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JO'N proposes ANZAC vs LIONS after RWC2015

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Swat

Swat

Chilla Wilson (44)
John O'Neill has proposed a "Remembrance Day" match between the British & Irish Lions and an Anzac XV at Twickenham in 2015 to commemorate the centenary anniversary of the Gallipoli landings.
O'Neill told Rugby Gold that "2015 is the centenary anniversary of Gallipoli and the rugby league guys and everyone are talking about how we're going to commemorate it". The former Australian Rugby Union (ARU) chief executive said the Test calendar of Rugby World Cup 2015 year presented an ideal opportunity for the Lions and a combined Wallabies-All Blacks side to honour the Commonwealth soldiers who died in World War I. O'Neill told Rugby Gold that he had held informal discussions before leaving the ARU in October 2012, and wanted his successor at the ARU, Bill Pulver, to lobby for the proposed fixture.
"I can't speak on the ARU's behalf now, so it is up to somebody else," O'Neill said. "It wouldn't be hard. The Lions never play at home, but to commemorate 100 years since World War I and Gallipoli ... you can't do it on April 25 because that's in the middle of Super Rugby but a couple of weeks after the World Cup, assembling the British and Irish Lions to play the Anzacs at Twickenham would be a wonderful way to commemorate the 100 years."
The tight international calendar scuttles such proposals in most years, but players would be on leave and free to remain in London and play in November after Rugby World Cup 2015. The proposed fixture would certainly sell out Twickenham, and that would be attractive as nations tend to suffer huge financial losses in a World Cup year because Test tours are prohibited.
"The 2015 World Cup finishes on October 31, and as close as possible to November 11 - Remembrance Day - the British and Irish Lions should play a combined Wallabies-All Blacks side at Twickenham," O'Neill said. "It would be a fantastic event."
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Source: http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/story/182457.html

I thinks is a cracking idea that might be viable. How many Aussies would make the team? Who would you pick?
 
qwerty51

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Better than a Barbarians match I reckon. I remember in the 2010 the Barbarians game against SA was this

15 James O'Connor, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Will Genia

It was great to watch, they were on fire.
 
qwerty51

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
I'll put a 2015 ANZAC out there for the sake of it

15. Charles Piutau
14. Henry Speight
13. Israel Folau
12. Sonny Bill Williams
11. Julian Savea
10. James O'Connor
9. Will Genia
8. Kieran Read
7. Michael Hooper
6. Steven Luatua
5. Brodie Retallick
4. Sam Whitelock
3. Owen Franks
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau
1. Scott Sio

That team would be okay
 
D

daz

Guest
Forgetting all the side issues around selection, logistics, player workload, etc, etc, I think for a one-off idea it would be a brilliant game and a fantastic occasion.

I think the British public would really enjoy the chance to see the Lions play at home as well.

Great idea.
 
I like to watch

I like to watch

David Codey (61)
Now I'm just waiting for the follow up piece,where it is revealed that JON will be clipping the ticket on both gate receipts and broadcasting rights.
Could be a nice little earner for him,if slightly less than he is used to gouging out of the joint, for any possible value add that he might have contributed.
 
GTPIH

GTPIH

Ted Thorn (20)
MajorlyRagerly said:
We've got to cheer for Bieber, Beale, Cooper. I mean come on, it's not exactly easy on our side either.

Genia will be ok, Stephen Moore palatable, but it wont' be as easy as the days of Mortlock, Sharpe & Smith.
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The way the three amigos are currently going they wouldn't make the team anyway.
 
D

daz

Guest
Scoey said:
I'm not so sure. I reckon I'd love the chance to see what it's like having him on MY team for once! :)
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Yup, because then we could finally agree with our Kiwi bru's that he is "playing the ref well" and "bending not breaking the rules" for a change!

/firmly closes that Pandora's box.


:D
 
Bardon

Bardon

Peter Fenwicke (45)
It's a very interesting concept but I'm not sure how much appetite there would be for the game up here. Playing the game around the time that JON is suggesting would yield at team of equal quality to that that played for the NH team in 2005 and no where near a full strength BIL team. If that was the case it would cheapen the whole concept of a Lions team.

The club season up here will already be disrupted by the timing of the RWC and I don't think clubs will want to be without their players for any longer than necessary. They would either expect players to be resting or available for club fixtures once the RWC was over.

It's a very noble idea but I'm not sure that modern rugby can do it justice, especially in a RWC year.
 
hawktrain

hawktrain

Ted Thorn (20)
Who would you pick for a current ANZAC team. Only Aussie I can think of making the XV would be Genia, I'd say the current AB's would have the edge for every other position over the current Wobs.
 
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