Article: The Original Rugby Championship - Six Nations 2016

Derm McCrum

Ireland's u'20 side to face Wales named: 

 
Wales have had the edge in the last two matches.
 
J Power (UCD/Leinster); M Byrne (Terenure/Leinster), S Daly (Cork Con/Munster), J Oâ€™Brien (UCD/Leinster), H Keen (UCD/(Leinster); J McPhillips (QUB/Ulster), J Poland (Cork Con/Munster); A Porter (UCD/Leinster), A McBurney (Ballymena/Ulster), C Oâ€™Donnell (Sligo/Connacht); P Claffey (Galwegians/Connacht), J Ryan (Lansdowne/UCD, capt); C Gallagher (Sligo/Connacht), W Connors (UCD/Leinster), M Deegan (Lansdowne/Leinster). 
Replacements: S Fenton (Young Munster/Munster), J Bollard (Dublin University/Leinster), C Kenny (Buccaneers/Connacht), S Oâ€™Connor (Cashel/Munster), K Brown (Shannon/Munster), S Kerins (Sligo/Connacht), B Connon (Newcastle Falcons), C Oâ€™Brien (Clontarf/Leinster).

Derm McCrum

Current 6 Nations champions, Ireland Women, start their SixNations against Wales on Saturday. Captain Niamh Briggs, hopes the newly world-ranked 4th side will continue their success in recent years. 
 
They have met on 20 previous occasions with Ireland Women winning seven and Wales thirteen, however Ireland have won the last four since Wales' 15-14 victory at Cross Keys in 2011.

Margin_Walker

It's a brave new world. Eng team for Scotland:
 
15. Mike Brown (vice captain, Harlequins, 43 caps) 14. Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, 15 caps) 13. Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby, 16 caps) 12. Owen Farrell (vice captain, Saracens, 35 caps) 11. Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs, 10 caps) 10. George Ford (Bath Rugby, 17 caps) 9. Danny Care (Harlequins, 53 caps) 1. Joe Marler (Harlequins, 37 caps) 2. Dylan Hartley (captain, Northampton Saints, 66 caps) 3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 56 caps) 4. Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 28 caps) 5. George Kruis (Saracens, 10 caps) 6. Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, 43 caps) 7. James Haskell (Wasps, 62 caps) 8. Billy Vunipola (vice captain, Saracens, 21 caps) Replacements 16. Jamie George (Saracens, 3 caps) 17. Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 27 caps) 18. Paul Hill (Northampton Saints, uncapped) 19. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, 42 caps) 20. Jack Clifford (Harlequins, uncapped) 21. Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers, 52 caps) 22. Alex Goode (Saracens, 19 caps) 23. Ollie Devoto (Bath Rugby, uncapped)

Catogrande

Sheesh! I hate to go on about it but... I'm going to. Moving Robshaw to 6 makes sense as that's what he really is as he has loads of experience, leadership and provides a deal of continuity, but to then replace him with Haskell who is if anything even less of a 7 than Robshaw just defies belief. Kvesic must be some bloody lothario to have shagged the wives of everybody on several selection committees. I sort of get that Haskell might be viewed as a stop gap, but why not play a genuine 7 and have Brand Haskell on the bench? Otherwise not too fussed with the selection (no cover for 13 aside) and all fairly predictable accordingly.

Margin_Walker

Yeah, I'm fine with it overall. Would have changed a few and had Kvesic involved, Mako starting and Daly/Itoje on the bench.
 
Will be more interesting to see how they actually end up playing. Looking forward to it.

SimonAdd

The Kvesic situation is so odd that I'm starting to think there's some widely-held knock on him that we as fans can't see when he plays. It reminds me of when Stuart Abbott was ignored by successive England coaches and it eventually came out that they considered him "too quiet". 
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Derm McCrum

Ireland senior team to play Wales on Sunday announced. 
15. Simon Zebo (Cork Con/Munster) 21 
14. Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster) 58 
13. Jared Payne (Ulster) 10 
12. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht) 15 
11. Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 46 
10. Jonathan Sexton (St Mary's College/Leinster) 56 
9. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 42

Jack McGrath (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 25
Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) 89 Captain
Nathan White (Connacht) 8
Mike McCarthy (Lansdowne/Leinster) 17
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 31
CJ Stander (Munster)*
Tommy O'Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster) 9
Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster) 80 Vice-Captain 
Replacements
Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 48
James Cronin (Dolphin/Munster) 2
Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 3
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster) 34
Rhys Ruddock (St Mary's College/Leinster) 6
Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht) 4
Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster) 25
David Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster) 
Very raw team in caps compared to Wales. Injuries haven't helped. Still, good to see some new names getting a run-out. 
Wales should take this one.

