heineken Cups and is in the media spotlight because of the club he plays for is not a selection criteria for Ireland. My advice for' Trevor for Ireland' fans is to get ye're heads out of ye're arses, wake up to real rugby, and keep reading his column in the Irish Times.

[De Town]

I'd go:

15 Murphy
14 S.Horgan
13 O'Driscoll
12 D'Arcy
11 Bowe
10 O'Gara
9 Stringer

8 Foley
7 Wallace
6 Leamy
5 O'Connell
4 Kelly
3 Hayes
2 Flannery
1 Horan

[Soko]

It is pretty common knowledge that Trevor Brennan played by far his best rugby 7 or 8 years ago as a blind side flanker for St Marys (when the AIL was strong), Leinster and in a few caps for Ireland. Murray Kidds reluctance to acknowledge him back then and subsequently Warren Gatlands was largely determined by the fact that even though Brennan played great, aggressive rugby back then, he was surplus to requirements mostly because of his appalling disciplinary record, and the fact that Ireland's number 6 at the time was David Corkery, probably the best six we have had since Fergus Slattery, whose career was cut short by injury.

Brennans move to Toulouse has improved him as a player, albeit as a second row where the pace required is not as much as that of a back row. His quality of life has no doubt improved and he is happy to play every second game, as a second row.

To say he could handle the sheer pace of International rugby today is a complete joke. To consider him as a second row ahead of O'Connell, O'Callaghan, O'Driscoll or O'Kelly is laughable. To say he could displace any of Leamy, Wallace, Foley, Easterby, O'Connor, Quinlan, Shane Jennings, Roger Wilson or even Stephen Keogh is even more laughable.

Because he has won two Heineken Cups and is in the media spotlight because of the club he plays for is not a selection criteria for Ireland. My advice for' Trevor for Ireland' fans is to get ye're heads out of ye're arses, wake up to real rugby, and keep reading his column in the Irish Times.


Spot on bar the Keogh part. He's tripe.

[finlma]

Team for Italy game:

G Murphy (Leicester); S Horgan (Leinster), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, captain), G D'Arcy (Leinster), T Bowe (Ulster); R O'Gara (Munster), P Stringer (Munster); M Horan (Munster), J Flannery (Munster), J Hayes (Munster), M O'Kelly (Leinster), P O'Connell (Munster), S Easterby (Llanelli), D Wallace (Munster), D Leamy (Munster).

Replacements: R Best (Ulster), S Best (Ulster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), J O'Connor (Wasps), E Reddan (Wasps), D Humphreys (Ulster), A Trimble (Ulster).

Personally I think Bowe is the weak link - he was very poor in the Autumn internationals. its a pity Ian Dowling hasn't played more games for Munster - he'll definitely make the cut. He's a brilliant defender and attacker.

[Soko]

Wallace is the big call, fair play to Edddie for that.

[pete]

Personally I think Bowe is the weak link - he was very poor in the Autumn internationals. its a pity Ian Dowling hasn't played more games for Munster - he'll definitely make the cut. He's a brilliant defender and attacker.

Dowling too inexperienced yet but will have advantage playing for Munster as gets more big games than Ulster lads in Europe.

Disappointed to see O'Kelly picked as i think O'Callaghan has matured & improved a lot in the last year & offers everything O'Kelly does in the lineout & more around the pitch.

[Dodge]

Yeah but O'Kelly is still doing the business for Leinster and his experience should help Flannery and Leamy. Its close though

[Soko]

Yeah but O'Kelly is still doing the business for Leinster and his experience should help Flannery and Leamy. Its close though



Leamy will be helping O' Kelly not the other way round. Mal is well past it at this stage.

[finlma]

Mal is well past it at this stage.

I agree - time for Mal to move aside and let O'Callaghan in. I'd have Mick O'Driscoll as a sub before Mal too.

[Schumi]

its a pity Ian Dowling hasn't played more games for Munster - he'll definitely make the cut. He's a brilliant defender and attacker.
Rob Kearney would be ahead of Dowling anyway I'd imagine.

[TheJamaicanP.M.]

I agree - time for Mal to move aside and let O'Callaghan in. I'd have Mick O'Driscoll as a sub before Mal too.

I'd have O'Callaghan ahead of O'Kelly. However, Mick O'Driscoll is cack. I'd much prefer to see Bob Casey in there than O'Driscoll.

[Soko]

I'd have O'Callaghan ahead of O'Kelly. However, Mick O'Driscoll is cack. I'd much prefer to see Bob Casey in there than O'Driscoll.



Watching a bit too much of the rugby club I see. I agree that Casey should get a look in but they're all better than O' Kelly. If O' Driscoll moved in instead of O' Callaghan Munster wouldn't miss a beat Oh wait he's cack :rolleyes:

[TheJamaicanP.M.]

Watching a bit too much of the rugby club I see. I agree that Casey should get a look in but they're all better than O' Kelly. If O' Driscoll moved in instead of O' Callaghan Munster wouldn't miss a beat Oh wait he's cack :rolleyes:

I see enough games across the water to know that Bob Casey is an excellent second row forward. He should be fourth in the pecking order behind the three O'Connell, O'Callaghan and O'Kelly. O'Driscoll is not international class. That is borne out by his acceptance with being a squad player with Munster.

[joeSoap]

I'm going for:

Ireland 39-12 Italy

England 19-15 Wales

Scotland 13-30 France.

Jerry Flannery and Denis Leamy are the ones I backed for first tryscorer...

[finlma]

I'm going for the following:

Ireland 35 v Italy 13
England 32 v Wales 9
Scotland 18 v France 27


My tip for the Championship is Wales to win only 1 game.

[Schumi]

Ireland 28 v Italy 10
England 25 v Wales 13
Scotland 8 v France 37

Grand Slam for France.

[Kingdom]

Ireland 28 v Italy 10
England 25 v Wales 13
Scotland 8 v France 37

Grand Slam for France.
Something not quite right there

[Schumi]

Something not quite right there
You had money on Sctoland of course. :D