Fifteen month and counting

[Ricardowensleydale]

With the completion of the 6 nations and the next Lions tour about 15 months away who has either raised their hands to the selectors saying "Keep an eye on me over the next year" or for the more established players saying "Don't forget about me".

The list below is a selection of the players from the recently finished 6 nations with those in bold who I though merited attention. This is based just on the 6 nations and not on past performances.

Those listed in red are not considered fit to represent our nations.

Forwards 1. Healy (Ire) / Corbisiero (Eng) / Jenkins (Wal) / Jacobsen (Sco)
2. Owens (Wal) / Hartley (Eng) / Ford (Sco)/ Best (ire)
3. Jones (Wal) / Cole(Eng) / Ross (Ire) / Cross (Sco)
4. Gray (Sco) / Botha (Eng) / Alan Wyn Jones (Wal) / O'Callaghan (Ire)
5. Parling (Eng) / Evans (Wal) / O'Connell (Ire) / Hamilton (Sco)
6. Lydiate (Wal) / Croft (Eng) / Ferris (Ire) / Barclay (Sco)
7. Warburton (Wal) / Robshaw (Eng) / O'Brien (Ire) /
8. Denton (Sco) / Morgan (Eng) / Faletau (Wal) / Heaslip (Ire)

Half backs 9. Dickson (Eng) / Murray (Ire) / Phillips (Wal) /Blair (Sco)
10.Farrell (Eng) / Priestland (Wal) / Sexton (Ire) / Laidlaw (Sco)


Backs 11. Strettle (Eng) / North (Wal) / Trimble (Ire) / Evans (Sco)
12. Barritt (Eng) / Roberts (Wal) / D'Arcy (Ire) / Lamont(Sco)
13. Tuilagi (Eng) / Davies (Wal) / Earls (Ire) / De Luca (Sco)
14. Ashton (Eng) / Cuthbert (Wal) / Bowe (Ire) / Jones (Sco)
15. Foden (Eng) / Halfpenny (Wal) / Hogg (Sco) / Kearney (Ire)


Honourable mentions to Ryan (Ire), Tipuric (Wal) and Shingler (Wal) for single or two game performances.

Seems we are pretty well covered at FB and No8 but I wasn't convinced that any of the centres had an outstanding tournament. I suspect there will be criticism for not highlighting Sexton but I remain to be convinced. Robshaw had a good tournament as a leader but I didn't think he was outstanding as a player.

If I had to choose now I would probably have North and Bowe on the wing and thought Kearney was probably the safest FB (although I missed today's game) but find it difficult not to find a place for Halfpenny who would probably be in with a shout for player of the tournament.

 

[RobLev]

With the completion of the 6 nations and the next Lions tour about 15 months away who has either raised their hands to the selectors saying "Keep an eye on me over the next year" or for the more established players saying "Don't forget about me".

The list below is a selection of the players from the recently finished 6 nations with those in bold who I though merited attention. This is based just on the 6 nations and not on past performances.

Those listed in red are not considered fit to represent our nations.

Forwards 1. Healy (Ire) / Corbisiero (Eng) / Jenkins (Wal) / Jacobsen (Sco)
2. Owens (Wal) / Hartley (Eng) / Ford (Sco)/ Best (ire)
3. Jones (Wal) / Cole(Eng) / Ross (Ire) / Cross (Sco)
4. Gray (Sco) / Botha (Eng) / Alan Wyn Jones (Wal) / O'Callaghan (Ire)
5. Parling (Eng) / Evans (Wal) / O'Connell (Ire) / Hamilton (Sco)
6. Lydiate (Wal) / Croft (Eng) / Ferris (Ire) / Barclay (Sco)
7. Warburton (Wal) / Robshaw (Eng) / O'Brien (Ire) /
8. Denton (Sco) / Morgan (Eng) / Faletau (Wal) / Heaslip (Ire)

Half backs 9. Dickson (Eng) / Murray (Ire) / Phillips (Wal) /Blair (Sco)
10.Farrell (Eng) / Priestland (Wal) / Sexton (Ire) / Laidlaw (Sco)


Backs 11. Strettle (Eng) / North (Wal) / Trimble (Ire) / Evans (Sco)
12. Barritt (Eng) / Roberts (Wal) / D'Arcy (Ire) / Lamont(Sco)
13. Tuilagi (Eng) / Davies (Wal) / Earls (Ire) / De Luca (Sco)
14. Ashton (Eng) / Cuthbert (Wal) / Bowe (Ire) / Jones (Sco)
15. Foden (Eng) / Halfpenny (Wal) / Hogg (Sco) / Kearney (Ire)


Honourable mentions to Ryan (Ire), Tipuric (Wal) and Shingler (Wal) for single or two game performances.

