Possible 6 Nations Team?

bilston

Harry FM wrote: »

Here's my team

1-McGrath
2-Best
3-Furlong
4-Ryan
5-Toner
6-Stander
7-O'Brien
8-Heaslip

9-Murray
10-Sexton
11-Zebo
12-Fitzgerald
13-Henshaw
14-Gilroy
15-R.Kearney

16-Cronin
17-Healy
18-Moore
19-Tuohy
20-Ruddock
21-Marmion
22-Jackson
23-Earls

Gilroy is out for 6 weeks with an eye injury and anyway wasn't really in the reckoning.

nipps

This would be mine:

1 McGrath
2 Best
3 Moore/Furlong (whoever is in better form)
4 Ryan
5 Toner
6 Ruddock
7 O'Brien
8 Heaslip

9 Murray
10 Sexton
11 Earls (if fit)
12 McCloskey
13 Fitzgerald
14 Trimble
15 Henshaw

16 Strauss
17 Healy
18 Furlong/Moore
19 McCarthy
20 Stander/Henry (I don't mind which one)
21 Marmion
22 Jackson
23 Zebo/Payne

That is what I would select, although I imagine that Joe will choose differently. We'll probably see a similar enough pack, with Ross starting at 3. Possibly Henry at 7 and SOB to 6. It would be hard to leave Ruddock out if his form continues.

I reckon Joe will have Henshaw in at 12 and like others are saying, if Payne is fit, he'll most likely be 13. Kearney at 15. And the two wing spots between Fitzgearld, Earls and Trimble. Although I think he really should consider Fitzy in the centre as he is in excellent form there.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Madigan and Reddan on the bench either.

hype101

bilston wrote: »

Gilroy is out for 6 weeks with an eye injury and anyway wasn't really in the reckoning.

I thought it was a coupla weeks and we'll see kinda thing.. Has that been updated to 6 weeks?

bilston

hype101 wrote: »

I thought it was a coupla weeks and we'll see kinda thing.. Has that been updated to 6 weeks?

Read it on uafc so not completely gospel

Harry FM

bilston wrote: »

Gilroy is out for 6 weeks with an eye injury and anyway wasn't really in the reckoning.

I knew he was injured for the Connacht game but I wasn't aware that he was out for that long. I would certainly have him there, he's been in good form for Ulster this season and he brings that flare and pace that D.Kearney, Bowe and Trimble don't.

kuang1

I would love to see Henshaw at 15 for us. I think he'd be immense.
McCloskey and Fitz in the centre.
Trimble and Earls for the wings.

In my view Payne should become a player who has suffered from bad luck with his foot injury in more ways than just being injured.
i.e. while he's been forced to hit the pause button, not just one but several players have shot passed him.

I hope Joe doesn't adopt the "credit in the bank" approach with Payne as he did with Bowe.
And I do highly rate Payne btw and was happy for him being selected when he was.
It's just that now I think the bar has been raised.

For all I know Payne could return better than ever! And if he does then I'll be delighted!!

vienne86

kuang1 wrote: »

I would love to see Henshaw at 15 for us. I think he'd be immense.
McCloskey and Fitz in the centre.
Trimble and Earls for the wings.

In my view Payne should become a player who has suffered from bad luck with his foot injury in more ways than just being injured.
i.e. while he's been forced to hit the pause button, not just one but several players have shot passed him.

I hope Joe doesn't adopt the "credit in the bank" approach with Payne as he did with Bowe.
And I do highly rate Payne btw and was happy for him being selected when he was.
It's just that now I think the bar has been raised.

For all I know Payne could return better than ever! And if he does then I'll be delighted!!

Speaking of Bowe, what's the timeline for his recovery?

Brewster

kuang1 wrote: »

I would love to see Henshaw at 15 for us. I think he'd be immense.
McCloskey and Fitz in the centre.
Trimble and Earls for the wings.

In my view Payne should become a player who has suffered from bad luck with his foot injury in more ways than just being injured.
i.e. while he's been forced to hit the pause button, not just one but several players have shot passed him.

I hope Joe doesn't adopt the "credit in the bank" approach with Payne as he did with Bowe.
And I do highly rate Payne btw and was happy for him being selected when he was.
It's just that now I think the bar has been raised.

For all I know Payne could return better than ever! And if he does then I'll be delighted!!

