Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

I cannot believe how many people are missing this point. If you bring him on early and then Ireland ship an injury, we're finishing the game with 6 backs, probably have to replace the injured back with a forward, and whatever forward they'd planned to take off (so planned to play for say ~60 mins) now has to go the full 80. It's simply too risky.

Yeah, you'd like to see Clarkson continue his run of games but they need to look hard at TOT who was one of the better performers yesterday, albeit on the LH side.

If we're getting minced at the scrum, all the guff about the out-half becomes academic.

Exactly - easy and consistent access to our half/22 will be much more problematic than an off day at ten. TOT has been brilliant against France in the past, but with all the swapping sides etc will he be the best option? I dunno, but Clarkson got munched by Nicky Smith.

Does the Triple Crown not count as a title any more?

let's be honest - it shouldn't

We are the current holders of the Six Nations Championship, the Triple Crown, the Millennium trophy, the Centenary Quaich the Admiral Brown Cup and the Lansdowne Cup. Of those I would argue that only the Six Nations Championship is a title and we have not won that this season (at least not yet). But would be interested to hear other views.

It definitely meant something well into the professional era though. By the end of the amateur era we'd only won it four times.

We've now won it eight times in the 6N era (the most of any of the nations who can win it - England next on 5), so it's probably lost a lot of its gloss because of that. But it's still a hard trophy to win.

So Prendergast's 50/22 played no role in the scoring of the second try?

if we lose against France (they are a good team) which means we will probably not win the 6N Cup should we celebrate the triple crown and a successful campaign?

Exclusive: Christophe Ridley has been in camp with England, advising around refereeing matters and officiating.It is bearing fruit. In the two Six Nations victories - both won by a single point - England have conceded fewer penalties than the opposition. from the Telegraph

Maybe he wanted Ireland to lose ! This is a clear conflict of interest and should not be allowed to do both

Just nonsense. ROG was not great in defence but is right up there with our greatest OHs.