The Six Nations General Banter Thread. *Read Mod Warning. Post no.5*

Brewster

I believe Rory Best is back in training, and has recovered from injury far quicker than expected. Hard to know whether he will feature though or is he just there for moral? Good squad, one or two contenious ones ok. Darren Cave for Ian Dowling and Id be happy enough. Cave will prob play in A team though.

thomond2006

Bob Casey, Roger Wilson and Neil Best may be involved in the Six Nations after all:

http://www.heavensgame.com/competitions/6-nations/ireland-name-2010-six-nations-squad.html

From this squad, a 26 man “Ireland A” team will be named on January 26th, for the away fixture against the England Saxons in Bath. Additional players from outside the named group will be added to the second national team.

I wish Kidney would just announce the Six Nations squad proper, all this extended squad / training squad stuff does my head in.

Goose81

Goose81 wrote: »

He is not good at it at all,how can you say that?

He got raped against Aus,blame healy all you want but a better tighthead would not have allowed the scrum to be destabalised like that.

sm.org wrote: »

Statement retracted for sake of forum tranquility

Say it,go on,enlighten us all with your wisdom of how Hayes is a good scrummager.I want to hear it.
I will absolutely destroy you in the argument if you want it!

Leinster destroy him,Treviso destroy him,Perpignan destroy him,australia......will I go on?
How in gods name is he a good scrummager.He is a passenger who we cant afford to carry to the WC.

JDeegan

Goose81 wrote: »

Say it,go on,enlighten us all with your wisdom of how Hayes is a good scrummager.I want to hear it.
I will absolutely destroy you in the argument if you want it!

Leinster destroy him,Treviso destroy him,Perpignan destroy him,australia......will I go on?
How in gods name is he a good scrummager.He is a passenger who we cant afford to carry to the WC.

You should relax. I think you take this internet thing a bit seriously . . .

PhatPiggins

JDeegan wrote: »

You should relax. I think you take this internet thing a bit seriously . . .

"I will destroy you" - thats brilliant stuff

thomond2006

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12321_5873478,00.html

FRANCE SIX NATIONS SQUAD

Forwards: Sylvain Marconnet (Stade Francais), Thomas Domingo (Clermont), William Servat (Toulouse), Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Francais), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Luc Ducalcon (Castres), Romain Millo-Chluski (Toulouse), Lionel Nallet (Racing-Metro), Sebastien Chabal (Racing-Metro), Pascal Pape (Stade Francais), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse, capt), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Alexandre Lapandry (Clermont), Julien Bonnaire (Clermont).


Backs: Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (Toulouse), Morgan Parra (Clermont), Benjamin Boyet (Bourgoin), Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Fabrice Estebanez (Brive), Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse), Mathieu Bastareaud (Stade Frantais), David Marty (Perpignan), Aurelien Rougerie (Clermont), Julien Malzieu (Clermont), Clement Poitrenaud (Toulouse), Alexis Palisson (Brive), Vincent Clerc (Toulouse), Benjamin Fall (Bayonne)

Props:
Sylvain Marconnet
Thomas Domingo
Luc Ducaclon
Nicola Mas

Hookers:
William Servat
Dimitri Szarzewski

Second Rows:
Romain Millo-Chluski
Lionel Nallet
Sebastien Chabal
Pascal Pape

Back Rows:
Louis Picamoles
Thierry Dusautoir (capt)
Imanol Harinordoquy
Fulgence Ouedraogo
Alexandre Lapandry
Julien Bonnaire

Scrum Halves:
Jean-Baptiste Elissalde
Morgan Parra

Fly Halves:
Benjamin Boyet
Francois Trinh-Duc

Centres:
Fabrice Estebanez
Yannick Jauzion
Mathieu Bastareaud
David Marty
Aurelien Rougerie (also covers wing and FB, currently playing 13 for Clermont)

Back Three:
Julien Malzieu
Alexis Palisson
Vincent Clerc
Benjamin Fall
Clement Poitrenaud

Notable omissions are Mermoz (injured afaik), Heymans, Medard and Beauxis.

Barcella, Traille and Yachvili are all injured.

Ellisalde and that Basteraud return to the squad.

I'd go with:
Marconnet
Szarzewski
Mas
Millo-Chulski
Nallet
Dusautoir
Harinordoquy
Bonnaire
Parra
Trinh-Duc (would have gone with Beauxis but he's not in squad)
Malzieu
Jauzion
Rougerie
Clerc
Poitrenaud

Iron Hide

No sign of Harinordoquy either....

Edit: would have helped if i'd have looked properly, he's there alright...

Stev_o

Back's look meh there. They ll get nowhere with that squad as those three OH options are appalling.