Payne is not finished, not by a long shot. He is suffering from a positional national v province issue which has been ongoing for some time. With Kiss now at Ulster and other centre options emerging, we may see some relaxation around this. From Payne'a perspective, he may well have a better chance of getting into team ahead of Kearney as opposed to a McCloskey, Henshaw, Fitz etc... Payne on top form is a better fullback than Kearney in my view. And Rob's form has suffered in last 18 months.

bilston

Brewster wrote: »

Payne is not finished, not by a long shot. He is suffering from a positional national v province issue which has been ongoing for some time. With Kiss now at Ulster and other centre options emerging, we may see some relaxation around this. From Payne'a perspective, he may well have a better chance of getting into team ahead of Kearney as opposed to a McCloskey, Henshaw, Fitz etc... Payne on top form is a better fullback than Kearney in my view. And Rob's form has suffered in last 18 months.

The thing is surely Ireland have a far greater need at FB than at Centre? I'd have thought getting Payne to 15 was almost a necessity at this stage!

jacothelad

hype101 wrote: »

I thought it was a coupla weeks and we'll see kinda thing.. Has that been updated to 6 weeks?

Broken eye socket.

hogandrew

A lot of people seem to be going with Ruddock at 6. Personally if I was going for him at 6 I think it negates the need for toner in the second row. I think McCarthy adds a lot more around the field and similar with muldowney.
It would also open the option of putting Henderson into the second row when fit

Brewster

bilston wrote: »

The thing is surely Ireland have a far greater need at FB than at Centre? I'd have thought getting Payne to 15 was almost a necessity at this stage!

Sure, particularly with Jones having to retire. There are a number of players who can fill in at FB, but we probably need to have two top class guys playing for position. If Payne returns to 15 at Ulster, they will have bowe, Trimble, Gilroy and Piatua fighting for two wing spots!

Harry FM

I don't want to see R.Kearney at FB, but it's most likely what will happen. I would have liked to see Zebo get time at FB this season, his aerial skills aren't as good as Kearney but he offers more in terms of distribution and pace. But he hasn't got much game time at FB this season so I'll don't think he'll be there for 6N. Henshaw has been playing FB for Connacht but I think his skills and physicality is better suited to the centre. I think it's fair to say that Conway has been the form FB in Ireland this season and I'd love to see him get time for Ireland however I doubt it will happen. I think we'll most likely see Kearney there again for Ireland.

hype101

Are Bowe and Olding likely to get some gametime over the coming month?.. I thought they were both due back sometime earlier in the new year but maybe it's a bit optimistic.

Harry FM

Harry FM wrote: »

I don't want to see R.Kearney at FB, but it's most likely what will happen. I would have liked to see Zebo get time at FB this season, his aerial skills aren't as good as Kearney but he offers more in terms of distribution and pace. But he hasn't got much game time at FB this season so I'll don't think he'll be there for 6N. Henshaw has been playing FB for Connacht but I think his skills and physicality is better suited to the centre. I think it's fair to say that Conway has been the form FB in Ireland this season and I'd love to see him get time for Ireland however I doubt it will happen. I think we'll most likely see Kearney there again for Ireland.

Zebo's international form has only ever been average to poor whereas Kearney has on a few occasions been talked about in world terms. Kearney may be replaced, but it won't be by Simon Zebo.

Conway may be the form back in Munster but that's not saying much at the mo. He is miles away from an Ireland call up.

sydthebeat

Lads I honestly think zebos career plateaued 3 years ago. He hasn't exceeded those performances since and hasn't ironed out the creases either.

kuang1

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Zebo's international form has only ever been average to poor whereas Kearney has on a few occasions been talked about in world terms. Kearney may be replaced, but it won't be by Simon Zebo.

Conway may be the form back in Munster but that's not saying much at the mo. He is miles away from an Ireland call up.

Unfortunately this is all true.

But I wouldn't be happy to see Kearney starting at full back myself...would be pleased with Payne there (if fit) with Kearney as his understudy. (And only until a better understudy is decided upon!)

Zebo for me is well outside the 23 at the mo.

Harry FM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Zebo's international form has only ever been average to poor whereas Kearney has on a few occasions been talked about in world terms. Kearney may be replaced, but it won't be by Simon Zebo.

