Wales coach Warren Gatland could field a team containing just eight survivors from the World Cup quarter-final win against Ireland in Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations opener. Gatland has seen preparations for the Dublin clash badly affected by injuries.
Keith Earls will step in for an injured Brian O’Driscoll when Ireland face Wales in the first game of this year’s Six Nations campaign, on Monday morning. Andrew Trimble will fill the left wing spot left vacant by Earls. Jonathan Sexton is preferred at outhalf over a benched Ronan O’Gara.
ESPN has announced it will televise all 15 games of the RBS Six Nations live from February 5 to March 18. The station will air Ireland’s Six Nations opener against Wales from 1.30am next Monday morning. Ireland’s game against France will air at 6.30am on February 12, a Sunday.
Ireland have included five uncapped players among a 32-man squad named ahead of Sunday’s Six Nations opener against Wales. Wings David Kearney and Simon Zebo are present after scoring a try apiece in the Irish Wolfhounds’ 23-17 defeat by England Saxons on Friday.
Ireland outscored the Saxons by three tries to two, creating touchdowns for Dave Kearney, Tomas O’Leary and Simon Zebo, but they could not compete with England’s dominance up front.
Lock Paul O’Connell insists Ireland will feed off their provinces’ success in Europe throughout the RBS 6 Nations. For the first time Leinster, Munster and Ulster have all reached the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup with Irish representation in the last four guaranteed.
Munster clinched a home Heineken Cup quarter-final spot as they hit last season’s runners-up for a record 51 points. Simon Zebo raced over for a hat-trick of tries to provide the perfect ending to a week in which he was invited to train with the Irish Six Nations squad, and Ronan O’Gara kicked 24 points as the two-times champions saved their best for last.
Apart from the injured Brian O’Driscoll and Denis Leamy, all 22 players who slipped to a 22-10 quarter-final defeat by Wales in the World Cup last October are present among Ireland’s Six Nations squad.
Head coach Joe Schmidt insisted his Leinster side have a long way to go in the defence of their Heineken Cup title after qualifying for the knockout stages with a 23-16 win over Glasgow Warriors at Firhill. Meanwhile, Munster lack verve in their win over Castres while Connacht suffer loss again.
Munster reclaimed third place in the RaboDirect PRO12 thanks to a bonus point victory over Benetton Treviso at Thomond Park. Niall Ronan registered the only try of the opening 40 minutes, with Treviso’s Kris Burton converting two of his three penalty opportunities.
