Diom wrote: Muldoon and Griffin are the Connacht lads who would also have been justified with a call up to the squad. I am guessing that our league form hurts our chances of getting players into Irish jerseys.

Muldoon's in a very crowded position and Griffin has been played out of position much of the season. Plus he was pretty much our worst player against Zebre, bad time to have his only stinker of the season. I'm happy enough with the 3 that are named.

Muldoon and Griffin are the Connacht lads who would also have been justified with a call up to the squad. I am guessing that our league form hurts our chances of getting players into Irish jerseys.

Yeah I thought Mul would get a call-up too, he's been in great form. Was expecting Henshaw and Marmion but I'm absolutely delighted for Rodney. Well deserved if you ask me.

Not an area Ireland are too weak in, but thought Muldoon could have been close to a call up.

Not too long ago, a Connacht player wouldnt get a look in, for the Irish squad.

Well done to the three lads

Tom Court pointedly absent from the list of injured/not fully fit players...

"A number of players currently injured or returning from injury will remain with their provinces to gain further recovery time or game time.

They include Richardt Strauss, Donnacha Ryan, Roger Wilson, Tommy Bowe, Simon Zebo, Declan Fitzpatrick and Craig Gilroy. Some of these players may yet return for RBS 6 Nations test matches."

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.

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!

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

Called it

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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