THIS WEEK, WE filled the kettle, rolled out the Jammie Dodgers (and pulled a Welshman out of Wetherspoons) to conduct our first round-table Six Nations chat of the year.
In the green corner, Egg of WhiffofCordite.com was standing up for all thing Irish (never, ever, badmouth potato bread in front of him) and in the red we had Woodster from The-Coal-Face.co.uk (who is surprisingly easy to understand despite talking through a gigantic plastic daffodil)
Once we had figured out a fair way to distribute the last remaining centilitre of milk things calmed down and we got chatting rugby…
Woodster: I’m in no rush, I’m eating lunch in a Wetherspoons of all places
Egg: nice!
TheScore: Now lads, how confident do ye feel going into the Six Nations next week?
Egg: Its a strange place for Ireland – Deccie has made a statement with Jamie as captain and a new leadership corps (Jamie, Sexton, Ran, SOB) – its dissipated quite a bit of the lasts days in Paris feel.
It look like a torch has been handed over. So that’s exciting ….. but we’d still need to be convinced on the coacing ticket – it looks a bit of a mess
Woodster: From my end: my heart and head are saying two wildly different things. Obviously our form for the last 10 months has been absolutely atrocious, but Wales are at their best when there is no pressure on them. So I’m really all over the place, it could go either way.
Egg: Wales are dangerous.
I think this is a 2.5 tier 6N: France and England will expect to win, Wales and Ireland hope to win and Scotlad and Italy are hopeless.
Woodster: Egg, what are your thoughts on the Heaslip captaincy? Strengthens his case as Lions skipper too?
Egg: Heaslip – I think its a positive move. Heaslip is a new broom. It’s generated quite a lot of heat in the meeja here, but a portion of that is based on difficulies with Heaslip as a person imho.
BOD won’t be around forever – perhaps a matter of months. POC is increasingly injury prone.
It helps a case for Lions… if Ireland do well! He’s the kind of player Gatty might like though.
Woodster: The media aren’t happy? Is that because it’s perceived as being unfair on BOD?
Egg: Some loud (and ill-informed) journos aren’t happy. And some feel BOD should be offered the chance to leave when he wants.
Partly, Heaslip an be somewhat of a divisive figure here.
What about the Welsh armband – does the captain merit a place in the XV?
Woodster: I think that’s part of the issue with Irish rugby and perhaps one of the good things about the Welsh Gatland regime. Kidney has in the past been far too sentimental (DOC anyone?) whereas Gatland doesn’t appear to have that problem as much. Sounds like Kidney’s sorted himself out though.
Welsh armband – personally I wouldn’t start Sam. I love him to bits, but if you are going to select on form, he doesn’t merit inclusion.
Tipuric is the best 7 in Wales, and Sam is the second or third best 6 at best.
Egg: Big call ….. What about lock and 10 – injuries there.
Woodster: If we just select Sam because he is captain, what is that saying to Tipuric?
Lock is an absolute disaster, last year we suddenly had an embarrassment of riches at lock, but they’re now all injured!
Egg: I get that ….. but intangibles like leadership are worth something too.
Its a good dilemma!
Woodster: Yeah, but what has Sam led us to recently? We haven’t won a proper test since the France game.
I worry a bit about Ryan Jones at lock, he’s mobile but I don’t think he has the physical presence to really assert himself.
Egg: Good point - lucky Irish locks aren’t brutes either – but vs France or England ….
Woodster: Exactly, I don’t think Jones is quite tall enough, and also he just seems like too nice a guy. We need a meanie in the boiler room.
10 is a massive issue, and I’m no closer to solving that particular dilemma.
Egg: Ireland have injuries too but replacements are obvious – the Ireland XV can be predicted.
TheScore: That run of form is intriguing, Wales are on this losing streak for almost a year. Meanwhile, Ireland’s is almost as bad (except for one display against Argentina). Yet there seems a perception that the ‘new broom’ has Ireland on an upward curve.
Woodster: The trouble is, we’ve basically played Australia, Australia and Australia! It may have been different if we’d toured somewhere else last summer.
But don’t get me started on that tour, I’m just about getting over it.
Egg: That’s true – changes in the captain and lieutenant structure have helped.
As have exciting youngsters like Gilroy. Ireland seem to have more possibilities than last year, then they looked pretty tired.
Woodster: So you’ve got Heaslip leading from the front, who’s going to provide the creativity behind this time around?
Egg: Sexton. He’s the key man.
Woodster: I rate him very highly. Lions 10.
Egg: If Sexton can get good service from Murray and the pack – Ireland are in business.
If he doesn’t …… we aren’t.
Woodster: What I’m really impressed with is how he used to be a bit shakey and you used to be able to ruffle his feathers – not any more.
Egg: He’s grown visibly – and the run of starts has helped massively. We said two years ago, chopping and changing was a road to nowhere, and so it proved.
Woodster: And what concerns me is that with him behind an international pack, we’ll struggle to provide a 10 to compete with him…. Forgive my ignorance, has O’Gara retired yet? (from international rugby obv).
TheScore: Ha, don’t let him hear you say that!
Egg: He hasn’t! He is still first reserve, but his cameos in November were poor.
Jackson, who was next, has ben dropped by Ulster. Madigan might come in,but expect a ROG-ful bench.
Woodster: Hmmm, you don’t think there’s a benefit in the experience he can provide in the last 10?
Egg: I don’t think any more tbh – that ship has sailed. If we don’t play Madigan/Jackson off the bench now, then when?
Who are the contenders for Wales 10? And who would you pick?
