Green shoots: O'Brien and O'Gara on shortlist

ALL IN THE SCRUM:A rugby miscellany

THE FINAL shortlist for the 2011 Player of the Championship has two Irish players in contention. Following on from Tommy Bowe’s winning of the prize last season, this year’s Celtic offering is Seán O’Brien and Ronan O’Gara.

There are 12 players in all, with four from England – Toby Flood, Chris Ashton, James Haskell and Tom Palmer. Also included are French captain Thierry Dusautoir and team-mate Maxime Medard. There are also two from Wales, flanker Sam Warburton and outhalf James Hook and two from Italy, Fabio Semenzato and Andrea Masi.

All players who were awarded the man of the match award for the first four weekends were automatically included. Fans can now vote for their favourite on www.rbs6nations.com, which is open until midnight, March 20th.

POP PARTNERS

IS THERE a trend developing? It used to be just Geordan Murphy and his pop singing girlfriend Lucie Silvas but this weekend expect to see Saturday's star Una Healy somewhere in the Aviva Stadium. The Tipperary-born singer may, however, may be there to support England as she and fullback Ben Foden are reported to be an item. They apparently met through their agents.

Given Murphy’s injury problems and those of Rob Kearney, whose girlfriend is actress Suzy Amy, can we expect to see the England fullback come down with some calamitous injury? Hopefully not.

Level playing field: Odds against score draw

WHAT IS the chance of Saturday’s match in Aviva Stadium ending in a draw? There have been eight of them since the first drawn match back in 1882, when the teams scored two tries each.

In 1910 they played out what was the first of two scoreless draws, the other arriving in not so swinging 1963. Those two years were clearly not vintage for attacking rugby.

In fact, the biggest score draw between the teams is 9-9 and that was the end result when England last finished level with Ireland in the championship in their 1968 meeting.

In terms of records getting bigger and players approaching older records, the outhalf question could see some jockeying between Ronan O’Gara and Jonny Wilkinson – as ever – if either player makes it on to the pitch on Saturday.

O’Gara’s championship (Five and Six Nations) point record stands at 551, while Wilkinson’s sits at 546. In last week’s round of matches O’Gara increased his total before being hauled ashore, while Wilkinson came from the bench to add to his tally.

GLASGOW WARRIORShave announced that Ulster wing Tommy Seymour will play with them for the next two years. Seymour, who was born in Nashville, USA, also qualifies to play for Scotland through his Glasgow-born mother and he arrives at Firhill as a replacement for Scotland's Max Evans, who has taken the French shilling with Castres.

Now 22-year-old Seymour, who struggled for game time in Belfast, is seeking first team play and representative honours.

Red carpet treatment? Ireland looking to slam door on England’s hopes

IRELAND WILL recall the last time England arrived in Dublin seeking a Grand Slam. Martin Johnson, red carpet remember? It was 2003, they came, they saw, they conquered 42-6. But management, who have longer memories, will also know that England arrived in 2001 also looking for a Grand Slam and Ireland spoiled the party in Lansdowne Road 20-14. Over the 100 years of playing in the championship England have achieved the Slam on 12 occasions, or, on average, just over once every decade.

Of the Ireland team, who may line out this Saturday when it is announced at lunchtime today, only a handful of players will have an intimate memory of that lop sided result of 2003. Captain Brian O’Driscoll started at 13, with Peter Stringer at nine, while lock Paul O’Connell was on the bench with outhalf Ronan O’Gara. In the 2001 game, O’Driscoll, Stringer and David Wallace started with O’Gara on the bench.

ADAM JONESis ready to answer Wales coach Warren Gatland's call against France on Saturday, despite playing only 20 minutes of rugby since mid-January. "I am not expecting miracles, such as dominating from the start, but if I am selected I will get on with it and not worry," said Ospreys prop Jones.

HOW TO WIN FRIENDS . . . .

"I regret what I said on Sunday morning, that some had made their last international appearance. Now, lets go past resentment, frustration and lets work on determination and confidence."– Marc Lievremont rows back