@Crucial said in 6 Nations 2019:

@Machpants said in 6 Nations 2019:

@Derm-McCrum So if Ireland smash England, do they take top in the world rankings? Either way they'll have it by the end of the tournament

Edit. No where near, I thought incorrectly the opening game is in England.

1 New Zealand 92.54
2 Ireland 91.48 (+0.31)
3 Wales 87.24
4 England 85.91 (-0.31)

No. Ireland beating Eng by over 15 still has them over a point behind NZ.

England can overtake Ireland with a 15+ win

If Ireland win all their games they may top the rankings but it is hard to calc that without guessing other outcomes.

Do I detect some nervousness amongst the Fern brethren?

Wasps seem determined to hoover up as many NZ players as they can for next season - kind of surprising given the restrictions - although maybe not if Brexit frees them up from having to abide by EU rules on numbers of Aus/NZ players in match-day squads.

@Bones said in 6 Nations 2019:

These seem like bloody massive squads. Is this typical? Do they get trimmed before the competition?

Schmidt likes to involve new players in the squad camp environment even if they just have oppo roles to give them a taste. Some players are let back to provinces if there's a PRO14 game coming up and they're not in game plans so the provinces aren't short-handed unnecessarily. He may still lose one or two with a European final round this weekend, and another PRO14 game before the 6N starts.

@Catogrande

True - I've been shouting T Farrell's name since last season - partnering with Aki has done him a power of good, but he's really come into his own this season even with Aki out. Carty has been near faultless in his 16 appearances so far in 2018/19, and Blade and himself have a very good partnership. Whether Schmidt selects them is another matter, but I'd hope the Italian game at least might give them some time on the pitch.

Ireland squad named for 6N rounds 1&2 and as I’d hoped Connacht form players rewarded with inclusion - Dillane back in favour and newbies Blade/Carty - halfbacks and Tom Farrell midfielder.:

Hookers
Rory Best (Ulster/Banbridge) 113 caps Captain
Sean Cronin (Leinster/St Mary's College) 65 caps
Niall Scannell (Munster/Dolphin) 11 caps

LH/TH
Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 84 caps
Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians) 24 caps
Jack McGrath (Leinster/St Marys College) 53 caps
Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 28 caps
Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 11 caps
John Ryan (Munster/Cork Constitution) 16 caps

Locks
Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 4 caps
Ultan Dillane (Connacht/Corinthians) 11 caps
Iain Henderson (Ulster/Queens University) 42 caps
James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 13 caps
Devin Toner (Leinster/Lansdowne) 63 caps

Backrowers
Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 11 caps
Jordi Murphy (Ulster/Lansdowne) 26 caps
Sean O'Brien (Leinster/UCD) 52 caps
Peter O'Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 52 caps (vc)
Rhys Ruddock (Leinster/St Mary's College) 21 caps
CJ Stander (Munster/Shannon) 28 caps
Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 13 caps

Scrum-halves
Caolin Blade (Connacht/Galwegians) 0 caps
John Cooney (Ulster/Terenure College) 4 caps
Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 67 caps

10s
Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 16 caps
Jack Carty (Connacht/Buccaneers) 0 caps
Jonathan Sexton (Leinster/St Marys College) 78 caps (vc)

Centres
Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 12 caps
Chris Farrell (Munster/Young Munster) 3 caps
Tom Farrell (Connacht/TBC) 0 caps
Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers) 36 caps
Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 17 caps

Back-three
Will Addison (Ulster/Enniskillen) 3 caps
Andrew Conway (Munster/Garryowen) 10 caps
Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster) 72 caps
Rob Kearney (Leinster/UCD) 87 caps
Jordan Larmour (Leinster/St Mary's College) 9 caps
Jacob Stockdale (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 14 caps

As an initial stab, here’s my guess for Ireland squad with a couple of options in 2-3 positions - all coming from Connacht who have improved greatly this season.

With Luke McGrath definitely out, and a question mark over when Kieran Marmion can return, his understudy, Caolin Blade at Connacht should be a deserved shout. Blade and outhalf Jack Carty have been the best form halfback pairing of the Irish teams this season in my view. And if we lose a 10 between now and Japan, Carty is well-worth considering as a back-up. Ultan Dillane has recovered some of his earlier career form and could oust his Connacht team-mate Quinn Roux to get a lock spot. Ditto Finlay Bealham instead of Munster’s Kilcoyne. One other Connacht player who might be considered is midfielder, Tom Farrell, who partners Aki in the Westerners first team.

Hookers: Best, Cronin, Scannell.
LH: Healy, McGrath, Kilcoyne/Bealham,
TH: Furlong, Porter, John Ryan.
Locks: James Ryan, Toner, Beirne, Henderson, Dillane/Roux.
Back-rowers: SOB, POM, Stander, vdF, Conan, Murphy, Leavy, Ruddock.
Scumhalves: Murray, Cooney, Marmion/Blade.
Outhalves: Sexton, Carbery, Byrne/Carty.
Centres: Henshaw, Aki, Ringrose, Chris Farrell/Tom Farrell
Back three: Conway, Stockdale, Earls, R Kearney, Larmour, Addison.

@Yeah-The-Boys said in 2019 Rugby World Cup:

I think that the final will be between us (New Zealand) and Ireland too. These will probably be the players in each team's match-day 23 permitting fitness.

I don’t.
Ireland RWC 31:

Forwards 17

1. Cian Healy - Dave Kilcoyne - Finlay Bealham
2. Rory Best - Sean Cronin - Niall Scannell
3. Tadgh Furlong - Andrew Porter - (Bealham)
4. Devin Toner - Iain Henderson
5. James Ryan - Tadgh Beirne
6. Peter O'Mahony - (Beirne - vdF)
7. Josh van der Flier - Dan Leavy - (SOB)
8. CJ Stander - Sean O’Brien

Backs: 14
9. Conor Murray - Kieran Marmion - John Cooney
10. Johnny Sexton - Joey Carbery (Cooney)
11. Jacob Stockdale - Jordan Larmour
12. Robbie Henshaw - Bundee Aki
13. Garry Ringrose - Will Addison (Henshaw - Aki)
14. Keith Earls - Andrew Conway - (Addison)
15. Rob Kearney - (Larmour - Conway - Addison)

@Yeah-The-Boys

And?

Leinster playing Toulouse in the one of the games of Round 5 in Heineken Cup tomorrow. The French won by a point in Round 2, and a win at RDS should give them a chance of a home quarterfinal. Leinster have it all to do whilst missing Jack McGrath, Toner, SOB, Leavy, Sexton, Henshaw and R Kearney to injury and Lowe on a ban.

Still should be a great match looking forward to being there.

@Bones said in Exodus 2019:

I'm intrigued as to how he's making his name. I never hear anything about him. Interesting how he's a trailblazer...doing pretty much exactly what Evans did - except Evans was much more successful and popular.

This. I don't get the hype for Piutau at all. Wasps fans loved him for the bonus year they got when he was left without a SR contract. It was Ulster who signed him to move North in the first instance - and in my view - got the least value from him. They're raving about him at Bristol Bears where Lam has set up an overseas NZ community.