Teams for A.I.'s after first two rounds of H Cup

[big ginger 8]

Clearly I'm very bored. So not exactly one of those form XV's where you take people who have no chance in hell of being selected and excluding those currently injured who would you pick for your teams opening A.I.?

Obviously there is no way Kidney will pick this 23.

1. Healy
2. Best
3. Ross
4. Ryan
5. O'Connell
6. O'Mahony
7. Henry
8. Heaslip
9. Reddan
10. Sexton
11. Trimble
12. McSharry (I know this is completely unrealistic and breaking my earlier rule but I've being hyping him for 2 years)
13. O'Driscoll
14. Bowe
15. Madigan (open to a lot of debate think Kearney should be back soon enough but Payne's NIQ, Henshaw's not ready and Hurley isn't good enough.

16. Cronin
17. Kilcoyne
18. ?
19. Henderson
20. Jennings/Dougall
21. Marshall (Marmion if I was feeling really experimental)
22. Jackson
23. McFadden

 

[dullonien]

01 Gethin Jenkins (I know he's not in top form, but he'll be fresh and raring to go I think)
02 Richard Hibbard
03 Adam Jones
04 Alun-Wyn Jones
05 Ian Evans
06 Ryan Jones
07 Sam Warburton (how'd he go today, missed the game? Tips is playing well, but starting with Warbs is probably best)
08 Toby Faletau (not in top form, but who else is there?)

09 Mike Phillips (only scrum half playing well, although Lloyd Williams is returning to a little form)
10 Dan Biggar / James Hook (not sure how Hook is going tbh. Please not Priestland!)
11 George North (not playing well, but he'll be more involved with Wales)
12 Jamie Roberts (Blues are incapable of utilising him. Beck not far behind)
13 Jon Davies
14 Alex Cuthbert
15 Leigh Halfpenny

16 Matthew Rees (Ken Owens' form has once again dipped)
17 Paul James
18 Samson Lee (get him in there with some grunt behind him!)
19 Luke Charteris (Bradley is playing like ****. Not seen Luke play in France, but he must be going better)
20 Justin Tipuric
21 Lloyd Williams (Knoyle is up and down, Webb is just terrible! Gareth Davies could be in with a shout.)
22 James Hook / Dan Biggar
23 Liam Williams

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

Is Strauss not Irish qualified now?
I couldn't choose between Toner and Tuohy right now really both have their attributes

 

[big ginger 8]

Is Strauss not Irish qualified now?
I couldn't choose between Toner and Tuohy right now really both have their attributes

He is but at the moment I'm against him playing for Ireland but knowing me that could change.

I probably should have put either of those in but I'm such a big fan of Henderson I couldn't leave him out.

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

He is but at the moment I'm against him playing for Ireland but knowing me that could change.

I probably should have put either of those in but I'm such a big fan of Henderson I couldn't leave him out.

Is it because he isn't actually Irish? Because to be fair England have Tuilagi, Barritt, Corbisiero, Waldrom, etc

 

[SelimNiai]

01 Gethin Jenkins (I know he's not in top form, but he'll be fresh and raring to go I think)
02 Richard Hibbard
03 Adam Jones
04 Alun-Wyn Jones
05 Ian Evans
06 Ryan Jones
07 Sam Warburton (how'd he go today, missed the game? Tips is playing well, but starting with Warbs is probably best)
08 Toby Faletau (not in top form, but who else is there?)

09 Mike Phillips (only scrum half playing well, although Lloyd Williams is returning to a little form)
10 Dan Biggar / James Hook (not sure how Hook is going tbh. Please not Priestland!)
11 George North (not playing well, but he'll be more involved with Wales)
12 Jamie Roberts (Blues are incapable of utilising him. Beck not far behind)
13 Jon Davies
14 Alex Cuthbert
15 Leigh Halfpenny

16 Matthew Rees (Ken Owens' form has once again dipped)
17 Paul James
18 Samson Lee (get him in there with some grunt behind him!)
19 Luke Charteris (Bradley is playing like ****. Not seen Luke play in France, but he must be going better)
20 Justin Tipuric
21 Lloyd Williams (Knoyle is up and down, Webb is just terrible! Gareth Davies could be in with a shout.)
22 James Hook / Dan Biggar
23 Liam Williams

Can't really find any faults with that lot. Not that I was looking for any

 

[big ginger 8]

Is it because he isn't actually Irish? Because to be fair England have Tuilagi, Barritt, Corbisiero, Waldrom, etc

I know but just because other do it doesn't mean we should. I'd rather not get into this debate though as it's been talked to death. Anyway I'd say Cronin is the better impact sub. Gotta remember it is S.A. first up.

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

I know this sounds a little irrational - but you could move Ryan to 6, O'Mahony to 7 and Toner to the second row. I think a good place to attack SA is the line out, and there's no better man to do that than Toner.