Crash

Beauxis is too tempermental even for the French sometimes.

sometimes he does this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J_08IrbBpc

41 seconds in,

other times he does this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z95H0hR-20A

corny

I know Beauxis is playing 15 these days but he's easily a better 10 than the options they picked. No Medard or Heymans either but i suppose that doesn't matter as much given they still have excellent wingers to choose from. Add in the injuries they are nothing to be feared.

twinytwo

corny wrote: »

I know Beauxis is playing 15 these days but he's easily a better 10 than the options they picked. No Medard or Heymans either but i suppose that doesn't matter as much given they still have excellent wingers to choose from. Add in the injuries they are nothing to be feared.

great teams have fallen victim to that line of thought

Is Trinh-Duc much use?

Any time I've seen him play he's been distinctively average.

France have far too many class scrum halves. Surely they could've included another, and let Ellisalde or Yachvili play Out Half? Ellisalde is a magician, love watching him play.

PhatPiggins

Deleted User wrote: »

Is Trinh-Duc much use?

Any time I've seen him play he's been distinctively average.

France have far too many class scrum halves. Surely they could've included another, and let Ellisalde or Yachvili play Out Half? Ellisalde is a magician, love watching him play.

He's not bad but he's another coverted 9 playing 10. His game management is poor at times.

thomond2006

http://www.rugby365.com/tournaments/sixnation/news/2176402.htm

SCOTLAND SIX NATIONS SQUAD (30)

Backs: Chris Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors), Simon Danielli (Ulster), Nick De Luca (Edinburgh), Max Evans, Thom Evans (Glasgow Warriors), Phil Godman (Edinburgh), Alex Grove (Worcester), Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Lamont (Scarlets), Rory Lawson (Gloucester), Graeme Morrison (Glasgow Warriors), Chris Paterson (Edinburgh), Dan Parks (Glasgow Warriors) and Hugo Southwell (Stade Francais).

Forwards: John Barclay, Johnnie Beattie, Kelly Brown (all Glasgow Warriors), Alasdair Dickinson (Gloucester), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), Richie Gray, Dougie Hall (both Glasgow Warriors), Jim Hamilton (Edinburgh), Nathan Hines (Leinster), Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh), Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors), Scott Lawson (Gloucester), Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors), Alan MacDonald (Edinburgh), Euan Murray (Northampton Saints), Alasdair Strokosch (Gloucester)

In addition Toulon fullback Rory Lamont may join the squad for the French game provided he comes through a club game next Wednesday unscathed.

Four other players have been invited to train at that camp - the Edinburgh trio Mike Blair, Ross Rennie and the uncapped grandson of the late Bill McLaren, Jim Thompson, and the uncapped Glasgow Warriors prop Jon Welsh.

Not considered due to illness / injury: Richie Vernon (Glasgow Warriors), Allister Hogg (Edinburgh) and Jason White (Clermont Auvergne).

Tidying this up....

Props:
Allan Jacobsen
Moray Low
Euan Murray
Alasdair Dickinson

Hookers:
Ross Ford
Dougie Hall
Scott Lawson

Second Rows:
Jim Hamilton
Nathan Hines
Alastair Kellock
Richie Gray

Back Rows:
Alan MacDonald
Alastair Strokosch
Kelly Brown
John Barclay
Johnnie Beattie

Scrum Halves
Chris Cusiter
Rory Lawson

Fly Halves
Phil Godman
Dan Parks
Ruaridh Jackson

Centres
Graeme Morrison
Alex Grove
Max Evans
Nick De Luca

Wings:
Simon Danielli
Thom Evans
Sean Lamont

Fullbacks:
Chris Paterson
Hugo Southwell

I'd go with:

Jacobsen
Ford
Murray (won't be available on Sundays due to religious reasons)
Hines
Kellock
Brown
Barclay
Beattie
Cusiter
Jackson (unlikely this will happen)
Danielli
Grove
M Evans
T Evans
Paterson (goalkicker)

PhatPiggins

How long is Blair out for?

Can't believe I'd never read that about Murray before

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/scotland/6813056/British-Lions-prop-Euan-Murray-will-refuse-to-play-for-Scotland-on-a-Sunday.html

BoarHunter

Roll on the 6N I agree for Trinh duc. He is more than average ... but we have no other choice .... Elissalde would be a good pick but only if his front 8 walks foreward. Boyet is there in case but nothing fancy.

Pity Barcella is injured, he has not being equalled by any other prop he had in front of him so far...

In the center and wings there is a big reservoire of players :
My team :

Marconnet
Servat
Mas
Millochlusky
Nallet
harinordoquy
Picamoles
Dussautoire
Elissalde
Boyet ( would have liked Winiewsky from Racing Paris )
Malzieu
Jauzion
bastareaud
clerc
pointrenaud

Otacon

BoarHunter wrote: »

Marconnet
Servat
Mas
Millochlusky
Nallet
harinordoquy
Picamoles
Dussautoire
Elissalde
Boyet ( would have liked Winiewsky from Racing Paris )
Malzieu
Jauzion
bastareaud
clerc
pointrenaud

Is Harinorduquy in the squad?

