As an Irish rugby fan I’m doing my best to remain quietly confident through the massive hype with the Six Nations starting in a only few short hours. We’ve never worn the favourites tag very well and like a lot of my peers I’m concerned by talk about Grand Slams and Championships – look where that got us two years ago…

But yes, despite that I am still confident! Is it unwarranted? You decided. I was just looking over the BBC Sport bloggers interestingly named Six Nations all-star XV. Fair enough – every time someone publishes a select XV punters appear from everywhere to pull it to shreds. But much of the criticism seems justified. Here’s their team:

1. Gethin Jenkins (Wal)
2. Raphael Ibanez (Fra)
3. Carlos Nieto (Ita)
4. Paul O’Connell (Ire)
5. Marco Bortolami (Ita)
6. Joe Worsley (Eng)
7. David Wallace (Ire)
8. Ryan Jones (Wal)
9. Dwayne Peel (Wal)
10. Ronan O’Gara (Ire)
11. Christophe Dominici (Fra)
12. Yannick Jauzion (Fra)
13. Brian O’Driscoll (Ire)
14. Sean Lamont (Sco)
15. Josh Lewsey (Eng)

Let’s compare that to Ireland’s starting team for Cardiff on Sunday:

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

Ok, so what’s my point? Well I was just thinking that if I had the choice of picking any of the other Six Nations players for the Irish team it would be difficult (putting aside our well documented problem at props).

Would you pick Worsley, or Sean Lamont (who?) or Ibanez? I certainly wouldn’t. Who would you add to the Ireland team if you had the choice of any 6N player? 

There was a strong possibility of it happening… Gareth Thomas – the former Wales and Lions captain no less! – has possibly ended his international career in shame. I mentioned previously about Trevor Brennan having no excuse for his actions during the Ulster game – well his partner in crime has paid a much higher price.

He will miss out on the first 3 matches of the Six Nations , with speculation rife that he will find it difficult to get back into the squad late in the competition. Should he not be able to do so, then he may also be at risk of missing a spot in the Wales’ World Cup squad.

From the BBC:

The Toulouse back, 32, was found guilty of “aggressively attempting to enter one of the seating areas” during last month’s Heineken Cup win over Ulster.

He was also found guilty by an ERC disciplinary panel of making an offensive hand gesture towards fans.

“Whilst we think there are grounds for challenging the sentence, neither Gareth nor the WRU consider it would be in his best interests, or the best interests of the game, for an appeal to be lodged.”

Thomas himself added: “I would like to thank my team-mates, coaches and the WRU for the support I have been given during this very difficult time. “Now I just want to resume training and support the Wales team to a victory over Ireland in Cardiff on Sunday.

“I will be with them heart and soul just like every other Welsh fan. I will be standing shoulder to shoulder with the team throughout the Six Nations.”

An ERC statement said the starting point for the offence was a 12-week ban, but the sentence was reduced on the basis of Thomas’ remorse.

This one’s a bit laughable but I’m intrigued by the way this conversation has gone on the boards.ie rugby forum.

It started out with some debate over why Simon Easterby got the number 6 jersey for the Wales – Ireland Six Nations match this Sunday, and then turned into “it’s rumoured that Neil Best has been dropped for doing steroids”. It’s like chinese whispers 🙂

Extra controversy points for Dave as he says he’s not really too  worried about professional rugby players “doing cycles”.

Eddie O’Sullivan has made five changes to the Ireland team that beat Australia in November. This Irish starting 15 is similar to the “traditional” 15 that I guessed at last week but I got a fair few wrong:

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

O’Kelly was forced out due to a knee injury, but I’m confused over the selection of Simon Easterby before Neil Best (ok, so it’s a tight call), and I really thought that Murphy had done enough during Leicester’s destruction of Munster’s home record last week to warrant a start – EOS’s play-at-home prejudice again perhaps?

Finally to hooker – hand on heart, Rory Best is just not as strong as Flannery, sorry Ulster boys! I wonder if it’s fitness related? If things are tight going into the last 20 expect that substitution for sure.

Here’s the team list in full:

IRELAND v Wales : G Dempsey (Leinster), A Trimble (Ulster), B O’Driscoll (Leinster, capt), G D’Arcy (Leinster), D Hickie (Leinster), R O’Gara (Munster), P Stringer (Munster), M Horan (Munster), R Best (Ulster), J Hayes (Munster), D O’Callaghan (Munster), P O’Connell (Munster), S Easterby (Llanelli Scarlets), D Wallace (Munster), D Leamy (Munster).

Replacements: J Flannery (Munster), S Best (Ulster), N Best (Ulster), M O’Driscoll (Munster), I Boss (Ulster), P Wallace (Ulster), G Murphy (Leicester).

Rugby.ie: Dempsey wins landmark (70th) cap

Trevor Brennan is Irish rugby ‘s answer to Vinny Jones – a genuine hard man , not the kind of guy you’d pick a fight with. Last weekend he flipped during the Ulster ‘s visit to his home town of Toulouse , and “allegedly punched” an Ulster supporter in the face.

When I say ” allegedly punched ” I mean “beat the crap out of, in front of thousands of witnesses, reporters and cameras, leaving his victim in shock with a suspected fractured skull”. That kind of “allegedly punched”.

I’ve always been a fan of Brennan, he’s the kind of honest hard man, straight up. I really enjoy Trevor Brennan’s Diary, ghost written by Gerry Thornley.

I am also a big fan of rugby’s honest toughness , I like to compare it to the ancient salute – Strength and Honour . None of the diving and rolling around on the floor you see in soccer these days.

But no matter what the provocation, that behaviour was not acceptable. He should not have done it no matter what the perceived insult to himself, his family or his beer. There is no place in professional sport for athletes losing the cool like that.

Eric Cantona was wrong. Roy Keane was wrong. Zinedin Zidane was wrong. And Trevor Brennan was wrong.