6 NATIONS 2016 team talk.

[jimmy ching]

Is this the season you swap Parisse for another Italian?
Is Dylan Hartley a targeted man?
O Connorless Ireland, need I say more.
Is Sexton conscious?
Which Kearney?
Who's kicking? Check those rules when playing different games.
Are the Scots on a rise?
Which shade of Gray?
Is it a Biggar season for Wales?
Is Liam Williams back in time?
I get the feeling it's going to be another open championship.

[jimmy ching]

Just trying to digest the Irish Times silent manager game. It looks like a case of trying to get kickers in.
I've noticed Laidlaw has been put in as a fly half not a scrum half.
McClean does kick now and again and is listed as a back for Italy.

[jimmy ching]

As far as kickers go for all games, there are quite a few risks out there.
It starts off with Ford or O Farrell
Then the French kicker. Who will take them? They have been swapping them for years, yet again I'll stay clear.
Ireland, will Sexton manage to get through the tournament. The good news for him is that Basteraud won't be playing in the 2nd match.
Scotlands Laidlaw
Wales, Biggar
Italy haven't checked.

[jimmy ching]

As France prepare for their first sporting match at the Stade since that very sad day, expect a defiant mood from the crowd.

However, their team is in a state of unpredictable flux. Main news so far, no Parra or Fofana for Les Bleues. The kicker could be Bezy or Dussain.

[Boddington]

Just had a response from Silentmamager who are blaming OPTA for stipulating that Greig Laidlaw is a Fly Half.
They have already turned the IrishTimes Fantasy Rugby into a joke.
As those who played the various RWC fantasy games will realise is that Laidlaw as scrum half is one of the most influential players in the game as he is also the kicker. So all the skill from utilising him along with the fly halfs has been nullified.
I cant believe OPTA could possibly have made that error.
As such there is no Scottish scrum half in the IrishTimes fantasy game with the only Scottish scrum half over the last 4 years being listed in a position he wont be playing in.
I cant believe a company whose sole purpose is running fantasy competitions can be so inept in every one they run.

[jimmy ching]

The secret is, play by their rules and utilise their errors. You should be laughing.
I don't mind any body who makes an effort to put and run a game online.

[Boddington]

Chroma (Silentmanager) will be charging the Irish Times 10's of thousands of pounds for this service - it would be nice for them to get the basics right.
I think the Irish Times are amazing in their offering of free fantasy sport competitions, they are around the most most generous supporters of Golf and Rugby.
It is a shame that their competition is being blighted by Chroma, who are running it for the first time.

[jimmy ching]

Well the French are talking up Danty. He's of Guadeloupan origin so everybody is comparing him to Basteraud. This time though, they say he's sharp of mind and nimble of feet. Well, that puts down the comparison to Basteraud. Worth keeping an eye on.

[jimmy ching]

Team announcements should start piling out today. At the moment it looks like Warburton and Liam Williams aren't going to make it. We'll see.

[SE]

Wales

[jimmy ching]

For those with poor eyesight
Wales G Anscombe (Cardiff Blues); G North (Northampton), J Davies (Clermont Auvergne), J Roberts (Harlequins), T James (Cardiff Blues); D Biggar (Ospreys), G Davies (Scarlets); R Evans (Scarlets), S Baldwin (Ospreys), S Lee (Scarlets), L Charteris (Racing 92), AW Jones (Ospreys), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues, capt), J Tipuric (Ospreys), T Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).

Replacements K Owens (Scarlets), G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), T Francis (Exeter), B Davies (Wasps), D Lydiate (Ospreys), L Williams (Cardiff Blues), R Priestland (Bath), A Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues).

[jimmy ching]

Scotland team to face England

Stuart Hogg, Sean Maitland, Mark Bennett, Matt Scott, Tommy Seymour, Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw (capt), Al Dickinson, Ross Ford, WP Nel, Richie Gray, Jonny Gray, John Barclay, John Hardie, Dave Denton.

