With Six Nations on the horizon, OvallyBalls operatives have been sharpening their pencils (and their rapier-like wits).
Enzo’s Ireland squad
I’ll make tough choices and keep it to a lean-ish 36/37. However, I will do honourable mentions. The players will be in order from best to rest, where applicable. I’ll explain otherwise.
LHP: Healy, Kilcoyne, McGrath – JMcG has found a bit of form although the first two are miles ahead. Nods to Buckley and Eric O’Sullivan.
HK: Kelleher, Herring, Scannell – fuck it, chuck the kid in, he looks fantastic. Failing that it has to be Herring over Scannell.
THP: Furlong, Porter, O’Toole – first two miles ahead, pick themselves. O’Toole is not the third best THP in Ireland, John Ryan and Marty Moore are both better and, if it comes to starting a big game, they should leapfrog TO’T. But he has huge potential and should be in the group.
SR: Ryan, Henderson, Beirne, Kleyn – first two a good bit ahead. Beirne’s form has dipped a bit. Big Dev and Dillane and Roux are all fine but none have form that’s compelling enough to get rid of Kleyn, who has been good and put in one awesome performance against Sarries, which is hard to ignore. Still shouldn’t necessarily play, however.
BR: van der Flier, Doris, Stander, Ruddock, Connors, Deegan, O’Donoghue – no POM, he’s been shit for a year, everyone talks about his leadership so it’s time to have a word with himself and find some form. No room for sentiment. He’s not even next man in, Sean Reidy is the unluckiest guy to not make Enzo’s definitive group. First three would be my starters. Doris has to play.
SH: Cooney, Murray, Blade – self explanatory.
OH: Sexton, Ross Byrne, Burns – JS is still our best ten by miles, until Harry Byrne takes the shirt off him. Carbery would be ahead of Burns (definitely) and Byrne (probably? maybe? maybe not, actually) if fit. I’m as surprised as anyone to be pencilling in Billy Burns and, if Carty wasn’t playing like shit and Hanrahan was a bit more fit, I’d probably not have him.
CT: Ringrose, McCloskey, Henshaw, Aki – Chris Farrell and Luke Marshall are the unluckiest, maybe Tom Farrell too (injuries took away any chance he had). Ringrose is our best centre and my issue with him is that someone needs to tell him the expectation is that he’ll be the best in the world, or thereabouts, for the next few years so time to start playing like it. Given his form since the WC, maybe that conversation took place. McCloskey has been awesome for Ulster and, given we lack a massive carrier in the pick, I think should take the shirt. Henshaw however has been playing well. Aki is Aki, nearly always fit (an underrated quality) and solid.
B3: Stockdale, Larmour, Conway, Lowe, Addison – no Earls is the big news but he’s 32 and even if he wasn’t I’d not have him ahead of these guys. They all play wing and at least four play full back but, IMO, it’s Larmour at 15 with Addison behind him, while Stockdale and Conway are on the wings, although Lowe has to get some time there too.
Chimpie’s Scotland squad
LH: Dell? Bhatti? Sutherland? Our options here are un-good, none of whom are really first picks anywhere. would include Reid but he’s languishing in super-6 land. Need Kebble to qualify pronto.
Hooker: Brown, McInally, Turner. In that order currently although Rambo & Brown are pretty much interchangeable.
TH: Z-Fags, Nel, Bergs. zander has been on good form of late. Wullie can still scrum but otherwise looks a little off the pace.
Lock: Gray (smaller), Cummins, Gilchrist & Toolis. Skinner may be back up to speed soon in which case I’d have him in, no real idea what larger Gray is up to. if on form I’d include him.
Back row: Bradbury, Ritchie, Watson, M-Fags, Thomson. I’m sure Toonie will add Wilson. I’d have Crosbie in there too.
SH: Price, Horne, errr….. Pyrgos? Not much else in the cupboard really. SHC is odd-jobbing in France. Shiel looks good but hasn’t had may pro starts. Glasgow appear to have unearthed a fetus of potentially great talent but bit early to tell.
FH: Finn, Hastings. Behind that the cupboard is somewhat bare. I’d give Weir a chance, but others seem to think Horne is a 10. Yes he can do a brief job there but he’s not an international 10.
Centre. Jones, Scott, Hutchinson, Taylor, Johnson, Bennett, Harris all in the mix, could be a contentious area. They’re all regular starters, difficult to know who to leave out. would personally cut to Jones, Scott, Hutch & Taylor but who knows. Horne will probably make it.
