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 
Mah cake’s meltet!
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Now that Ticht’s learning Gaelic, this’ll be his new theme song….
(With SNP MP Pete Wishart on keys, and failed Labour MP candidate Donnie Munro on vocals)
Might even have been at that gig
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Another Donna.
It may not surprise you to know that these lyrics were written by Jon Anderson, Dog only knows what he was on at the time…..
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BB, this is my theme for Scotland – I see Afar
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Lovely stuff, Ticht. Karen really has a great voice.
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This afternoon rugby ‘s a bit disappointing after yesterday. Besides Racing/Munster, it looks like one sided games. Lyon is sending their reserves’ reservesto Dublin (not that it’d ‘ve mattered one bit) and the Saints seem to have far too much for Treviso.
Might have to work on this 6N preview then.
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@Flair99
Good news – you can watch Racing /Munster on TF2 with aperos……………..!
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flair, Northampton have got a lot of young English backs , and the boy Hutchinson and Big Taq, in their line-up. Worth watching to see the sons of old players Jim Mallinder, Paul Grayson and Jon Sleightholme if nothing else.
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Thanks Tomp, will give it a try.
I then have to visit a friend in a hospital, so will record the RM/Munster game. Possibly with apéro, Slade, it will be around that time.
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Northampton with a try for Harry Mallinder from a set move. Neat score.
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Commentary team at Northampton: Cotter, Warbs and Healey. So near and yet so far.
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Saints centre Fraser Dingwall was capped for Bonnie Scotland at U16 and U18 level before switching to England for the U20s, I get why they do it, it makes winning a contract much easier, for these young lads
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His dad’s an ex-London Scottish player.
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Leinster 21-14 v Lyon.
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Top of the charts not just in Llanelli, but in the UK
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Max Keegan, after what seemed to be a ton of scrum re-sets, scores Leinster’s fourth try.
28-14
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BT show a replay of a neck roll that wasn’t spotted by the ref or TMO. Ref sees it on the big screen and reverses a penalty.
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A third yellow for Lyon.
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32 seconds later Leinster go in for their fifth. This one from the back of a maul.
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67-152 tackle count with ten minutes to play. Lyon are working hard in a losing cause.
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Big #18, Andrew Porter crashes over from a ruck for another Leinster try.
42-14
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Forward pass and Dingwall encroaching within 5 metres before the scrum is over. Ignored. Northampton 26-20 ahead.
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Ticht – would he get into the Scotland team at centre? Not meaning to be snarky, but is he any better than Hutchinson, Harris, JOnes, Johnston, Bennett, Scott, Taylor, or even Grigg and Horne The Elder?
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Probably not at the moment, BB, but he’s only 20 years old. He had a good game today, he is one to watch, whoever he plays for in future
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Adams (playing 11) just scored a very nice team try. 0-7
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Ah, I hadn’t realised he was quite so young – he can be part of our midfield for the next RWC then.
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Munster have started very well in Paris. 9-0 up inside 20.
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Hippy Lewis gets one back for Leicester, Ford converts 7 all
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Happy New Year everyone!
Munster started well in Paris but are now enduring the Racing storm (though the pass leading to the try would have been called a knock on by many refs)
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Jason Tovey outplaying George Ford I hear.
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Benny T Thomas with the try after an excellent offload by Lee Lo Legend. Tovey with the touchline conversion.
7-14 after 35 minutes.
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@tomp
We’re playing more off 12 than 10. Ben Thomas has been very good.
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14 point swing from odds-on Racing try to Conway interception. 11-16
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10-14 ht at Welford Road.
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If Munster win, Racing are not getting out of the group.
Won’t happen.
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Am cooking so listening on BBC Radio Leicester. Leicester commentators reckon Blues plenty better at the moment.
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Leicester in again. 17-14 if Ford nails the goal.
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Olowefewa crosses early in the second. 17-14.
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Ha. Barnesy correcting his French as the Racing medic looks at him quizzically.
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Nipper fucked that. Straighten, give to Adams and he scores.
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17 all after a Tovey pen.
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Some of Ford’s passing is excellent.
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Happy New Year Piperboy! 6N Blog Meet in Heidelberg this year!
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Jason Tovey not outplaying George Ford.
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Falling apart now. You can only carry so many bad players.
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Thanks MrIks. Is it the St Pat’s weekend again? I’m on Frankfurt for work in the middle of that week.
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Ford with the drop, 27-17
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I hope Pivac has travelled to Leicester to watch Adams at 13 as he’s played 11 and now 15.
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Thomas may have finally put the nail in our coffin but I’m sure he let Finn have another knock on a bit earlier.
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Restarts have been embarrassing. No one seems to know what they’re doing.
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