Overall sentiment about the tournament

[Leonormous Boozer]

hold the **** on...He's been very good for Ireland at 7 ...He shouldn't be playing as a 7 but he still performs pretty damn well regardless of the number on his back...that said to get the best out of him he need to move to 6 or 8 at the expense of Heaslip I think

Agree with this. SO'B out of position has consistently been playing better than Heaslip for both Leinster and Ireland.

 

[Prestwick]

Mike Ross is a good tight head, but it is an area of concern no doubt. The heir apparent is Jamie Hagan, also at Leinster. He's a decent scrummager and pretty useful around the park too. Needs to tour with the senior squad in the summer.


As a whole I thought the tournament was great. We had some top games with Ireland vs Wales, Wales vs England and England vs France all being top. I'm happy that it was better fair than last year.

All good and well but I think the time has come for Ireland, just as England did circa 2007 onwards, to look at scrummaging prowess first and running ability second. Otherwise the risk is that Ireland slowly deviate and start heading down the road Australia went which involves highly mobile props who are damned awful at scrums but excellent at fooling referees with smoke & mirrors.

 

[Peat]

There's the main problem, what imbecile at the IRFU let Jamie Hagan go to Leinster to sit on his arse. He could have been gaining valuable experience in the HC with Connacht this season or bar that go to Munster or Ulster who have genuine need of an Irish tighthead. It's daft that the only two genuine Irish tightheads in the country are at the same club.

I believe that Connacht were outbid by a foreign club for Hagan.To help keep Hagan in the country, the IRFU had Leinster counter-bid; unless the IRFU gave Connacht the money, they couldn't afford to keep him.

Hagan's spent most of the season getting up to the speed which Leinster want and should be playing a lot next year; think Leicester show that a club can accomodate and use two international class tightheads, one of whom is developing. In fact, clubs who are serious about Heineken Cup rugby need that. And Ulster don't need an Irish tighthead.

 

[Feicarsinn]

All good and well but I think the time has come for Ireland, just as England did circa 2007 onwards, to look at scrummaging prowess first and running ability second. Otherwise the risk is that Ireland slowly deviate and start heading down the road Australia went which involves highly mobile props who are damned awful at scrums but excellent at fooling referees with smoke & mirrors.

I'd agree with that of course. That was what ****** me off about the likes of selecting Tony Buckley. I was merely saying that it's a bit of a bonus that he's quite handy, not that it's a prerequisite in any way. If you game me a fat blob who could barely walk from one scrum to the next, but was dominant there I'd take him any day of the week.