Conway may be the form back in Munster but that's not saying much at the mo. He is miles away from an Ireland call up.

I agree that Payne is a better FB than Kearney but he hasn't played since the WC and I think it's a few weeks more until he's back so he wouldn't be up to match sharpness and he's 30 so you could argue that he won't be around in 2019, I think we need to start thinking long term.

Yes, Zebo hasn't been in the best of form lately but in his defence, he's playing for a team who play a boring, one dimensional game plan which doesn't suit him. And I think it's fair to say that we've seen some flashes of brilliance from in at FB for Ireland in recent times.

Harry FM

Harry FM wrote: »

And I think it's fair to say that we've seen some flashes of brilliance from in at FB for Ireland in recent times.

We havn't really, certainly not against any half decent teams.

Harry FM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

We havn't really, certainly not against any half decent teams.

Ok, maybe not against tier 1 nations. But to be fair to him, he played very well against SA and Argentina in November 2012, but he hasn't been given a consistant run of games at FB since.

bilston

hype101 wrote: »

Are Bowe and Olding likely to get some gametime over the coming month?.. I thought they were both due back sometime earlier in the new year but maybe it's a bit optimistic.

Olding should be back any week now. Bowe was meant to be out for the season but I think that may have been revised down.

bilston

Brewster wrote: »

Sure, particularly with Jones having to retire. There are a number of players who can fill in at FB, but we probably need to have two top class guys playing for position. If Payne returns to 15 at Ulster, they will have bowe, Trimble, Gilroy and Piatua fighting for two wing spots!

We can probably start throwing Scholes into the mix as well, he might actually be a more complete player than Gilroy, but not as lethal if that makes sense.

hype101

bilston wrote: »

Olding should be back any week now. Bowe was meant to be out for the season but I think that may have been revised down.

Ya, Bowe did an interview about 6 weeks ago and said the injury was not as serious as first feared. I mean it was bad but not season-ending. He was hopeful of being back for the 6Ns but I haven't heard anything since.

Still our best winger IMO.

The Rape of Lucretia

Wunderkind Ringrose included in the squad training by Joe.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/joe-schmidt-calls-up-ringrose-as-leo-cullen-seeks-to-tone-down-hype-34327729.html

Ramping him up for the future, or an outside possibility even for this 6N ?

aimee1

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

Wunderkind Ringrose included in the squad training by Joe.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/joe-schmidt-calls-up-ringrose-as-leo-cullen-seeks-to-tone-down-hype-34327729.html

Ramping him up for the future, or an outside possibility even for this 6N ?

I think he will feature at some stage.

stephen_n

1-McGrath
2-Best
3-Furlong
4-Ryan
5-Toner
6-O'Brien
7-Henry
8-Heaslip

9-Murray
10-Sexton
11-Fitzgerald
12-McCloskey
13-Henshaw
14-Earls
15-R.Kearney

16-Cronin
17-Healy
18-Moore
19-McCarthy
20-Ruddock
21-Marmion
22-Madigan
23-Zebo

Harry FM

stephen_n wrote: »

1-McGrath
2-Best
3-Furlong
4-Ryan
5-Toner
6-O'Brien
7-Henry
8-Heaslip

9-Murray
10-Sexton
11-Fitzgerald
12-McCloskey
13-Henshaw
14-Earls
15-R.Kearney

16-Cronin
17-Healy
18-Moore
19-McCarthy
20-Ruddock
21-Marmion
22-Madigan
23-Zebo

I would agree mostly with that team. However I think ruddock and standers form deserve starting places. I would also have Gilroy over Earls. It would be nice if we could fit Fitzgerald into the centre, but it would probably mean shifting Henshaw to FB.

Harry FM

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

Wunderkind Ringrose included in the squad training by Joe.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/joe-schmidt-calls-up-ringrose-as-leo-cullen-seeks-to-tone-down-hype-34327729.html

Ramping him up for the future, or an outside possibility even for this 6N ?

Where can I find the full training squad?

molloyjh

Harry FM wrote: »

Where can I find the full training squad?

It may not released at all. Haven't seen it anywhere myself anyway.

ronanc1000

IMO Paddy Jackson should feature more in the 6N than Sexton. Johnny has had a very bad season this year, Jackson has played and kicked much better. Time to give him more starts. Will Mads be called up given his release? I'm a Munster fan.