Back 3: Hogg, Graham, Maitland, Kinghorn, McGuigan
Yosoy’s Wales squad
LH: Wyn Jones, Carré, Evans – Smith sucks so doesn’t make the cut, Carré can’t get a game, Evans is miles off last year’s form and Wyn Jones is serviceable. Overall rating: weak
Hooker: Ken, Dee, Elias – fine. Overall rating: tidy
TH: Dillz, Brown, WillGriff John – Guess work here as WG John is getting talked up and I only remember him as a powder puff scrummager that was Scott Andrews-lite. Dillz has played once since the RWC, Fatty Francis is too fat to play (injured, truthfully) and Brown is an awful technician in the tight. Overall rating: piss weak
Locks: President Jones, Beard, Ball, BAILLCH (British and Irish Lions Legend Cory Hill) – fine, same bunch as last year. Overall rating: half-tidy
Back row: Taulupe, Wainwright, Tipuric, Navidi, Shingler, Moriarty, Griffiths – Pivac is picking Shingler whether Iksy likes it or not. The starters should be Taulupe, Wainwright + 1. If they’re going to pick an 8th ‘rower, then pick Basham who’s a proper hard twonk. Griffiths makes Warburton look durable but Pivac was talking him up so…. overall rating: better than 10 Superbowls. Better than 19 Superbowls if Ellis comes back okay next season
SH: Tomos, Davies, G & whoever. Don’t care. Pick Tomos and sit back. overall rating: tidy
The Tenz: Everyone loves Dan Biggar, Jarrod, Sam Davies – not great. Can’t really play Turkball with Biggar, can’t trust Jarrod. overall rating: worrying
Centrez: Parkesy and whoever else is standing. Probably Scott Williams, Watkin will make some of the 6N. Too early for Benny T. Tyler Morgan looks done, wouldn’t surprise me to see Adams play 13 v Italy. overall rating: let’s not talk about it
Wingz: Adams, North, Lane Train, McTurkle, Amos Exprezz – overall rating: choo choo
FB: Halfpenny, Liam might be fit? – overall rating: good to tidy
MisterIks begs to differ in some respects.
Further reading
Chimpie’s synopsis of the Pro-Woo standings
Yosoy on Alun Wyn Jones and the woeful state of the Ospreys
Tichtheid on the Scottish looseheid predicament
On the telly this week
Friday 10th January
| Bath 19 – 25 Harlequins | 19:45 | BT Sport 2 |
| La Rochelle 30 – 23 Sale | 19:45 | BT Sport 3 |
Saturday 11th January
| Bordeaux 32 – 17 Edinburgh | 12:45 | epcrugby.com |
| Ospreys 15 – 22 Saracens | 13:00 | Channel 4 / BT Sport 2 |
| Clermont 29 – 13 Ulster | 13:00 | BT Sport 3 |
| Calvisano 19 – 47 Pau | 13:30 | epcrugby.com |
| Castres 42 – 14 Dragons | 14:00 | epcrugby.com |
| Agen 24 – 52 Wasps | 14:00 | epcrugby.com |
| Stade Français-24 – 29 Zebre | 14:00 | epcrugby.com |
| Worcester 66 – 10 Enisei-STM | 15:00 | epcrugby.com |
| Bristol 52 – 3 Brive | 15:00 | epcrugby.com |
| Glasgow 31 – 31 Exeter | 15:15 | BT Sport 2 |
| Connacht 7 – 21 Toulouse | 15:15 | BT Sport 3 |
| Bayonne 27 – 10 London Irish | 16:00 | epcrugby.com |
| Gloucester 29 – 6 Montpellier | 17:30 | BT Sport 2 |
| Scarlets 15 – 27 Toulon | 20:00 | S4C / BT Sport 2 |
Sunday 12th January
| Northampton 33 – 20 Treviso | 13:00 | BT Sport 2 |
| Leinster 42 – 14 Lyon | 13:00 | BT Sport 3 |
| Racing 92 39 – 22 Munster | 15:15 | BT Sport 2 |
| Leicester 30 – 20 Cardiff | 15:15 | epcrugby.com |
Ovally Balls 
From the mothership
Every morning when I sit down on the toilet my knees hurt. You have those little reminders every day. Even when I sit down for a cup of coffee you can hear my knees clicking and grinding
Sam Warburton, 31 years old
Wtf is moderm pro rugby doing to the men and women who play it?
