With a stable, if somewhat aged, squad, how will Ireland fair in this years Six Nations, without arguably their greatest player of all time
Last Year: Third
Fixtures:
Sun 5th Feb 15:00 Ireland v Wales
Sat 11th Feb 20:00 France v Ireland
Sat 25th Feb 13:30 Ireland v Italy
Sat 10th Mar 17:00 Ireland v Scotland
Sat 17th Mar 17:00 England v Ireland
Coming into this tournament the word categorising Ireland seems to be stability - a good solid World Cup, with no repeat of the horrors of 2007, but could perhaps have been so much more, with a wonderful win over Australia followed by a defeat by Wales when they rather seemed to freeze. The club sides have continued to fair well in the Heineken Cup, setting Ireland in good stead for the Six Nations.
The fixture list is an interesting one - two tough opening games, followed by two home games that you would imagine would be a walk in the park (with all due respect to Scotland and Italy) then a St Patricks Day trip to Twickenham to conclude.
If Ireland have a good, stable squad there must be some concerns about its age - the legendary (and I think it is fair to say that) O'Driscoll is gone, and the rest are increasingly aging, so how will that effect Ireland? Whilst I doubt O'Driscoll's absence will effect Ireland themselves it is possible Irish fans don't appear to understand the psychological effect on the other teams of perhaps their greatest tormentor - you could put a wig on Gareth Chilcott, whack him in the number 13 jersey and put "B O'Driscoll" on the team sheet and it would be worth 7 points on its own. Beyond this there is a difficult balance between old players whose experience will pull them, and others, through but risks absence through injury, which could threaten to, if not decimate, then to seriously hamper their progress.
Overall, I believe Ireland will do reasonably well, though their apparent nemesis in France is still and issue, I think Ireland will rack up an impressive try count, and ultimately that will push them just beyond England (though I still believe England will be victorious at Twickenham) into second
What do you think? Where have I got it right and / or wrong?
Six Nations Preview - Ireland
posted on 25/1/12
SARS mate
This is inspired!
" Whilst I doubt O'Driscoll's absence will effect Ireland themselves it is possible Irish fans don't appear to understand the psychological effect on the other teams of perhaps their greatest tormentor - you could put a wig on Gareth Chilcott, whack him in the number 13 jersey and put "B O'Driscoll" on the team sheet and it would be worth 7 points on its own."
I have never thought about it that way before and to be fair its rather obvious, even without the ball the opposing defences are so often caught out watching what Brian is doing, covering him or at least attempting to do so.
For me its a toss up. Just yesterday Declan Kidney was quoted saying this after it was confirmed that Brian will not be playing any part in the team, not in the back room or carrying water like we so often see him do for Leinster and indeed Ireland in the past when injured.
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DK: “You don’t lose one of the best players in the world and it not have an effect on and off pitch.”
“He’s given everything to the team – and in future he’ll do so again. He knows someone has to come in and fill that 13 shirt, (and) sometimes by having him around that would make it harder.”
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Leinster have been used to dealing with his absence more often then not so they have coped well and kicked on but Ireland have never been without him for a 6 nations since he played his first in 1999. I dont know how we will cope. And if i go on previous times when he was missing for one game we usually lost.
I believe DK has got to choose Fergus McFadden at 13 or someone from leinster as its a unit that should not be a newly formed partnership but one which has had time to develop properly in leinster.
Earls on the left wing, bowe on the right and Kearney at FB. A young but experienced and talented back line.
We can't expect Sean O'Brian and Jamie Heaslip to do all our work for us, but if we lok at the players we have from 1 to 15 the team is not nearly as old as it would first appear. Looks like the old chestnut of ireland being old is a little over estimated: Our starting 15 are below. Most are mid 20's or below.
And a few are 30 give or take.
Healy
Cronin
Ross
DOC
POC
Ferris
O'Brian
Heaslip
Murray
Sexton
Earls
D'Arcy
McFadden
Bowe
Kearney
posted on 25/1/12
Actually take the youngster cronin out and insert Best.
I will take Experience and skill of Best over youth and exuberance
Also DOC is likly to be on the bench with another youngster coming in to replace him at Munster.