Last chance for wins over France and England? (Picture from rugbypicture.co.uk)
The good old Six Nations Championship has rolled round yet again and it remains a competition that is high in Ireland’s list of measurable successes. As Declan Kidney says,
The RBS 6 Nations Championship remains one of the best tournaments in world rugby. We will be treating it as a separate entity from what happens over the rest of the year and focus on building on the positives from November for the Championship.
Reading between the lines and looking at the aging squad, rolled out yet again, it looks to me as though Kidney reckons that there is (at least) one more “last hurrah” left in the bruised and aching bodies of his select few.
It’s a big gamble in my opinion, but one that may just work. Ireland have the tricky fixtures of England and France at home and given that as many as 10 or 12 of the existing squad could be retiring or discarded after the World Cup and the possibility of a further four or five moving abroad as the Irish economy continues to bite this championship may be the last chance for many of this squad to record wins over their chief rivals.
Kidney has, with the above statement, left all his options open for the World Cup and as games tick on leaving fewer opportunities to introduce alternative players it is starting to look more and more as though the “development” will be done during the World Cup for Ireland as they begin the long task of nurturing “The Golden Generation Mark 2”.
It seems somewhat ironic to say that Ireland’s thoughts are finally moving away from the parochial European competitions by trying to win this one, but if they do intend to, finally, try and compete properly on the World stage they must first show that they can be masters in their their own back yard and a second Grand Slam in three years would be just the ticket.
Win a Grand Slam and then announce it’s time to re-develop the squad with our eyes set firmly on the big prize some time down the line – who is going to argue?
Conversely, should this squad of aging legends fail in the Six Nations, then Kidney gets a free hand for a clear out accompanied by an immediate lowering of World Cup expectations!
Who said those Turnips aren’t clever folk! The worst thing that can happen now is we finish a battling second! 
IRELAND SQUAD (2011 RBS 6 Nations Championship):
Backs (13)- Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster), Gavin Duffy (Connacht), Keith Earls (Munster), Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster), Shane Horgan (Leinster), Ronan O’Gara (Munster), Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster), Eoin Reddan (Leinster), Jonathan Sexton (Leinster), Peter Stringer (Munster), Andrew Trimble (Ulster), Paddy Wallace (Ulster).
Forwards (19)- Rory Best (Ulster), Tom Court (Ulster), Sean Cronin (Connacht), Leo Cullen (Leinster), Stephen Ferris (Ulster), Jerry Flannery (Munster), John Hayes (Munster), Cian Healy (Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster), Shane Jennings (Leinster), Denis Leamy (Munster), Mike McCarthy (Connacht), Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster), Paul O’Connell (Munster), Sean O’Brien (Leinster), Mick O’Driscoll (Munster), Mike Ross (Leinster), Rhys Ruddock (Leinster), David Wallace (Munster).
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One Response to “Ireland Squad for Six Nations”
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In the backs only two real question marks –Duffy and Horgan but given Kearney or Murphy are out Duffy is the only natural full back Earls and Fitzgerald can cover the position but front line No1s BIG ???
similiarly Fitzgerald had a mare of a game last Saturday
Is D’Arcy Fit he didn’t feature in the ERC game ?
Forwards is Flannery fit ? and to be totally honest Hayes is well past his capping date but maybe in the squad to pass on his experience as a tackle bag bench man.
Cullen is a fine Magners forward but much to light weight to be considered an International . He is also a liability if a referee starts to watch him – his speciality is coming in from the side and falling over the wrong side of the ball by inviting the opposition to grab him . But might again only be there for the practice sessions
Like wise Mick O’D while he performs well at Magners he has never convinced me he is really International standard.
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