The Six Nations XV you the 2016 Championship

MIKE Phillips’ recent social media exchange with fellow international talisman Paul O’Connell not only provided one of the best comebacks since Lazarus, but the growing realisation two of rugby’s great players have been lost to the Test stage for good.

Phillips delivered a

brilliant response to his former Lions teammate O’Connell after the 108-cap exIreland captain gave him a gentle ribbing on Twitter.

Phillips sent a link out to the trailer for the upcoming BBC Wales documentary, ‘The Real Mike Phillips’, which followed the 33-year-old over the course of a year and was aired last night.

With tongue-in-cheek, O’Connell replied: “Did they film you on a night out?” Not to be outdone, Phillips responded: “Ha, you had to go there!! Yes they did actually, the night we beat you in the RWC quarters!”

That referred to Wales’ 22-10 defeat of Ireland in the 2011 Rugby World Cup quarter-final in which both men played and scrum-half Phillips crossed the whitewash.

Neither will be around for the upcoming Six Nations having retired from international rugby after the World Cup, but they are far from the only ones. When European battle kicks off in February, the tournament will be missing a host of star names. We give you the XV set to watch the Six Nations from the sidelines through either retirement or long-term injuries...