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REVEALED | Alan Quinlan's combined Wales-Ireland XV

Alan Quinlan joined OTB AM this morning ahead of Ireland's crunch trip to Wales on Sunday in a be...



Alan Quinlan joined OTB AM this morning ahead of Ireland's crunch trip to Wales on Sunday in a behind closed doors Six Nations opener.

Ireland have had the better of recent clashes, including a 32-9 win in Dublin in November, although Cardiff hasn't been a happy stomping ground.

The Irish team have lost on their last three visits to the Millennium Stadium in this competition, and a lot of the build-up has centred on how Andy Farrell can turn that around.

But what of the best combined fifteen these two teams can come up with? Wales' Josh Adams is out of consideration after he breached Covid guidelines, so he won't make the cut.

Alan Quinlan has opted for eight Irish and seven Welsh names in his combined selection:

15. Leigh Halfpenny (Wales)

It's hard to argue with the Scarlets star's inclusion - Halfpenny is Wales' third-highest scorer of all time, after Neil Jenkins and Stephen Jones.

14. Keith Earls (Ireland)

The 33-year-old Limerick man gets the nod from his fellow Munster man Quinlan. Earls' versatility has been key for Ireland too - starting his career as a centre, he now primarily starts on the wing, with the odd bit of cover at full-back.

13. Jonathan Davies (Wales)

The Scarlets man is another player with a couple of Lions tours to his name - and was voted player of the tour in 2017 by his teammates. Harsh on Garry Ringrose, or do you agree?

12. Robbie Henshaw (Ireland)

That GAA background has served him well, and the Athlone man makes Quinny's selection.

11. James Lowe (Ireland)

The way he has performed for Leinster in the last couple of years secures a spot for Lowe - who gets his spot with Josh Adams out after attending a gender reveal party.

10. Johnny Sexton (Ireland)

He's fit for Sunday, and we all hope he proves his worth in Quinny's team in Cardiff.

9. Tomos Williams (Wales)

He's been brilliant for the Blues, and Quinlan says he was one of the few bright sparks for Wales in November.

7 September 2019; Cian Healy of Ireland is tackled by Aaron Wainwright of Wales during the Guinness Summer Series match between Ireland and Wales at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

1. Cian Healy (Ireland)

Healy has been around for quite some time - making his first start for Leinster in the 2006-07 season. Hard to keep him out of any combined team...

2. Ken Owens (Wales)

Straight in. Owens debuted for his country at the World Cup 10 years ago.

3. Andrew Porter (Ireland)

Any arguments here?

4. Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)

You need a bit of experience in your team - and the 35-year-old is not only Wales' most-capped international player, but the world's most-capped rugby union player generally. Not bad.

5. James Ryan (Ireland)

The 24-year-old lock walks into this team, with some serious leadership potential to boot.

6. CJ Stander (Ireland)

"I can't leave him out" says Quinlan. Enough said.

7. Justin Tipuric (Wales)

The 31-year-old is a key player for the Welsh, and has been for a number of years. He has a couple of Lions tours under his belt too, and sneaks into Quinny's team.

8. Toby Faletau (Wales)

Faletau made his full debut for Wales nearly 10 years ago, captaining the country for the first time during the 2018 Six Nations.

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Alan Quinlan Ireland James Ryan Otb Am Wales Wales V Ireland