Derm McCrum

Good atmosphere at Donnybrook for the first of the 6N matches this weekend. Cracking match so far. 
Wales just took lead again in U20s match with a nicely taken try and soft hands from their back row. 
Ireland U20s 14 -20 Wales U20s. 
Plenty more tries in this one in the second half I think.

Catogrande

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Pot Hale" data-cid="556634" data-time="1454697418">
<div>
Ireland senior team to play Wales on Sunday announced. 
15. Simon Zebo (Cork Con/Munster) 21 
14. Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster) 58 
13. Jared Payne (Ulster) 10 
12. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht) 15 
11. Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 46 
10. Jonathan Sexton (St Mary's College/Leinster) 56 
9. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 42

Jack McGrath (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 25
Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) 89 Captain
Nathan White (Connacht) 8
Mike McCarthy (Lansdowne/Leinster) 17
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 31
CJ Stander (Munster)*
Tommy O'Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster) 9
Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster) 80 Vice-Captain 
Replacements
Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 48
James Cronin (Dolphin/Munster) 2
Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 3
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster) 34
Rhys Ruddock (St Mary's College/Leinster) 6
Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht) 4
Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster) 25
David Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster) 
Very raw team in caps compared to Wales. Injuries haven't helped. Still, good to see some new names getting a run-out. 
Wales should take this one.
</div>
</blockquote>
Zebo 15 and Payne in the centre? Why?

Derm McCrum

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Catogrande" data-cid="556653" data-time="1454712157">
Zebo 15 and Payne in the centre? Why?</blockquote>
 
Rob Kearney injured. Doesn't want to introduce McCloskey in first up match against Wales. Ringrose is also too raw. Wants to use established partnership and look to develop it more. Payne good at organising defence in midfield. He wants Henshaw to learn from him, I reckon. 
Pretty weakened team. There'll be holes for Wales to punch through.

antipodean

Kearney not on the field is a plus for Ireland. I'm sure Zebo won't run straight at the nearest defender.

Cookie

Excellent. Big cook-up for friends and family this afternoon- looks like Haggis is on the menu! 
Love playing and hopefully beating the sweaties in their back yard. Many moons ago in a long forgotten pub when first starting watching rugby, I was cheering Scotland as my second team. 
A nearby Scot sadly shook his head and informed me that he would never, in any circumstances, even upon pain of death, ever support England. 
I thanked him for putting me right, and I have deeply savoured/sadly mourned every win/loss ever since.

Derm McCrum

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="antipodean" data-cid="556735" data-time="1454739568">
Kearney not on the field is a plus for Ireland. I'm sure Zebo won't run straight at the nearest defender.</blockquote> 
Let's hope not. R Kearney has been off-form for quite some time. I had hoped that Payne might replace him rather than Zebo to allow midfield combos from Henshaw, McCloskey, Olding and Ringrose to develop - all of whom have been in good form for their provinces this season.

Glath

Italy look surprisingly good so far.

Derm McCrum

Italy looking very good. And not just Parisse. 
Good try from driving play but their kickers for both teams are terrible. 
Fra 5-8 Ita after 28 mins

Derm McCrum

Italian rush defence working well so far. 
And they win a holding on penalty in their 22. 
Italy fumble the lineout and give away a scrum on the right side of pitch halfway line.

Derm McCrum

4 waves of attack and France advance into 22 finally. They break right from a free kick and get the overlap and they're over. 
Difficult kick way out on right touch line for the French out half Sebastien Bezy. No luck. 
Fra 10-8 Ita.

Derm McCrum

Italian midfielders know how to step as they break through midfield but pass goes astray and France recover in their 22. Relieving kick to touch just short of halfway.

Derm McCrum

Parisse & Co know how to wind up the judging by the smile on Parisse's face as they win a penalty. 
Italian 10 misses. Nothing going through the sticks today. It'll have to be won by tries. 
Still 10-8 with two minutes to the break.

Derm McCrum

Italy go through the phases and make a break through midfield. Italian dots down but is inches short. France clear. Half time. 
Good game so far.

The Silver Fern

Article: The Original Rugby Championship - Six Nations 2016