 

[big ginger 8]

I know this sounds a little irrational - but you could move Ryan to 6, O'Mahony to 7 and Toner to the second row. I think a good place to attack SA is the line out, and there's no better man to do that than Toner.

It definitely is a possibility kind of depends how much rugby Toner plays.

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

Yeah, it also means if Toner / O'Connell need off, Ryan can cover which realistically leaves a space for Henderson on the bench

 

[Patchey]

Like the Ireland squad picked above, a rather unrealistic take on what England might look like...

1.Mahler
2.Hartly
3.Coles
4.Palmer
5.Lawes?
6.Croft (if fit)
7.Robshaw (c)
8.Easter

9.Care
10.Flood/Burns
11.Sharples?
12.Barrit
13.Tuilagi
14.Ashton
15.May (if fit)/Brown


4 to 8 is a bit of a problem area in that there are a lot of talented players who are English/England qualified but who don't quite fit a conventional 6-7-8. Also anyone who isn't Botha or Lawes to fill the other second row slot?

 

[dullonien]

Switch Cole and Marler, as Marler is a loosehead and Cole is a tighthead.

 

[Jockstap]

15 kearney
14 bowe
13 o'driscoll
12 d'arcy
11 zebo
10 sexton
9 marshall
8 heaslip
7 henry
6 ferris
5 o'connell
4 o'callaghan (credit where it's due, he's been playing very well lately)
3 ross
2 best
1 healy

16 strauss
17 kilcoyne
18 ryan
19 henderson (so excited about this kid, could be a real enforcer type lock a la thorn, hines, botha etc which the irish team is really missing)
20 reddan
21 jackson
22 trimble

 

[Patchey]

woops.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Like the Ireland squad picked above, a rather unrealistic take on what England might look like...

1.Coles
2.Hartly
3.Mahler
4.Palmer
5.Lawes?
6.Croft (if fit)
7.Robshaw (c)
8.Easter

9.Care
10.Flood/Burns
11.Sharples?
12.Barrit
13.Tuilagi
14.Ashton
15.May (if fit)/Brown


4 to 8 is a bit of a problem area in that there are a lot of talented players who are English/England qualified but who don't quite fit a conventional 6-7-8. Also anyone who isn't Botha or Lawes to fill the other second row slot?

Are Parling and Corbisiero injured? If not those two have got to be in there. In the front row I can't look past Hartley. Hugely important for Northampton. Also, his main rivals are held back by an inability to throw straight - Youngs, Lindsay etc.

Props - Cole and Corbisiero with Mahler subbing and Doran-Jones on call.

locks on present form: Lawes, Parling, Launchbury, Palmer (As I said, Parling may be injured, not sure) EDIT : Launchbury is a great possibility for a bench spot. I'd possibly put him ahead of Kitchener and Palmer.


I can see you're a quins man but Easters a dead-end. Vunipola is coming up FAST! He's having a huge huge impact week in week out. He has soem of the very highest stats for offloads, carries etc in the premiership. I'd liek to see him blooded but I can see the argument that it may be a bit too soon. For now, Morgans the best bet even if he seemed tired in South Africa. The three options for the other backrow I reckon are: 6. Robshaw 7. Armitage or 6. Johnson 7. Robshaw or 6. Robshaw 7. Wood

However, wood has little time to make hi case. He's have to bolt it.

Scrum half Care with Youngs benching.

I'd be very tempted to preserve the Leicester mid-field, Barritts a good 12 but the death of all ambition. Go for Flood with Allen and Tuilagi.


If Foden is out, then the full-back should be Brown really. I'd prefer Armitage but he won't be chosen. Wings, Ashton and Sharples. I want Wade to be there but he's a defensive weakness for wasps in the premiership and would not cope in the six nations.

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

19 henderson (so excited about this kid, could be a real enforcer type lock a la thorn, hines, botha etc which the irish team is really missing)

He's a backrow?

 

[big ginger 8]

He's a backrow?

Actually he's both I mean look at him he's 6'6"! He played most of his u20 games at lock. I view him as a future stalwart of the second row but that mainly because we have so many talented backrows.

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

Actually he's both I mean look at him he's 6'6"! He played most of his u20 games at lock. I view him as a future stalwart of the second row but that mainly because we have so many talented backrows.

Ah I did not know that!

 

[Jockstap]

He's a backrow?

I've seen him play most of his rugby at lock for the Ireland U20s. He really caught my eye in the saffa match, he threw around the south african mutants(most of who had super rugby experience) like rag dolls. It's hard to believe he's only 20.

 

[Draggs]

Jarvis over Lee, and I'll agree, Dull.
Lee is way off from even Pro12 right now. Don't want to force a young prop into the mix this early.
Jarvis has been in good form. Tipuric for Warburton, he has been simply immense (not going to happen).