Woodster: I totally agree about the Madigan and Jackson, don’t get me started on ROG, anyway!
Straight shoot between Biggar and Hook. Aaaaand it’s a really really tough call.
The trouble is, by all accounts Hook is playing well in the Top 14. But a cursory glance at that table tells me that Perpignan aren’t exactly pulling up any trees.
Hook is the risky option but can potentially be a match-winner, Biggar is the safe option but perhaps isn’t going to do enough. Considering the fact that we don’t have a massively creative backline we may well need a creative option at 10.
It’s so tough. I’d probably go with Biggar as I feel he’s earned his opportunity. He’s been one of the top 10′s in the Pro 12/Magners League for quite some time.
Egg: Agreed – Hook seems too nice for international rugger. Biggar has piloted the Ospreys well – he deserves a shot.
Woodster: Definitely, and maybe he’s not good enough. But he’s never had the opportunity to prove it and he deserves it. He’s always been played in the mickey mouse autumn games. I’d give him the shirt against Ireland and say, ‘show me what you can do’.
Egg: This is why I am worried about Wales – the “show me what you can do” factor. Ireland are quite a known side, Wales can do anything.
TheScore: We’ve talked about some lack of organisation in Ireland’s back room. But, what state is Wales’?
Woodster: Well, who knows? Howley admitted today that the way the autumn went from an organisational point of view wasn’t very positive. Obviously we’re massively disrupted by this Lions sabbatical, and it’s caused all sorts of problems behind the scenes, there are obviously some issues with Sean Edwards. I’ll be blunt too: Howley is not a very good coach and I think we are hamstrung by him. If you look at the Autumn performances, they only improved when Gatland took back the mantle. It’s surprising that coaching can play such a fundamental role in the success of a team but it clearly does
So, I’m not sure what state they’re in, but I’m not sure how well Howley is respected by the players. They appear to really fear Gatland, and perhaps that’s an age thing, as Howley probably played a few of the older heads in the twilight of his career
Egg: Yes – Howley is not up to it. You feel if Wales do well it will be in spite of him. To flesh out the Irish comments, the coaching team has hd a sticking plaster for a while. The comparison to the Kidney-Smal-Kiss axis of ’09 is stark.
TheScore: Mark Jones is in, will he be any help?
Woodster: Again, I’m at risk of saying something controversial, but I don’t believe Mark Jones will be any help whatsoever. He was a decent player who never set the world alight and he’s skills coach for the Scarlets who are having a poor season. Sadly this appointment smacks of ‘jobs for the boys’ and until Wales get over that concept then they will often be undone by it
Egg: The players said how the November camp was the best in a long time – that’s a positive. The coaches clearly know it is urgent that they turn things around, and have made changes, which is positive, but there is an air of lameduckery that will only increase if they start poorly.
TheScore: Nearly there now, lads. give us a quick-fire run down on who you think will start in Cardiff on Saturday.
Woodster: 1. Jenkins 2. Hibbard 3.A.Jones 4. R.Jones 5. I.Evans 6. Warburton 7. Tipuric 8. Faletau 9. Phillips 10. Biggar 11. North 12. Roberts 13. Davies 14. Cuthbert 15. Halfpenny
I’d prefer Pretorius at 8 and Shingler at 6
Egg: Kearney, Zebo, BOD (injury permitting, otherwise Earls), Dorce, Fitzgerald, Sexton, Murray. Healy, Best, Ross, Ryan, McCarthy, O’Mahoney (in for Henry, and a shocking selection that may lose us the game), O’Brien, Heaslip.
TheScore: Luke F back in action straight away?
Egg: Zebo pipping Gilroy, and Fitzgerald on other wing. I feel so – he has that bit of experience. Zebo is in better form than Gilroy right now. Fitzgerald looks sparkling.
Woodster: He’s quite a talent.
TheScore: And finally; a (very scientific) exact score prediction?.
Egg: Wales 23-19 Ireland. Ireland to be undoneby 3 familiar weaknesses – slow starts (see 2012 6N, NZ tour, 2012 Nov series), recent poor record vs the Welsh, and one clanger of a selection to start up
Woodster: Depends for me on who starts at 10 for us: If biggar starts I’d go for 20-18 with either side capable of winning. With Hook at 10 it could be a try-fest for us or for you. I realise I’m not actually giving you a prediction. So I’ll stop speaking and go with my heart. Wales 25-21 Ireland
Egg: Do you want an overall prediction?
TheScore: Yeah, tournament kick off and all that: Who’ll win that big shiny trophy… and will there be a slam?
Woodster: It pains me to say it, but England look good and I think they’ll win the trophy but won’t get the Grand Slam.
Egg: France – they looked the best in the NH in Nov. A baton has been passed – and we re uber-excited about Fofana and Freddy. They will win 4 games (lose to England) but beat England on points diff. We think Ireland will beat England and win 3 games, as will Wales. Scoland-Italy ….. who knows ….. Scotland are at home so they will probably win but I’d love to see Parisse wipe that smug grin off Scott Johnson’s face!
Woodster: DITTO! Scott Johnson’s name is mud in Wales. I’ll certainly drink to that
Whiff: Slainte! (and whatever you say in Wales)
Woodster: Cheers butt.
Egg: Enjoy the game Woodster and TheScore.
Woodster: You enjoy the game too, Egg. May the best team win.
Egg: Hope i’m wrong on the score!
Woodster:: Ta ra lads
Egg: bibiibibibibib
….And with that, they fizzled back into the ethernet cable from whence they came.
