Lions Tour 2025

[RebelYell]

I'll be at the Corner

 

[rugbyAU]

Lions XV v Argentina:

15. Marcus Smith (Harlequins/ England)
14. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints/England)
13. Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland)
12. Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland)
11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland)
10. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints/England)
9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England)
8. Ben Earl (Saracens/England)
7. Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales)
6. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks/England)
5. Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby/Ireland)
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens/England) (c)
3. Finlay Bealham (Connacht Rugby/Ireland)
2. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks/England)
1. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/England)

Replacements
16. Ronan Kelleher (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
17. Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland)
18. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
19. Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors/ Scotland)
20. Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints/England)
21. Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby/Wales)
22. Elliot Daly (Saracens/England)
23. Mack Hansen (Connacht Rugby/Ireland)

 

[JRugby2]

I've seen heaps of comments on Lions socials about how this side is disrespectful to Argentina and that the Lion's aren't taking this game seriously - which considering the players named above is really, really, funny.

 

[Dctarget]

3 born & raised Aussies in the 23, another two Saffas and one Kiwi. Over a quarter of the team is foreign born & raised. Cowards. More Aussie than Welsh. More foreign born than Scottish.

 

[The Phoenix]

3 born & raised Aussies in the 23, another two Saffas and one Kiwi. Over a quarter of the team is foreign born & raised. Cowards. More Aussie than Welsh. More foreign born than Scottish.

So what? We could easily have Tupou, Uru, Daugunu and Lynagh in the Wallabies -- all foreign born and raised.

 

[JRugby2]

It is what it is, I'm not going to be mad if Tupou or Uru win us games.

3 born & raised Aussies in the 23, another two Saffas and one Kiwi. Over a quarter of the team is foreign born & raised. Cowards. More Aussie than Welsh. More foreign born than Scottish.

 

[Major Tom]

So what? We could easily have Tupou, Uru, Daugunu and Lynagh in the Wallabies -- all foreign born and raised.

Lynagh aside those players are at least from the pacific region.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Even then. Dads work means I'm born somewhere is again different to a lot of the Lions.

 

[JRugby2]

Lynagh aside those players are at least from the pacific region.

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here. It's less hypocritical because their foreign home is closer than those Lion's foreign home? Why aren't we signing up every half decent Kiwi teenager then?

 

[Dctarget]

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here. It's less hypocritical because their foreign home is closer than those Lion's foreign home? Why aren't we signing up every half decent Kiwi teenager then?

Well yeah, Australia has the highest foreign born population (30%) in the rugby world. You'd expect a national team to be representative of its, ya know, nation. We have huge migrant groups from the Pacific and NZ. Scotland, funnily enough, does not.

Those SH players representing the Lions are mercenaries. Gone to to whichever highest bidder can claim eligibility through some convoluted system designed to help the home nations.

I don't begrudge the players at all, it will always be a huge achievement for them. But the system sucks.

 

[Dctarget]

Anyway, enough bitching from me (for today, I'll be bleating again in no time).

That team is great. Backline is massive. Wouldn't make many more changes to it, probably add in Lowe, Keenan and JGP but I prefer Smith and Mitchell to the latter two.

I will be very curious to see how the centre partnership goes. I have my doubts about it. Could go amazing but I'd be targeting Aki's channel all day long. A Kerevi/Sua'ali'i combo would have massive height advantage over them,

 

[The Phoenix]

Lynagh aside those players are at least from the pacific region.

But they're not born and bred Australians. I'm sure Tonga wouldn't mind Tupou while Fiji would welcome Uru and Daugunu. My point is we shouldn't criticise other countries for doing something that we do ourselves.

 

[KentwellCup>ShuteShield]

Its different when most of those players for the BIL have moved there specifically for rugby.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Anyone think there is going to be a bolter in the squad or big name omission? Been very quite on this front it seems which isn't a bad thing I guess but can be boring for the gossip.

I'll throw one out there. Don't think he'll miss out on this squad but I could see a guy like Kellaway getting cut if others all fit and firing. He was up and down this year and defensively found out a couple of times.

 

[Tex]

Closest pub probably still available is the Rising Sun. They look after the local Quins lads, so I might park there.

Come help me prise my booking from the beer sodden grasp of the soapies!

 

[Major Tom]

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here. It's less hypocritical because their foreign home is closer than those Lion's foreign home? Why aren't we signing up every half decent Kiwi teenager then?

Yeah basically. Thanks for joining the dots.
They have all of the England, Scottland, Wales and Ireland to pick from and they still need select other nationality players.

 

[The Phoenix]

Even then. Dads work means I'm born somewhere is again different to a lot of the Lion

Its different when most of those players for the BIL have moved there specifically for rugby.

Daugunu and Uru both played Under 20 for Fiji and moved to Australia as adults to play rugby. Tupou was scouted by the Reds while he was playing school rugby in NZ, moved here specifically for rugby. Same with Lynagh, who grew up in England and moved to Australia for rugby. The first three are just as "mercenary" as those in the Lions. Lynagh is different because of his dad, but he is still a product of the English system.
Again, I am making no criticism of these four players, plus many others over the past few years. I am just saying that we do the same thing.

 

[JRugby2]

Yeah basically. Thanks for joining the dots.
They have all of the England, Scottland, Wales and Ireland to pick from and they still need select other nationality players.

But they didn't, they picked players who qualified for those 4 countries.

I'm sorry but you can't bemoan a system that you also are benefitting from, without also calling out your team for doing so (and if you have done in the past, fair fucks to ya then play on).

 

[Sword of Justice]

Fiji would welcome Uru.

I believe they did quite the opposite which is why he became a prison guard in Australia and was eventually spotted by QLD.

 

[Major Tom]

Daugunu and Uru both played Under 20 for Fiji and moved to Australia as adults to play rugby. Tupou was scouted by the Reds while he was playing school rugby in NZ, moved here specifically for rugby. Same with Lynagh, who grew up in England and moved to Australia for rugby. The first three are just as "mercenary" as those in the Lions. Lynagh is different because of his dad, but he is still a product of the English system.
Again, I am making no criticism of these four players, plus many others over the past few years. I am just saying that we do the same thing.

Wasn't Daugunu playing rep soccer in Fiji? some reason remember that.
I don't know if Tupou was really scouted by the Reds as such. I remember him picking Australia because his brother was working here and he felt that there was history of Tongans represented the Wallabies. Either way I think he fell into RA lap!