Seven Irish players in the starting XV. That’ll do… for a start.
Paul O’Connell hopes he is not jinxing Ireland but he is convinced they will win the 2017 Six Nations and he is convincing others.
The former Ireland captain was a guest of BBC Five Live ahead of the championship’s kick-off this weekend and while he praised both England and Scotland, he is not looking beyond the men in green.
He even had former Scottish and England internationals Rory Lawson and Jeremy Guscott crowing on our behalf.
The three men were asked for their notional British & Irish Lions XVs and Ireland fared well.
Guscott and Lawson both selected five Irish players, agreeing on Tadhg Furlong, Conor Murray and Sean O’Brien in their teams. Lawson named Johnny Sexton and Rory Best while Guscott goes for Robbie Henshaw in his midfield.
O’Connell does not disappoint and confidently named seven in his team. The lucky men – Rory Best, Tadhg Furlong, Sean O’Brien, Jamie Heaslip, Conor Murray, Johnny Sexton and Simon Zebo.
Paul O'Connell has selected his British & Irish Lions starting XV ahead of the #RBS6Nations.
Will it look the same in 6 weeks time? pic.twitter.com/KlqRiwMi1L
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) February 2, 2017
The burning question here, Paul, is Where the HELL is CJ Stander?!
O’Connell remarks that his team selection could be completely different next weekend. If Ireland start off well with a win at Murrayfield, we’d expect nothing less than 8, 9, 10…
Here’s O’Connell’s Lions XV:
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