Ireland have announced their squad for their opening Six Nations game against Wales in Cardiff :

Forwards: N Best, R Best, S Best, S Easterby, J Flannery, J Hayes, M Horan, D Leamy, D O’Callaghan, P O’Connell, M O’Driscoll, M O’Kelly, F Sheahan, D Wallace
Backs: I Boss, G Dempsey, G D’Arcy, D Hickie, G Murphy, B O’Driscoll, R O’Gara, P Stringer, A Trimble, P Wallace

Because we have such a tough match for the opener I would initially guess at a fairly traditional starting 15 looking something like this:

1. Horan
2. Flannery
3. Hayes
4. O’Connell
5. O’Kelly
6. Neil Best
7. Wallace
8. Leamy
9. Stringer
10. O’Gara
11. Hickie
12. D’Arcy
13. O’Driscoll
14. Trimble
15. Murphy

Of course with some strong new players in there, e.g. uncapped Ulster prop Simon Best, there is plenty of room for an alternative team featuring Isaac Boss and cohorts. Your thoughts on the squad, and potential starting 15? Post a comment or trackback.

There is still some hope for next year’s Heineken Cup with ERC chairman Jean-Pierre Lux talking about how a French boycott might be avoided:

We cannot begin domestic competition until after the World Cup but it is possible to find a solution

Maybe we play through the Six Nations and when France tour Australia they omit players still in the competition

This is a potential goer because Lux isn’t only the European Rugby Cup chairman – he’s also the representative of Ligue Nationale de Rugby , the French clubs’ representative group, on ERC.

Here’s to hoping!

In a move sure to shock European rugby , the French “Top 14” clubs are boycotting next year’s Heineken Cup competition. This is a disaster for European’s most popular club competition.As reported here, the French have domestic problems. League Nationale de Rugby president Serge Blanco stated:

We are convinced that if we did not do this our domestic championship will be dead in 2009.

It’s unfortunate that their only solution is to throw their toys out of the pram.

Ireland have announced a 35 man squad for rugby ‘s 2007 RBS 6 Nations Championship which begins for Ireland with an away trip to Wales in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on February 4th.

• Munster flanker Alan Quinlan is very unfortunate to miss out due to a controversial suspension
• Fellow Munster-man Jerry Flannery returns after injury
• Ulster ‘s Tommy Bowe returns after missing out due to a hamstring injury
• Leinster ‘s danger man D’arcy returns after missing the autumn internationals
• In form uncapped Munster centre Barry Murphy and…
• uncapped Leinster full-back Robert Kearney have both joined the squad.

This is almost a full-strength squad and with Munster and Leinster going strong in the Heineken Cup , and Ulster leading the Magners League , Ireland will enter the competition as deserved favourites. Up first is a testing away trip to one of the Ireland’s strongest Six Nations opponents at Cardiff.

Coach Eddie O’Sullivan elaborates on his decisions:

The championship is a long and hard tournament that will always test your resources, so I felt we needed to increase our squad to 35 to give us some extra cover.

We have a good injury profile at the moment and with the return of players from injury, such as Tommy Bowe and Jerry Flannery as well as the other additions to the squad, it will push up the competition levels.

An away trip to play Wales is one of the toughest openings you could get at this moment. We are focusing on is trying to get the right performance.

More from BBC Sport.

Ireland squad

Forwards: Neil Best, Rory Best, Simon Best, Simon Easterby, Jerry Flannery, Keith Gleeson, John Hayes, Jamie Heaslip, Trevor Hogan, Marcus Horan, Denis Leamy, Donncha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell, Mick O’Driscoll, Malcolm O’Kelly, Frankie Sheahan, David Wallace, Bryan Young.

Backs: Isaac Boss, Tommy Bowe, Girvan Dempsey, Gordon D’Arcy, Luke Fitzgerald, Shane Horgan, Denis Hickie, Robert Kearney, John Kelly, Barry Murphy, Geordan Murphy, Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, Eoin Reddan, Peter Stringer, Andrew Trimble, Paddy Wallace.