Ireland and Wolfhounds

Twitter rumours suggest Dave Ah You may be close to a Wolfhound squad inclusion. Interesting!

Delighted if true !!! White will make make senior squad next year

I'm probably in the minority, but I dont think he deserves his spot, yet
He's raised a cult following, as he has improved so much, but IMO, he needs to improve a lot more, or else he becomes just another Michael Bent.

There was massive expectation with Bent but he had nothing to offer when he arrived. There was no real expectation of a young Rodney. He didn't progress until the new scrum laws came in and he has done well. The management obviously seen something in him to persist with him for so long. He is now rumoured to make an appearance for the wolfhounds in which the Irish set up have obviously seen something too. He is a fantastic ball carrier and a good scrummager. Imagine the confidence he will get and an increase in playing level. This cold be a crowning moment for him and us.

Well ya when he actually does hold onto it lol. I think we should be delighted for any of our players that make the Irish team either wolfhounds or senior.

Diom wrote: Wouldn't say "fantastic"... still has a tendency to knock on.

In the home game against Saffracens on the hour Sky threw up tackling and carrying stats and he was in the to 3 of both (across both teams, not just for Connacht), which is fantastic (he finished the 80, even if his final act in the game was a knock-on).

When John Hayes was Rodney's age he was still a year from his Ireland debut. When Mike Ross was Rodney's age he was playing AIL. He should be aiming to take over as Ireland's tighthead from Ross in the next few years (of course he'd have to shift White in Connacht first). Whichever of Moore Fitzpatrick and Ah You secures a provincial starting position first will have a great chance of doing just that.

I reckon, given Nathan White's age (White will be 33 if he plays in one of next autumn's internationals), that he won't be considered for Ireland.

Was this squad not supposed to be announced by now!?

IRFU milking it, but there's 7 uncapped players in the squad....

Connacht Rugby quicker on the twitter machine than IRFU - Robbie, Kieran, and Rodders in the squad......

Sol_ie wrote: IRELAND Extended 2014 RBS 6 Nations Championship Squad
Rodney Ah You (Buccaneers/Connacht)*

Called it

Sol_ie wrote: IRELAND Extended 2014 RBS 6 Nations Championship Squad

Forwards (24)
Rodney Ah You (Buccaneers/Connacht)*
Stephen Archer (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
Robin Copeland (Cardiff Blues)*
Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
Robbie Diack (Malone/Ulster)*
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster)
Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster)
Rob Herring (Ballinahinch/Ulster)*
David Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Mike McCarthy (Leinster)
Jack McGrath (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
Martin Moore (Lansdowne/Leinster)*
Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster)*
Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
Tommy O'Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
Rhys Ruddock (St Mary's College/Leinster)
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster)
Damian Varley (Garryowen/Munster)

Backs (20)
Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster)
Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster)
Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster)
David Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
Ian Keatley (Young Munster/Munster)
Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht)*
Luke Marshall (Ballymena/Ulster)
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster)
Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Jonathan Sexton (Racing Metro 92)
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)

*Denotes uncapped player

Any notable omissions? Have to admit, I haven't a clue who Rob Herring is!

No Zebo (just barely back from injury), so the only notable absentees are Gilroy, Court, Fitzpatrick and McLaughlin I think (and Paddy Wallace, obviously). Cue Nordie outrage.

Oh, and Herring is the Ulster no. 2 hooker.