“He is a monster, actually, when you’re standing up beside him.”
The Six Nations countdown is well and truly on, and a season of rugby debates is about to kick into overdrive. Sean O’Brien has stepped up to make some big ‘Ultimate Team’ calls.
O’Brien and his House of Rugby co-host Alex Goode (Saracens and England) were tasked with selecting a dream team with players from all this year’s 2022 Six Nations squads available to chose from.
O’Brien, who played 61 times for Ireland and won the 2015 Six Nations with them, has gone for an Ultimate Team selection that would certainly bring supporters to stadiums and TV screen in their droves. It contains six French players, four from Ireland, three England stars and one apiece from Scotland and Italy.
Wales? Better luck next time, lads.
Sean O’Brien makes his Ultimate Team picks
In his front row, the London Irish flanker has selected Ireland stars Rónan Kelleher and “best tighthead in the world” Tadhg Furlong to pack down with France loosehead Cyril Baille. On Kelleher, who he crossed paths with at Leinster, O’Brien says:
“Rónan is just going from strength to strength. He’s big, 6-foot-2. He is a monster, actually, when you’re standing up beside him. Really good in those wide channels, as Ireland have been showing, of late. An incredibly good scrummager and his darts have improved considerably over the last couple of years.”
The second row sees O’Brien pair up Maro Itoje and Paul Willemse, while there are no Irish players in his back row. He has chosen Jamie Ritchie for his “massive work-rate”, “Mr Consistency” Gregory Alldritt and a player backed to shine in the championship, Tom Curry.
O’Brien wants his team to be a run-and-gun attacking unit, hence his half-back picks of Antoine Dupont and Marcus Smith. For centres, both he and Goode agreed on teaming up Virimi Vakatawa and Robbie Henshaw.
Finally, the O’Brien back three features one of his favourite players to watch, Monty Ioane, “danger-man” Damian Penaud and Hugo Keenan. “The last two years,” he says, “Hugo has taken his game to a whole new level… he has all the bits and pieces, now, to be the complete fullback.”
Before Welsh rugby Twitter goes into complete meltdown, O’Brien did strongly consider Wyn Jones and Josh Adams before he ultimately went for Baille and Penaud. Fuel for the fire ahead of Ireland vs. Wales.
Sean O’Brien’s Six Nations Ultimate Team
15. Hugo Keenan (Ireland)
14. Damian Penaud (France)
13. Robbie Henshaw (Ireland)
12. Virimi Vakatawa (France)
11. Monty Ioane (Italy)
10. Marcus Smith (England)
9. Antoine Dupont (France)1. Cyril Baille (France)
2. Rónan Kelleher (Ireland)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)
4. Maro Itoje (England)
5. Paul Willemse (France)
6. Jamie Ritchie (Scotland)
7. Tom Curry (England)
8. Gregory Alldritt (France)
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