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Seven eight split in Alan Quinlan's Combined Wales/Ireland XV
By Josh Raisey
Former Ireland and Munster flanker Alan Quinlan has picked a combined Wales and Ireland team ahead of their Guinness Six Nations clash on Sunday.
Joining Off The Ball AM, Quinlan selected a team consisting of eight Irishmen and seven Welshmen.
For a wily player that seemed to improve with age, it is no surprise that he has opted for a sagacious XV loaded with caps and experience.
The average age of the squad is 30, while the average number of caps is 71.
Ireland lock James Ryan, 24, is the only player in the squad that is under the age of 25, and it would have been an aberration if Quinlan overlooked him. But Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe, Tomos Williams and Andrew Porter are the only other players that are not over the age of 30.
The contest at the Principality Stadium could be one of the defining fixtures of this year’s Six Nations. Andy Farrell’s Ireland got the better of Wayne Pivac’s Wales in the Autumn Nations Cup, beating them 32-9 at the Aviva Stadium.
With both sides showing plenty of areas that are in need of improvement over the autumn, Quinlan’s XV perhaps indicates the strength of their experienced Test players which are yet to be usurped by the next generation.
QUINLAN'S COMBINED WALES IRELAND XV
15. Leigh Halfpenny, 32 (Wales) 97 caps
14. Keith Earls, 33 (Ireland) 88 caps
13. Jonathan Davies, 32 (Wales) 91 caps
12. Robbie Henshaw, 27 (Ireland) 47 caps
11. James Lowe, 28 (Ireland) 2 caps
10. Johnny Sexton, 35 (Ireland) 101 caps
9. Tomos Williams, 26 (Wales) 20 caps
1. Cian Healy, 33 (Ireland) 104 caps
2. Ken Owens, 34 (Wales) 79 caps
3. Andrew Porter, 25 (Ireland) 32 caps
4. Alun Wyn Jones, 35 (Wales) 152 caps
5. James Ryan, 24 (Ireland) 32 caps
6. CJ Stander, 30 (Ireland) 47 caps
7. Justin Tipuric, 31 (Wales) 81 caps
8. Taulupe Faletau, 30 (Wales) 85 caps
ACTUAL SELECTED TEAMS:
Wales: L Halfpenny (Scarlets); L Rees-Zammit (Gloucester), G North (Ospreys), J Williams (Scarlets), H Amos (Cardiff Blues); D Biggar (Northampton), T Williams (Cardiff Blues); W Jones (Scarlets), K Owens (Scarlets), T Francis (Exeter), A Beard (Ospreys), A W Jones (Ospreys, capt), D Lydiate (Ospreys), J Tipuric (Ospreys), T Faletau (Bath).
Replacements: E Dee (Dragons), R Jones (Ospreys), L Brown (Dragons), W Rowlands (Wasps), J Navidi (Cardiff Blues), G Davies (Scarlets), C Sheedy (Bristol), N Tompkins (Dragons).
Ireland: H Keenan (Leinster); K Earls (Munster), G Ringrose (Leinster), R Henshaw (Leinster), J Lowe (Leinster); J Sexton (Leinster, capt), C Murray (Munster); C Healy (Leinster), R Herring (Ulster), A Porter (Leinster), T Beirne (Munster), J Ryan (Leinster), P O’Mahony (Munster), J van der Flier (Leinster), CJ Stander (Munster).
Replacements: R Kelleher (Leinster), D Kilcoyne (Munster), T Furlong (Leinster), I Henderson (Ulster), W Connors (Leinster), J Gibson-Park (Leinster), B Burns (Ulster), J Larmour (Leinster).
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England).
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Latest Comments
I still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
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