six nations

will ireland successfully defend there crown? i think england could be big opposition this year. johnny sexton going to be some addition though a real match winner

you think Johnny will get the nod? I think I'd go with him alright but it's great to have the two. I think Ireland are the best team and can win the championship. The Slam will be tough having to go to Paris with the French toning down on the experimentation. But we have the artillery, if the older brigade can hang tough for another year.

Team for Saturday

Ireland: R Kearney, T Bowe, B O'Driscoll, G D'Arcy, A Trimble, R O'Gara, T O'Leary; C Healy, J Flannery, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, P'Connell, K McLaughlin, D Wallace, J Heaslip.
Replacements: R Best, T Court, L Cullen, S O'Brien, E Reddan, P Wallace, K Earls.

Sexton out with a dead leg in training, and no Ferris which is the bigger blow.


We have a good chance of another Championship but the Slam maybe beyond us. The French game is the key.
On their day the French are unbeatable but to often lately the have been poor.

They don't have a fly half as good as the Irish and Lievremont tends to be a bit ropey when making decisions.

The Welsh are the other team that can win the Championship. A team full of class players who if they get their heads right are as good as anybody.

England are all huff and puff. Crash ball up the middle all day unless Johnson changes his mindset radically from the Autumn Internationals.
Wilkinson back will be a help but even he won't get them going.
Borthwick as captain says it all.

Scotland are still struggling to get back to the level they once were. The two Evans, Ford and Hines are the only players to worry the other teams unfortunately that is not enough.

Ireland to win the Championship and the triple Crown but lose in Paris

The key to our success is the scrum and the lineout, we have to be able to get good ball away and not always on the back foot. The lineout has always been our traditional strong point but recently the scrum has been very poor and other teams target us as a weakness.
And if you ask me the problem is tighthead, John Hayes yes he is a hero and has been inexpendable to Ireland in recent years, but at his age now he cannot last the full 80 minutes and we simply do not have a good option to bring on.

Tom Court yes is the back up at the moment and this brings me on to another topic altogether, foreign players being drafted in for this position. Tom Court plays at Loose head for Ulster because BJ Botha plays tighthead for them...Leinster, the two tight heads props are Van De Linde and Stanley Wright. Until the IRFU get their finger out and and give Irish players some game time for their provinces in these crucial positions we will have to rely on John Hayes

great games from heaslip wallace and o driscill worrying to see england do so well against wales

Wales lost two of the Lions front row in the days leading up to the game and that was crucial as it was up front England won the game.

I wouldn't be too worried about us, we were rusty but had the game won. I'm hoping that it was also a case of keeping the powder dry. We have to be a little bit more ambitious and I think we will be next week. I hope so anyway

what you think of trimble ogie? good to see him back

I rate him, although Earls is a more exciting runner. I'd have thought Trimble might have been sounder defensively but I just have the feeling that the shackles might come off for Ireland 2moro

Got a bit of a hiding yesterday. Hope they can bounce back for the England one.

england look very ordinary.what was flannery at,should have got a yellow at least

flannery will be in trouble for that,ireland to win the triple crown,england are no good,lucky against italy

we hardly shone against italy either, how does paddy wallace get a game for ireland??? hopeless..

flannery is banned Any one know for how long?

six weeks..

Ireland's play improved considerably against Italy when Wallace came in at 10. He's a fine play-making inside centre, great hands, he is, however a bit light. And you could say nothing about him on the time he had against a rampant French team

Will Reddan and Sexton get the nod against England? Like anything, you need your pack to be on top if your half backs and outside backs are to prosper

I fear for the lineout without Flannery. But no complaints about the 6 weeks.

In Fairness now i thought flan the man deserved it! it was some kick!

T'was a pity it wasnt Thierry Henry that got the boot !!!!

Best should do okay though i hope!

up she flew. our dog has her.ireland will win triple crown at ease

Nothing easy about that, but all the sweeter for it. Hope BOD will be ok for the Welsh game.

He's grand, he was out on the pitch after the game. It was just precautionary. He puts himself in harms way all the time, so it's some bad luck that it was big Paulie's knee that did for him

good to see keith earls playing well and tommy bowe getting back to his best, o`leary wasn`t great will eoin readin get a shot here?

Jaysus I wouldn't think Reddan would have a prayer now... Mossie was so physical, his delivery was quicker than against France (not hard admittedly), and his pace is serious; seen when setting up Bowe's try, and the amount of times he covered back.I thought he did well to be honest. Reddan's a good player too but i think he'll have to bide his time now.

I Think he should stick with Thomas he showed a great improvement on the French match. Hope Bowe and Earls get plenty of ball.

Great win on Saturday, great display from Earls and O'Leary. Hoping for something really special for the last one in Croker.

Monday now and I still cant believe they didn't beat Scotland.

I was at it; they showed Scotland no respect and paid the penalty. A valuable lesson. I'd say they're more pissed at that and losing the game than losing the Triple Crown. No atmosphere at the game. It was brutal to be honest.