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At least he’s regular….
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Photo accompanying that article shows the respect Warbs is held in. When Little George Ford and the other England lads do the interview on behalf of Land Rover they have to stand in front of a brick wall. Warbs gets a studio, special lighting and a dab of make-up.
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Dont want to disagree with the illustrious Larry, but I think it time Ireland look beyond Murray and Sexton.
Maybe not for 6N, but certainly by the summer tour.
I mean no disrespect, they are Irelands greatest ever halfback pairing and right up there in the Lions pantheon, but time has caught up.
Murray is so conservative nowadays that he makes Jacob Rees Mogg look like Leo Trotsky. Even his passing, once so sharp, now loops out to his 10 like a poorly cast fly. Plus, Cooney is not only the form 9 in europe, he is the form player in Europe
Sexton still has it, when he isnt broken. Unfortunately he is either injured or returning from injury on a permanent rotation. Time to give Byrne or maybe Carty the reins. Lest we forget, Sexton didnt really get into the 10 shirt until he was 24(2 years too late) as RoG kept it too long. Dont make the same error again.
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Great stuff Thaum (and t’others). Looks like a typically lovely January day at Scotstoun tomorrow.
*Looks out wet suit*
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/forecast/gcuvu5g1h#2020-01-11
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Iksy needs to get on the Lane Train before it leaves the station.
Choo choo!
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@Yos
Is Lane really that good? He has looked decent but not outstanding in the few ‘diff games I have seen this year
(Adams has been head and shoulders the best player on the park every time)
Let me know when he upgrades from Lane train to Lane plane (possibly via a hovercraft of some kind)
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No sign of TMHMIR™️ at 13 nor on the bench for The Drags against Castres. Hope he is being rested rather than nacked again.
Ollie Griffiths, Hibbardy-Hib, Wainwright, Hewitt also nowhere to be seen, on top of Brok the Rok Harris being suspended as well. Fairbrother the Terrible propping out of position on the lose head.
Might be a long old day in France.
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Iksy ain’t on the Lane Train yet. Neither it seems is Utna.
The lad has got some work to do to convince the wise old sages on Ovally AOD Balls! *cough*.
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@BB – the BBC have been more reliable than the Met Office for a while. Unfortunately their outlook is even bleaker, even putting their necks on the line with a full 100% chance of rain at 11am.
Wind easing off for the match though on both and a healthy 10-12% chance of it not raining at some point during the game which of course rises to 30-40% if you stick with the Met Office!
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@utna
I’d have to agree with you – though it might be summer tour down under that this happens.
I’d pick Byrne – sure he gets an armchair ride with Leinster but we’re going to have to see if he can step up some time soon. Carty is out of form and to be truthful at RWC, he didn’t seem on same wavelength as his colleagues (or vice versa) . Picking Cooney is a no-brainer – even die-hard Munster fans down here would choose him ahead of Murray. (You’d probably get some diehards making a stronger case for Craig Casey – who was great at U20 last year)
True – we tried shoe-horning Sexton in at #12 a few times but 2nd five-eighth isn’t quite the same as just pushing your #10 out one. Sometimes you got to make the choice.
On the immediate weekend, it’s a bit disappointing that Munster have tried to rush back Hanrahan this weekend instead of running with (Ben) Healy. If Hanrahan breaks down – it’s Scannell . You might think Racing is no place for a tyro but I’m not sure it’s any place for a part-time 10 either
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On the other side, we have the rather lovely-named Carwyn Penny debuting on the pine.
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I’m on the Lane train though I suppose I don’t count as I’m not old like Iks. Sounds like my knees make the same sounds as Warburton’s though and we have the same poo schedule which is good.
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“Lest we forget, Sexton didnt really get into the 10 shirt until he was 24(2 years too late) as RoG kept it too long. Dont make the same error again.”
I think it was later than that. He was coming off the bench for Leinster in big games like the 2009 Heineken Final. He job-shared with O’Gara until after the 2011 RWC – didn’t start the quarter final with Wales.
Great player but in decline now. Let the Leinster boy Byrne have a go I think, he looks half-decent. Is Carty playing much for Connacht?
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Young (uncapped) Welsh players that arouse me:
Taine Basham – tough, competitive and has a “fk you” attitude and no little skill. 7 will be the toughest position to get into
Ben Thomas – like a young Gav. Bit raw but pure class. Will probably get messed around and shifted around the backline.