BoarHunter

he is ya.

Bugnug

All this talk about tighthead for Ireland and it is a real issue as its just not realistic to expect JH to play at the RWC2011 he will be pushing 39 at that stage.

Does anybody know much about this young Fitzpatrick lad from Ulster?

Remember as well that JH struggled badly at TH in the early part of his career but he was thrown in and gradually things improved. Hopefully Kidney might try the same thing with Ross or even Buckley.

d'Oracle

Bugnug wrote: »

Does anybody know much about this young Fitzpatrick lad from Ulster?

.

Eh....I went to look at the Ulster rugby to see if there was a new prop called Fitzpatrick. I don't see one. Just the, quite old, Justin.

d'Oracle

Deleted User wrote: »

Can't believe I'd never read that about Murray before

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/scotland/6813056/British-Lions-prop-Euan-Murray-will-refuse-to-play-for-Scotland-on-a-Sunday.html

I think Micheal Jones did that too.

Bugnug

d'Oracle wrote: »

Eh....I went to look at the Ulster rugby to see if there was a new prop called Fitzpatrick. I don't see one. Just the, quite old, Justin.

No, his biog is on the wbsite I had a look this morning under player profiles.

d'Oracle

Bugnug wrote: »

No, his biog is on the wbsite I had a look this morning under player profiles.

Ah, I see him now.

Cuchulain

Bugnug wrote: »

Hopefully Kidney might try the same thing with Ross or even Buckley.

I 100% agree. Kidney needs to start giving the younger TH's some starts but are Ross and Buckley international quality. Buckley is good in the loose but terrible at scrumtime, he gets demolished way too consistently for such a big guy. Mike Ross cant even get a game at Leinster, granted he is up against VDL and Stan Wright but he needs to be playing regularly really.

I have to say I was always underwhelmed with Hayes contribution.
He holds his own at scrumtime but never dominated.
He is anonymous in the loose.
He too slow to get to the breakdown quick enough to make an impact.
Its a bad state of affairs when he still is our best tighthead.

danthefan

Buckley is awful, I'll take a 39 year old Hayes thanks.

profitius

The team I think will start;

1. Healy
2. Cronin
3. Hayes
4. POC
5. DOC
6. Ferris
7. Wallace
8. Heaslip
9. O Leary
10. O Gara
11. Earls (in Fitzgeralds absence)
12. D'Arcy
13. BOD
14. Bowe
15. Kearney

My team;

1. Healy
2. Cronin (He's third choice hooker so he'll get some gametime ahead of the WC)
3. Hayes
4. Donnacha Ryan
5. POC
6. Ferris
7. Wallace
8. Heaslip
9. TOL
10. Sexton
11. Denis Hurley (he's big and a really good finisher and intelligent)
12. P.Wallace (More talented then D'Arcy)
13. BOD
14. Bowe
15. Kearney

SOB as backrow cover and Earls as center and back 3 cover.

profitius

profitius wrote: »

11. Denis Hurley (he's big and a really good finisher and intelligent)
12. P.Wallace (More talented then D'Arcy)

Wouldn't be too sure on either of these reasons given. D'Arcy's one of the most natural rugby players we have, incredibly talented. Wallace does have a different skillset than him though. He's a good kicker, and his reading of the game opens things up for other people. D'Arcy's the kinda guy that finds the gaps himself, and strips the ball in the tackle.

2 very different 12s we have, and its good to have them both!

Denis Hurley? Ahead of Earls? Trimble? Christ, I'd have Horgan on the right wing and Bowe on the left over this option.

Hurley's having a nice run of games, but he's an "A" player at best.

profitius

Deleted User wrote: »

Wouldn't be too sure on either of these reasons given. D'Arcy's one of the most natural rugby players we have, incredibly talented. Wallace does have a different skillset than him though. He's a good kicker, and his reading of the game opens things up for other people. D'Arcy's the kinda guy that finds the gaps himself, and strips the ball in the tackle.

2 very different 12s we have, and its good to have them both!

Denis Hurley? Ahead of Earls? Trimble? Christ, I'd have Horgan on the right wing and Bowe on the left over this option.

Hurley's having a nice run of games, but he's an "A" player at best.

An "A" player? I have to disagree. Hurley is fast, takes his chances, has good positional sense, is good defensively. He's a better kicker then Horgan and is less error prone. Horgan is a good player but so is Hurley. He has relegated Dowling to the bench.


D'Arcy gifted? Physically he is but in terms of skills he's average.

profitius

Trojan wrote: »

POC is a great captain and leader but I'd have him on the bench as I think DOC and Cullen are our top 2 locks.

POC is the number 1 lock by a mile. POCs workrate alone is extraordinary. He steals ball at the breakdowns and is like an openside flanker supporting players.


Donnacha Ryan is the second best lock in the country IMO.