Six Nations Countdown

Today's other stoiries in brief

The Cusack Stand

Michael Cusack was immortalised as The Citizen in James Joyce's Ulysses, but the Clare native has several claims to fame, most importantly organising a gathering in Hayes Hotel, Thurles, on November 1st, 1884. That meeting led to the official establishment of the GAA and Cusack became the association's first secretary.

The Cusack Stand was named in 1927, with the stadium's first double deck added to it in 1936. The first phase of the 14-year redevelopment of Croke Park saw the stand rebuilt in 1997, at a cost of £35 million.

Phase Two of the development began a year later, extending the Cusack Stand over the Canal End terrace, which is now known as the Davin Stand, after Maurice Davin, the first president of the GAA.

Cusack was also a teacher at Blackrock College, a place more associated with matters rugby than the workings of the GAA. He used to hold meetings in the school's front parlour in the months preceding the GAA's formation.

Numbers game

Sunday's 82,300 sell-out will be the biggest draw of the Six Nations as Croke Park just edges Twickenham (82,000) and Stade de France (80,000) in terms of capacity.

The largest attendance for a game in Croke Park? A crowd of 90,556 attended the 1961 All-Ireland football final when Down became the first six counties team to bring the Sam Maguire Cup over the Border. They beat Offaly in the final, and the spine of the team regained Sam in 1968 with, arguably, the greatest Ulster side.

The Croke Park horseshoe design makes it the fourth-largest stadium in Europe behind the Nou Camp in Barcelona, the San Siro in Milan and Olympic stadium in Kiev.

There is scope for increasing the capacity but not in the immediate future, as it would require the GAA purchasing a whole row of houses behind Hill 16.

True Blue

Name: Yannick Jauzion. Age: 28. Position: centre. Height: 1.90m. Weight: 101kg

Irish rugby may be in possession of two jewels at centre, but, if you were selecting a World XV, Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy would be hard pressed by the Toulouse maestro.

Primary strength: Ehpace, handling, strength, awareness, leadership. He is the complete player and has proved it on the biggest stage - see the 2005 European Cup final when he was named man of the match in Toulouse's victory over Stade Francais.

Irish link: He is mates with Trevor Brennan.

Waiting on Luke

The Irish under-20s kick off this historic international weekend on Friday night when they play hosts to France at Dubarry Park in Athlone - home to Buccaneers RFC.

Head coach Eric Elwood and his selectors have a few decisions to make, but a team announcement is on hold until Eddie O'Sullivan decides what to do with Leinster's Luke Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald was selected for last Friday's 17-15 victory over Wales in Swansea but cried off due to a neck injury. Seapoint's Felix Jones came in to cross for two tries in an eye-catching performance.

Presuming Fitzgerald recovers, and that is by no means certain, he could be promoted to the Ireland A team that plays the England Saxons in Ravenhill, also on Friday night. This seems likely as the teenager is currently part of the senior set-up and lined out for the A side against Australia in November.

All will be revealed at lunch time today.

The under-20s have definitely lost number eight Seán O'Brien, who pulled a hamstring in Swansea, but at least the fit-again Clontarf prop Cian Healy (second only to Fitzgerald as the most promising player to come out of the Leinster schools system in recent times) comes into the reckoning.

Honesty policy

Wales coach Gareth Jenkins has revealed how he has introduced honesty sessions into his side's post-match analysis.

After going down to Ireland 19-9 in the opening Six Nations game on Sunday, Jenkins told his players to have a good look at themselves in the mirror ahead of Saturday's trip to Murrayfield.

"We weren't clinical enough against Ireland and we have to have that honesty among ourselves," said Jenkins, who will unveil his side to play Scotland today.

"For all the good work we did, we didn't do enough to win the game. We have to have honesty. There have to be home truths - we can't hide behind things.

"It's about sitting down and identifying the areas of the game where you are not as efficient as you could be.

It's what you might call an honesty session."