Replacements Stuart McInally, Gordon Reid, Zander Fagerson, Tim Swinson, Blair Cowan, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Duncan Weir, Duncan Taylor

[jimmy ching]

England team to face Scotland: Mike Brown (vice captain, Harlequins), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Owen Farrell (vice captain, Saracens), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), George Ford (Bath Rugby), Danny Care (Harlequins); Joe Marler (Harlequins), Dylan Hartley (captain, Northampton Saints), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), George Kruis (Saracens), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), James Haskell (Wasps), Billy Vunipola (vice captain, Saracens)

Replacements: Jamie George (Saracens), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Paul Hill (Northampton Saints), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Jack Clifford (Harlequins), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Alex Goode (Saracens), Ollie Devoto (Bath Rugby)

[jimmy ching]

France (v Italy, Saturday, 2.25pm): Maxime Medard; Hugo Bonneval, Gael Fickou, Jonathan Danty, Virimi Vakatawa; Jules Plisson, Sebastien Bezy; Eddy Ben Arous, Guilhem Guirado (captain), Rabah Slimani; Paul Jedrasiak, Yoann Maestri; -Wenceslas Lauret, Damien Chouly, Louis Picamoles. Replacements: Camille Chat, Uini Atonio, Jefferson Poirot, Alexandre Flanquart, Yacouba Camara, Maxime Machenaud, Jean-Marc Doussain, Maxime Mermoz.

[jimmy ching]

Looking at the English team the two kickers are named in the 15. So is it Ford for kicking?

[jimmy ching]

It looks like Plisson for France.

[jimmy ching]

Italy

15. David Odiete (Marchiol Mogliano)
14. Leonardo Sarto (Zebre)
13. Michele Campagnaro (Exeter Chiefs)
12. Gonzalo Garcia (Zebre)
11. Mattia Bellini (Petrarca Padova)
10. Carlo Canna (Zebre)
9. Edoardo Gori (Benetton Treviso)

1. Andrea Lovotti (Zebre)
2 Ornel Gega (Benetton Treviso)
3. Lorenzo Cittadini (Wasps)
4. George Fabio Biagi (Zebre)
5. Marco Fuser (Benetton Treviso)
6. Francesco Minto (Benetton Treviso)
7. Alessandro Zanni (Benetton Treviso)
8. Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais)

16. Davide Giazzon (Benetton Treviso)
17. Matteo Zanusso (Benetton Treviso)
18. Martin Castrogiovanni (Racing 92)
19. Valerio Bernabo (Zebre)
20. Andries Van Schalkwyk (Zebre)
21. Guglielmo Palazzani (Zebre)
22. Kelly Haimona (Zebre)
23. Luke McLean (Benetton Treviso)
Read more at http://www.rbs6nations.com/en/news/ital ... hF4SWlJ.99

[Mick MacPaddywack]

For those with poor eyesight

Thanks Jimmy (& SE) ... I'm lucky if I hit the right keys ...
explains why many of my predictions are way off target

[jimmy ching]

Ireland Team Named For Wales Match

15. Simon Zebo (Cork Con/Munster) 21
14. Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster) 58
13. Jared Payne (Ulster) 10
12. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht) 15
11. Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 46
10. Jonathan Sexton (St Mary's College/Leinster) 56
9. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 42

1. Jack McGrath (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 25
2. Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) 89 Captain
3. Nathan White (Connacht) 8
4. Mike McCarthy (Lansdowne/Leinster) 17
5. Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 31
6. CJ Stander (Munster)*
7. Tommy O'Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster) 9
8. Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster) 80 Vice-Captain

Replacements
16. Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster) 48
17. James Cronin (Dolphin/Munster) 2
18. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 3
19. Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster) 34
20. Rhys Ruddock (St Mary's College/Leinster) 6
21. Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht) 4
22. Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster) 25
23. David Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster) 14

[jimmy ching]

My prediction
Wales
England
Scotland
France
Ireland
Italy
PS Ireland have never finished fifth in the 6 nation

[jimmy ching]

Wales team to play Scotland:
Liam Williams (Scarlets), George North (Northampton Saints), Jonathan Davies (ASM Clermont), Jamie Roberts (Harlequins), Tom James (Cardiff Blues), Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Gareth Davies (Scarlets); Rob Evans (Scarlets), Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Luke Charteris (Racing 92), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues, CAPT), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).
Replacements: Ken Owens (Scarlets), Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs), Bradley Davies (Wasps), Dan Lydiate (Ospreys), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues), Rhys Priestland (Bath Rugby), Gareth Anscombe (Cardiff Blues).