Corey Baldwin – heir to JD2. Needs Pro14 gametime
Jamie Ratti – Welsh 2nd row not named AWJ who wins lineout ball , carries and tackles. Bit of a penalty monster at present
Shane Lewis-Hughes. Hard working , tough carrying 6. May need to wait in line..
Kieron Hardy. Livewire 9 with a decent pass. Needs gametime
Louis Rees Zamit/Ioan Lloyd/ Willgriff John – no idea as I dont get Prem rugby on my tv but everyone says they are good, so why not?
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Is he currently as good as one of the top European wingers? No. Is he a hard running, fast travelling, jizz throwing, non-corner flag bombing ma’fucker who is already better than most in Wales and you can take to the bank that he will win 50+ caps? Yes.
Choo choo. This train ain’t stopping at Newport btw.
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I’m not on the Ratti taxi or whatever mode of transport it is. He might be a longer term bet to become Cory Hill II, but he’s not on the ‘hot young things list that will probably be B&I Lions good’.
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If it’s Ratti, it’s got to be a rowing boat.
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I’m on the Blair Kinghorn pedalo. No Treacle No More.
Time to shoehorn the Kinghorn
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“Time to shoehorn the Kinghorn”
Did you also come up with “Glasgow’s Smiles Better”?
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Won’t nobody think of The Screecher?
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MethuselahIks wants the Lane Train to stop at Newport, young CMW!
I am just waiting to see why with my onighs.
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Onighs? Own eyes!
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Ireland looks a good squad
Can’t believe that Navidi is not an auto-pick (perhaps I missed the joke!).
If asked, I’d say I have no idea re England squad – so please don’t!
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Better get that passport out CMW if you want to see me before the grave rather than after it.
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Regarding brass bands, from the previous blog, these guys are pretty good:
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I think this may be the most wonderfully funny picture I’ve seen in ages:
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@Refit – As you would imagine in 1980s Aberystwyth it was like that most of the time. The likes of Mickey the singing dog would be the exception rather than the rule and I just put it up to be silly.
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J-L du Preez in for a first score for Sale. 7-0 in La Rochelle.
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Kyle Shingler is surely the least talented of the three brothers.
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Kevin Gourdon, yesterday’s back rower from France, gets a yellow for a deliberate knock-on deep in the 22.
Sale massively on top.
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Mike Adamson warns fellow Scot Greg Alldritt about big cheating from La Rochelle in their own 22. Greg A has a very French accent.
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0-10, by the way.
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Nice try from La Rochelle, winger making his dayboo scores a try (he dropped the ball on his first touch, so you could say he’s made up for that).
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Sale fuck up a move at the back of a line-out, a hack, a grand crosskick and neat hands send young Fijian Railevu in for La Rochelle’s opener.
Neither team is great. Sale better. 5-10.
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Oh dear Sale. Interception (and superbly picked up too!) for La Rochelle and they’re in again!
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Now Kerr-Barlow intercepts. Not good by Sale.
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It’s embarrassing how these refs just don’t use French phrases, I mean it’s not exactly difficult to learn a few things, the numbers would be a start, then
laisse le
hors-jeu
ce n’est pas du football
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Quite entertaining this game. Sale doing the business at 15-16 but McGinty is off with a busted up shoulder.
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ce n’est pas du football
HA!
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Utna, I’m fine with Sexton keeping the shirt until Harry Byrne takes over in a year or two. Easy job.
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And I said we should pick Cooney, of course. Ulster Hero John Cooney.
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Problem is that Sexton’s almost permanently broken.
One change to rugby laws I’d like to see is a crack-down on half-back targeting; it happens far too much.
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Ross Byrne is the wrong Byrne. That will be tough for him.
This LAR-sale game is good.
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What a boring bunch. Where are the mavericks, the loose cannons, the Mike Phillipsesss?
https://www.click2houston.com/news/national/2020/01/10/meet-the-13-astronauts-who-could-be-the-first-humans-on-mars/
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Yosoy – you bring up an interesting point. Mike Phillipsssesss’ passing off the back of a ruck was so slow and telegraphed that you’d be forgiven for thinking he was operating in Space.
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Too many Canadians.
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Thaum, the boy don’t need to pass sometimes:
https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/video/440261
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Wrong video. Sexton comes on, Sex Bomb goes off:
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