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Blair name-checked as standout in Six Nations tournament



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Published Date: 17 March 2008
By BILL LOTHIAN
A SILVER lining to Scotland's disappointing RBS Six Nations Championship campaign was provided today with scrum half Mike Blair named as his country's only representative in a "team of the tournament".
The accolade comes from Skysports.com and the citation to the only Scot involved praises the Edinburgher for his determination in the face of adversity. "The Edinburgh scrum-half has almost single-handedly tried dragging Scotland through the tourname
nt.

"He was the star of the victory over England and has performed miracles in a struggling side," says the web-site, with remarks that will do nothing to harm Blair's prospects of a first British and Irish Lions tour, to South Africa, next year.

For a team regarded as joke material at the outset – eg why are Welsh rugby players good swimmers? Because they can't get out of the (World Cup) pool – the men from the valleys had the last laugh in grand slam fashion.

This is reflected in seven nominations for Welshmen. There are three Frenchmen, two Italians, one Irishman and one Englishman completing the line-up.

Captaincy honours are awarded to Italy's Sergio Parisse and the side chosen would read: Byrne (Wales), Clerc (France), Shanklin (Wales), Henson (Wales), Williams (Wales), O'Gara (Ireland), Blair (Scotland), Sheridan (England), Szarzewski (France), Castrogiovanni (Italy), Nallet (France), Wyn-Jones (Wales), Thomas (Wales), Parisse (Italy) captain, Williams (Wales).





The full article contains 233 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 17 March 2008 10:32 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Six Nations
 
1

Keyser Soze,

17/03/2008 12:21:20
i think the team is correct bar one admission. Dan Parks should be at 10. Period. If you think o'gara has also been good then Parks should be shipped to 12 to accomodate.

Either way, as Franky Hadden said before the italy game, "you need your best 15 players on the pitch".
2

The Hallucinist,

17/03/2008 12:42:04
#1 What rugby have you been watching. Dan Parks should be nowhere near the SCotland team. Put him on the 1st available plane to Australia
3

snudge,

17/03/2008 12:57:18
Parks show stopping performances have been terrific, he really should be there.
Mainly for his up and unders against England and his for letting his crowd pleasing easy intercept-able passing.
4

BrutalFrank,

Lighting up his crack pipe 17/03/2008 13:27:44
Parks ability to single out the opposition player when attacking is a joy to behold...The Lions tour cannot come quick enough!
5

SHELDON THE CRACK DEALER,

17/03/2008 14:11:57
Hines should have been no.4
6

stevross,

17/03/2008 16:16:16
Parks should be there for his attempt at growing cool sideboards and a cool beard thingy. he seems so concerned of his image and not of his performances. You wouldn't of had the likes of David Sole, Roy Laidlaw and Gavin Hstings worrying about how they looked. Parks is an A1 A@"£hole
7

Keyser Soze,

17/03/2008 16:44:45
Dan Parks is an example to all schoolchildren out there on how to pass the ball. We all know you must must MUST pass the ball in front of the man so he can run onto it at pace. If you watch the game from saturday, the way those 3 Italians ran onto the passes from Parks was textbook rugby.
8

AD in sunny Livingston,

17/03/2008 17:16:44
Personally I think Dan Parks does a phenomenal impression of "Scrat" from Ice Age - not only does he look like him but he has about as much success in life!
9

YingYang,

Glasgow 17/03/2008 21:43:50
Dan Parks is probably the finest stand off in world rugby right now and many people don't seem to understand how far advanced he actually is. One of the areas that he excels in is the tackle where he is light years ahead of the rest. Most players still use the old fashioned method of going low and driving up into the tackler but parks goes high, stays upright and leans away from the tackle zone. The effectiveness of this is shown by the fact that Frank Hadden wont let him deliver these onto the opposition for the full 80 minutes and brings him out of the defensive line, probably for fear that he would get cited, such is the power of his tackle. Apparently he has nicknamed it the "flail" which seems a soft name for something so destructive. Apparently the lions management have videoed his technique and must be licking their lips at the prospect of having an entire team flailing away at the South Africans next summer.
10

Westcoaster,

perth 17/03/2008 21:59:03

I think ryan jones has the nod for the captaincy of the lions at the moment but a solid tour in the summer and i think parks could put his nose in front
11

Mcsense,

Embra 17/03/2008 22:29:00
Parks' performance this tournament have been nothing short of criminal. The sooner we ship him back to the penal colony he came from the better.
12

Smutley,

The doldrums 19/03/2008 13:06:05
His ability to turn a game is second to none.

 

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