A continuing subplot of this year’s RBS Six Nations Championship is the generation game being played out among some of the leading fly halves.
Just as the rivalry between Toby Flood and Jonny Wilkinson for England continues to fascinate, there are compelling duels between James Hook and Stephen Jones for the Wales No 10 shirt, and between Ronan O’Gara and Jonathan Sexton to play in the pivotal decision-making role for Ireland.
Hook, 25, struck a blow for the younger generation yesterday when he was restored by Warren Gatland, the Wales head coach, to start at fly half against Ireland at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday. In contrast, Declan Kidney, the Ireland head coach, has kept faith with O’Gara, 34.
In each case, the younger fly half is perceived as the more adventurous selection. “Stephen is very disappointed,” Gatland said yesterday. “But he’s the ultimate pro and he’ll be very positive towards James playing at No 10. This is a crucial game for us.”
Leigh Halfpenny will play his first international match of the season, having recovered from an ankle injury and been selected on the right wing ahead of Morgan Stoddart.
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Ireland, who have lost in Cardiff only once since 1983, have named the same team that beat Scotland 21-18 ten days ago, a game in which O’Gara started in place of Sexton after coming off the bench in the previous two matches.
Marc Lièvremont, the France coach, has resisted calls for him to drop Sébastien Chabal after the iconic forward’s lacklustre display against England. Chabal remains at No 8 for the game against Italy in Rome on Saturday, but Julien Bonnaire replaces Imanol Harinordoquy at open-side flanker and Sylvain Marconnet comes in at loose-head prop for Thomas Domingo. Maxime Médard has recovered from injury to resume at full back in place of Clément Poitrenaud.
France team (v Italy at Stadio Flaminio, Rome on Saturday): M Médard; Y Huget, A Rougerie, Y Jauzion, V Clerc; F Trinh-Duc, D Yachvili; S Marconnet, W Servat, N Mas, J Pierre, L Nallet, T Dusautoir (captain), J Bonnaire, S Chabal. Replacements: G Guirado, L Ducalcon, J Thion, I Harinordoquy, M Parra, D Traille, C Poitrenaud.
Ireland team (v Wales at Millennium Stadium on Saturday): L Fitzgerald; T Bowe, B O’Driscoll (captain), G D’Arcy, K Earls; R O’Gara, E Reddan; C Healy, R Best, M Ross, D O’Callaghan, P O’Connell, S O’Brien, D Wallace, J Heaslip. Replacements: S Cronin, T Court, L Cullen, D Leamy, P Stringer, J Sexton, P Wallace.
Wales team: L Byrne; L Halfpenny, J Roberts, J Davies, S Williams; J Hook, M Phillips; P James, M Rees (captain), C Mitchell, B Davies, A W Jones, D Lydiate, S Warburton, R Jones. Replacements: R Hibbard, J Yapp, D Peel, S Jones, M Stoddart, and two from R McCusker, A Powell and J Thomas.