[jimmy ching]

France team for RBS 6 Nations clash with Ireland:
15. Maxime Médard (Toulouse)
14. Teddy Thomas (Racing 92)
13. Maxime Mermoz (Toulon)
12. Jonathan Danty (Stade Français)
11. Virimi Vakatawa (FFR)
10. Jules Plisson (Stade Français)
9. Sébastien Bézy (Toulouse)

1. Jefferson Poirot (Bordeaux-Bègles)
2. Guilhem Guirado (Toulon)
3. Uini Atonio (La Rochelle)
4. Alexandre Flanquart (Stade Français)
5. Yoann Maestri (Toulouse)
6. Wenceslas Lauret (Racing 92)
7. Yacouba Camara (Toulouse)
8. Damien Chouly (Clermont)

Replacements:
16. Camille Chat (Racing 92)
17. Rabah Slimani (Stade Français)
18. Eddy Ben Arous (Racing 92)
19. Paul Jedrasiak (Clermont)
20. Loann Goujon (Bordeaux-Bègles)
21. Maxime Machenaud (Racing 92)
22. Jean-Marc Doussain (Toulouse)
23. Hugo Bonneval (Stade Français)

[jimmy ching]

I'm surprised the French have kept Bezy at scrum half. Note their 2nd Liner Jedrasiak has moved to the bench

[jimmy ching]

Scotlands team

S Hogg (Glasgow); S Maitland (London Irish), M Bennett (Glasgow), D Taylor (Saracens), T Seymour (Glasgow); F Russell (Glasgow), G Laidlaw (Gloucester, capt); A Dickinson (Edinburgh), R Ford (Edinburgh), WP Nel (Edinburgh), R Gray (Toulouse), J Gray (Glasgow), J Barclay (Scarlets), J Hardie (Edinburgh), D Denton (Bath).

Replacements S McInally (Edinburgh), G Reid (Glasgow), Z Fagerson (Glasgow), T Swinson (Glasgow), B Cowan (London Irish), S Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh), D Weir (Glasgow), S Lamont (Glasgow).

[jimmy ching]

Zebo and Earls out of team

[jimmy ching]

Sean O Brien is back. The back row is up for this game against France, Stander, Heaslip O Brien.

[jimmy ching]

Ireland: Rob Kearney, Andrew Trimble, Jared Payne, Robbie Henshaw, Dave Kearney, Johnny Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack McGrath, Rory Best (capt), Nathan White, Mike McCarthy, Devin Toner, CJ Stander, Sean O'Brien, Jamie Heaslip.

Replacements: Richardt Strauss, James Cronin, Tadhg Furlong, Donnacha Ryan, Tommy O'Donnell, Eoin Reddan, Ian Madigan, Fergus McFadden.

[jimmy ching]

English and Italian teams will be out tomorrow

[Takeshi Kovacs]

Struggling to get the full 20 players this weekend!

[jimmy ching]

English team

Mike Brown (vice captain, Harlequins); Anthony Watson (Bath), Jonathan Joseph (Bath), Owen Farrell (vice captain, Saracens), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs); George Ford (Bath), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers); Mako Vunipola (Saracens); Dylan Hartley (captain, Northampton Saints), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers); Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), George Kruis (Saracens); Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), James Haskell (Wasps), Billy Vunipola (vice captain, Saracens).

Replacements: Jamie George (Saracens), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Paul Hill (Northampton Saints), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Jack Clifford (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Alex Goode (Saracens).