Lions Tour 2013

[the plastic paddy]

Sam's injury should clear the way for SoB to start and tips on bench with Lydiate. think we all agree the selections were wrong for last test. Gray should've been picked in front of Parling. Also agree that hooker is a problem. I think Best is the way to go. On his day he is the most complete player the lions have at 2. The loosehead side of the scrum was the shambles we all predicted. Also I hope that Spikey Mickey is fit because although he wasn't up to full form in first test, Youngs wasnt able to match him. I think Foxy played well but I hope Jamie the Jaw is fit and would play him if he is.

Geting the backrow right is the key. Showed in the end how much work Warbs and Heaslip put in. Once they were off, the aussies were able to make 1 on 1 in the backline and score. Croft cant play gatlandball

It is not just the hookers though, the whole coordination of the Lions line out is shot to feck. Haven't heard whether Youngs the elder is over his injury but if he is out it has to be Hibbard and Best. The problem the Lions have is that throwing and mostly under throwing to two means any ball is being heavily challenged and by the time it reaches Sextoid the defensive line is in his face, he goes deeper to compensate and a slow enough midfield is trying to break the Aussie defensive line from miles behind the gain line. Even if a half break is made the ball will be slow because the cleaners are having to go backwards to get to the breakdown. The lions need a miracle, they have now been playing for nearly a year without a break, ironically the injuries have been to players like Healy, Jenkins, POC who were relatively fresh after missing significant periods of last season to injury, arse splinters and bans. Anyway, hoping for Phillips to start with Youngs the weeper on the bench, that would lose the Lions more support in Munster!?!?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Bloody typical.

St Sam has spent more time in Australia over the last 18 months than our Foreign Minister, and apart from the first 40 minutes last Saturday, we seem doomed to never see him at his best up against out best.

The prospect of St Sam at his best vs Bam Bam, with Gorgeous George off the bench for the last 20 minutes will be forever but a Rugby Bucket List dream. How good would that have been?

 

[Athilnaur]

Can't see Gorgeous George with them but reckon we haven't seen the last of St Sam and Bam Bam!

Meanwhile Gorgeous George stands to be a man of the hour and his hour is nigh.

 

[Craig Riddington]

Do you really call George Smith, 'Gorgeous George'?

 

[Scoey]

No.

 

[HSM]

The more I think about the best possible Lions XV (and I have already spent a seriously unhealthy amount of time this week thinking about it), the more I like the look of Ian Evans and Alun Wyn Jones as the second row pairing. They have played a lot of rugby together, and I think represent the Lions' best chance for a second row that will go bloody hard for 80 minutes. I suppose the major question is the lineout - Parling is supposedly some sort of "lineout whisperer" but couldn't AW Jones call them?​

 

[HSM]

And is it completely unreasonable to suggest a bench (in the backs) of B. Youngs/Murray, Tuilagi, and Hogg? If Sexton goes down, I reckon we're f*cked either way, so might as well have a guy in Hogg who can play at the back (which also provides wing cover in a way, as Halfpenny could move there). Roberts could go hard for 55 minutes at 12, and then Tuilagi as the super sub.

 

[Swat]

HSM the team has been named

Team: 15-Leigh Halfpenny (Wales), 14-Tommy Bowe (Ireland), 13-Jonathan Davies (Wales), 12-Jamie Roberts (Wales), 11-George North (Wales), 10-Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), 9-Mike Phillips (Wales), 8-Toby Faletau (Wales), 7-Sean O'Brien (Ireland), 6-Dan Lydiate (Wales), 5-Geoff Parling (England), 4-Alun Wyn Jones (captain, Wales), 3-Adam Jones (Wales), 2-Richard Hibbard (Wales), 1-Alex Corbisiero (England)

Replacements - 16-Tom Youngs (England), Mako Vunipola (England), 18-Dan Cole (England), 19-Richie Gray (Scotland), 20- Justin Tipuric (Wales), 21-Conor Murray (Ireland), 22-Owen Farrell (England), 23-Manu Tuilagi (England)

 

[Craig Riddington]

Bloody Nora, No BOD! That breaks my heart. They had better win it for him.

 

[p.Tah]

10 Welsh in the starting side.

Are they going to wear the Lion's jersey or just the Welsh one?

 

[Swat]

That means that from 4 lions tours BOD has only won 2 tests, both in brisbane, 12 years appart.

 

[Dan54]

Mind you Swat, I suppose you could also say the Lions have only won 3 tests in that time, so for him to be in 2 of them not to bad!!!

 

[Craig Riddington]

10 Welsh in the starting side.

Are they going to wear the Lion's jersey or just the Welsh one?

Where they are from is irrelevant, they are Lions.

 

[Craig Riddington]

When Horwill was cleared, Greewood suggested with some irony that the BIL should make AWJ captain. I think he might be motivated.

 

[BarneySF]

Welsh + Tuilagi - hope we can contain them both like we did last year. Not keen on a rampaging MT coming on late. Looks like Gatland and Lions fans are on the same page.

EDIT: At least those fans that are crying for out and out 'power'.

 

[JSRF10]

Tinfoil hat time Craig, Gatland has to go back and coach the Welsh after this and by picking them on masse he is avoiding repeating Graham Henrys mistakes in 2001

 

[p.Tah]

Where they are from is irrelevant, they are Lions.

Do you believe that all ten are the best in their position for the Lions?

 

[Craig Riddington]

Do you believe that all ten are the best in their position for the Lions?

No, but I bet you couldn't find two posters on here that would pick the same team either. The changes I would have made to Gatlands team are BOD over Davis, SOB at 6, Toothpick at 7 and I might have stuck with Heaslip as well. But I can also understand the logic to his selections. I still don't care where they come from.

I think the tinfoil hat is still being used on the Horwill thread I'm not sure I would buy into the argument that Gatland is picking the Welsh boys because he wants to keep them happy. If Gatland wants the Kiwi job then he will get more kudos out of winning this series than winning another 6N don't ya think.

 

[JSRF10]

I think the tinfoil hat is still being used on the Horwill thread I'm not sure I would buy into the argument that Gatland is picking the Welsh boys because he wants to keep them happy. If Gatland wants the Kiwi job then he will get more kudos out of winning this series than winning another 6N don't ya think.

Haha fair point, we'll have to make our own

The Kiwi job is the one Gatland wants, which makes me think thats why he didn't bring Joe Schmidt as the backs coach can't have another pesky Kiwi sharing the credit, but he's gone back to what he knows and dropped/not picked some potential match winners. I think he has shat himself because he thought the series would be over by now and he has gone with what he knows because he can't lose, he can still go back to the Welsh job if he loses with reasonably content Welsh players or he can win the series with his blue eyed boys.

 

[Bardon]

Win or lose at the weekend I hope the Lions move away from the model of picking the coach from those in charge of the home nations 1 year out. Would like to see a coach who can come in with a clean slate and some fresh ideas who will give everyone a fair crack of the whip.

However in the modern game I can't see it happening as it's much easier for the Lions to get a coach released from one of the constituent unions. Trying to get the coaches they want from clubs would probably be a big stumbling block. Usually there are some pretty good coaches that are looking for work around the time of selection but the don't call us we'll call you selection method means they'll never be in the mix.