6 Nations 2012

[TheGayTent]

I'd be very surprised if O'Driscoll doesn't get it.

Edited March 19, 2013 by TheGayTent

[The Nal]

Has had plenty of injury problems, isn't playing well, and certainly isn't a certain starter.

I'd be amazed he Gatland goes with O'Driscoll.

Edited to add: don't think he'll choose a back either

[TheGayTent]

He was our best player this year. Again. Well, as well as you can play in a shit team and a shambolic setup. I think he'll play the last few games for Leinster and then focus on the Lions tour and then retire.

A fit O'Driscoll is a starter.

[The Nal]

Not in my eyes he wasn't. He played well against Wales and ok in patches against France. Poor against Scotland and awful against England and Italy.

Not a certain starter IMO, fit or not.

[TheGayTent]

True.

It's not long ago Warburton was a near shoe in.

[pink_triangle]

. Who would've thought so many Welsh players would be in the mixer this time 6 weeks ago?

[TheGayTent]

I don't think any of the home nations are particularly good right now.

Were this a Lions tour to New Zealand we'd be getting beat in tour matches let alone the tests.

[pink_triangle]

I don't think any of the home nations are particularly good right now.

Were this a Lions tour to New Zealand we'd be getting beat in tour matches let alone the tests.

[The Nal]

Us getting beaten 60 nil by the All Blacks last summer won't help the Irish cause.

[pink_triangle]

I think for England to start to moan about refereeinf decisions in a match where they ended up 4 tries behind wales, comes across a bit as being bad losers.

[TheGayTent]

I think for England to start to moan about refereeinf decisions in a match where they ended up 4 tries behind wales, comes across a bit as being bad losers.

[TheGayTent]

Warburton it is then

[pink_triangle]

Not much in terms of surprises. Most of the main selections/omissions had been speculated in.the media in the last few days. I'm not sure if its correct but the squad looked smaller this tour than previous ones.

[bigjontour]

as a Welshman its a nice reflective squad but very surprised by the lack of best at hooker!!!

[Kyelo]

I'm sad by the lack of sweaty socks but maybe I am biased

The team seems very, eh bish bash crash set up!

[TheGayTent]

I'm not sure if its correct but the squad looked smaller this tour than previous ones.

Edited May 1, 2013 by TheGayTent

[TheGayTent]

Gatland is either brave or stupid. Time will tell.

NB I think not picking O'Brien over Tipuric is just as a strange decision as not picking BOD.

[pink_triangle]

Gatland is either brave or stupid. Time will tell.

NB I think not picking O'Brien over Tipuric is just as a strange decision as not picking BOD.

[TheGayTent]

Its a huge call, the safe option would have been to pick him and then if we lost its just "one of those things". Lose now and the series will always be linked to the BOD decision even though we could easily have lost the series already with him having played both games. A loss will also result in criticism that Gatland has favoured his own players too much, the same criticism leveled at Woodward when in charge. Its a difficult one for me as a wales fan, from one perspective wales have always had a very poor record in the southern hemisphere which makes it difficult to justify such a huge welsh contingent in the squad, however on the other hand the Welsh have performed better in the bigger games in the last few years, the differences between them, England and Ireland have been marginal but when wales have put themselves in the position to succeed they have generally taken advantage.

Edited July 3, 2013 by TheGayTent

[pink_triangle]

I'm not sure any of the Welsh players have experience of beating Australia in Wales let alone Australia?

Very strange decision to pick 2/3 of the starting 15 from one nation.

I'm not sure many have underestimated Australia as much as overestimated how much Gatland would get out of the squad. How many of the players, particularly the non-Welsh ones, had Gatland got the best out of?

Clearly his tactics for this game are out of the dark ages and focus on bosh bosh bosh. There's hardly any creativity in the side at all.

I think even should the Lions come out victorious, Gatland will have gone down in my estimation - and as I said, the decision to drop BOD from even the bench is only a small part of the equation.

[pink_triangle]

Wasn't expecting that today, nice to be able to relax going into the last 10 minutes, reminded me of the end of the last 6 nations campaign! Gatland made some big calls from omitting the England captain from the squad to dropping BOD. The tour could have easily gone the other way and these decisions would be questioned forever. As it was Jamie Roberts comes in for BOD, scores a try and everyones smiling. Feel a bit sorry for Stevens and Maitland being picked in the initial squad and not getting anytime in the tests,

[TheGayTent]

Fair play to Gatland and the boys, terrific result.

2 key men for me that made the difference were Corbisiero and Poite.