Seems we are pretty well covered at FB and No8 but I wasn't convinced that any of the centres had an outstanding tournament. I suspect there will be criticism for not highlighting Sexton but I remain to be convinced. Robshaw had a good tournament as a leader but I didn't think he was outstanding as a player.

If I had to choose now I would probably have North and Bowe on the wing and thought Kearney was probably the safest FB (although I missed today's game) but find it difficult not to find a place for Halfpenny who would probably be in with a shout for player of the tournament.

They're still finding bits of the Irish pack in the turf at Twickenham, and you've only got one English tight five forward - and his direct Irish opponent?

 

[Account Deleted]

Healy; NO WAY (although it's only the Aussie front 5).

 

[Ricardowensleydale]

Healy; NO WAY (although it's only the Aussie front 5).

I must admit my knowledge of forward skills is limited to watching so rather than highlighting my failures (I have a wife for that) who did you think was worth a mention

 

[Account Deleted]

But your wife does not post here so the job had to be delegated!

Either of the other two LH props that you mentioned are better props. Healy carries on the fine Irish tradition of Irish props that Tom Hayes was a leading light in. Props who cant scrummage.

 

[didds]

Given Healy was royally stuffed by Cole, and Corbisiero has got better and better all 6N, I would have to disagree entirely with the Healy and Corb suggestions (or non-suggestions as it were).

 

[L'irlandais]

But your wife does not post here so the job had to be delegated!

Either of the other two LH props that you mentioned are better props. Healy carries on the fine Irish tradition of Irish props that Tom Hayes was a leading light in. Props who cant scrummage.

Tom Hayes plays in the second row! (Or was that meant to be a dig at his brother?)

Lions tour will have plenty of Irish players. Doubts still surround inconsistent England, since most referees would not allow Corbisiero to bore-in without sanctioning it.

 

[Account Deleted]

Tom Hayes plays in the second row! (Or was that meant to be a dig at his brother?)

Lions tour will have plenty of Irish players. Doubts still surround inconsistent England, since most referees would not allow Corbisiero to bore-in without sanctioning it.

Sorry John Hayes indeed. One of the worst props ever to get a cap. A truly dreadful player.

 

[L'irlandais]

Please! John Hayes has played for several clubs in his time.(Too many to list...)
There are certainly alot of folks who will not agree with you on that point.

217 caps for Munster during which he won three Celtic Leagues, a Celtic Cup and two memorable Heineken Cups.
105 caps for Ireland during which he won four Triple Crowns and a first Grand Slam for over sixty years.
Two World Cup appearances and a few outings for The Lions.

That's an awful lot of rugby to have played without any of the trainers (Ian McGeechan for example) cottoning on to the fact the guy was rubbish in the front row.

 

[Account Deleted]

His record says more about the alternatives available to Ireland.

A few Lions appearances.Appearances that spoke for themselves. He's no scrummager and never was.

 

[didds]

Sorry John Hayes indeed. One of the worst props ever to get a cap. A truly dreadful player.

Peter Wright anyone?

didds

 

[Skids]

Interested why you think Ashton not worthy of representing his country.

 

[Dixie]

Interested why you think Ashton not worthy of representing his country.

Petulant, ill-disciplined, had an indifferent 6N that set nothing and no-one alight - which merely reaffirms the form he displayed at the RWC. Why would anyone put him forward based on his exploits this season (as opposed to last)?

It's not necessarily that Ashton is not worthy; just that others seem more worthy.

 

[Account Deleted]

Peter Wright anyone?

didds

Agreed.

 

[Ricardowensleydale]

Interested why you think Ashton not worthy of representing his country.

I didn't say he wasn't worthy I said he wasn't fit.
Maybe I'm a little old fashioned but he offends me.
Top players need a bit of arrogance, in which case he should be the best player of all time.
In additon, as Dixie said, he is petulant, ill-disciplined and is willing to drag people along by their hair.

Do you want him representing you?