Lions Watch

[JSRF10]

Cardiff Blues are resting all their Lions this week, given they won't have another game till June should they not be playing this week? Some of the Welsh contingent could be very undercooked come the first tour game, as Shane Williams showed in 2009 you don't want to be looking for form in the warm ups. The majority of the Irish, English and Scots will be involved in playoffs/ European finals so that shouldn't be a worry.

 

[Bruwheresmycar]

The BaaBaa's should pick a team of the 15 most brutal pacific islander players on the planet.

 

[RoffsChoice]

The BaaBaa's should pick a team of the 15 most brutal pacific islander players on the planet.

They like to have an uncapped player, why not Fotu?

 

[the plastic paddy]

Cardiff Blues are resting all their Lions this week, given they won't have another game till June should they not be playing this week? Some of the Welsh contingent could be very undercooked come the first tour game, as Shane Williams showed in 2009 you don't want to be looking for form in the warm ups. The majority of the Irish, English and Scots will be involved in playoffs/ European finals so that shouldn't be a worry.

And you are not concerned that Cardiff will represent a game of unopposed for Ulster in the last round of the Rabo assuring them of number one seeding and the easier prospect of the Scarlets as opposed to Glasgow in the play offs!?!? Seriously, though, looking forward to the Leinster V Hairspays game tonight a proper blood and thunder winner takes all game, although Leinster are resting a few with three cup games in three weeks coming up. Here are the teams BTW


LEINSTER:
15: Rob Kearney
14: Andrew Conway
13: Fergus McFadden
12: Ian Madigan
11: Isa Nacewa
10: Jonathan Sexton
9: Isaac Boss
1: Jack McGrath
2: Sean Cronin
3: Jamie Hagan
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Quinn Roux
6: Rhys Ruddock
7: Shane Jennings
8: Sean O'Brien
REPLACEMENTS:
16: Richardt Strauss
17: Cian Healy
18: Michael Bent
19: Devin Toner
20: Dominic Ryan
21: John Cooney
22: Andrew Goodman
23: Brian O'Driscoll
OSPREYS:
15: Richard Fussell
14: Tom Habberfield
13: Ashley Beck
12; Ben John
11: Ross Jones
10: Dan Biggar
9: Rhys Webb
1: Duncan Jones
2: Scott Baldwin
3: Adam Jones
4: Alun Wyn Jones CAPTAIN
5: James King
6: Justin Tipuric
7: Sam Lewis
8: Joe Bearman
REPLACEMENTS:
16: Dmitri Arhip
17: Ryan Bevington
18: Cai Griffiths
19: Ian Evans
20: Morgan Allen
21: Matthew Morgan
22: Tom Isaacs
23: Jonathan Spratt

 

[the plastic paddy]

The BaaBaa's should pick a team of the 15 most brutal pacific islander players on the planet.

Be careful what you wish for, half of Gatland's squad are considerably worse than their replacements who, were they to be called up, would arrive with a fierce point to prove. I would be praying that the likes of Vunipola, Hartley, Stevens, Jenkins, Youngs the larger, Gray, Croft (hahahaha!!!!!), Youngs the crier etc etc stay fit, if I were an Aussie fan, as with them in the squad the Lions have not got a chance. I will be praying there are no injuries as I don't want anymore Irish lads risking themselves for this pointless exercise.

 

[Wales Fan]

Be careful what you wish for, half of Gatland's squad are considerably worse than their replacements who, were they to be called up, would arrive with a fierce point to prove. I would be praying that the likes of Vunipola, Hartley, Stevens, Jenkins, Youngs the larger, Gray, Croft (hahahaha!!!!!), Youngs the crier etc etc stay fit, if I were an Aussie fan, as with them in the squad the Lions have not got a chance. I will be praying there are no injuries as I don't want anymore Irish lads risking themselves for this pointless exercise.

Bit harsh lumping Jenkins in with that lot, he's not the best scrummager at loosehead, but still a dynamo in the loose and a turnover machine.


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[Blue]

Be careful what you wish for, half of Gatland's squad are considerably worse than their replacements who, were they to be called up, would arrive with a fierce point to prove. I would be praying that the likes of Vunipola, Hartley, Stevens, Jenkins, Youngs the larger, Gray, Croft (hahahaha!!!!!), Youngs the crier etc etc stay fit, if I were an Aussie fan, as with them in the squad the Lions have not got a chance. I will be praying there are no injuries as I don't want anymore Irish lads risking themselves for this pointless exercise.

My god you are without any doubt the biggest sourpus on this board.

When last did you put on dry underwear?

 

[the plastic paddy]

My god you are without any doubt the biggest sourpus on this board.

When last did you put on dry underwear?

On the contrary, I haven't stopped smiling since Tuesday at about 11.30 Am!?! The fall out from this squad could not have been more spectacular if I had picked it. Just chatting to another disaffected English fan and all the gripes came up, Robshaw etc, it really is first class entertainment.

 

[the plastic paddy]

Bit harsh lumping Jenkins in with that lot, he's not the best scrummager at loosehead, but still a dynamo in the loose and a turnover machine.


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He was brutal for Toulon last sunday but he will probably be better once he is playing for a team about which he gives a toss. Hopefully he will start ahead of Healy but can't really see it myself. Ryan Grant is the most egregious omission from the squad; I just cannot believe Fatland hasn't taken him, you can keep Hartley, Stevens, Croft(hahhaha!!!) etc, Vunipola ahead of Ryan Grant has to be the maddest selection of the lot, if it was a horse race Fatland might well be accused of not trying!!!!

 

[Wales Fan]

The whole Toulon experience has been a forgettable one for Jenkins. The French sides favour power scrummagers over all else and gethin was always going to be the loser against Sheridan in that respect.
Healy will be 1st choice at loosehead, with Jenkins providing bench cover or maybe as captain of the midweek side.
Agreed on Grant, a ridiculous omission - he's played some good rugby this year and is a capable prop on both sides of the scrum. Vunipola will be a good player but isn't there yet, and Stevens is purely there for entertainment value.

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[USARugger]

the plastic paddy

You know Croft is a loosie, not a loose-head, right?

I would have taken Care at scrumhalf but I understand his omission since it seems that Gatland is going to run the same power scheme he did with Wales.

And in what ways is the omission of Robshaw even a surprise much less a controversial choice?

 

[Bardon]

the plastic paddy

You know Croft is a loosie, not a loose-head, right?

I would have taken Care at scrumhalf but I understand his omission since it seems that Gatland is going to run the same power scheme he did with Wales.

And in what ways is the omission of Robshaw even a surprise much less a controversial choice?

If you're an England fan or the BBC the omission of Robshaw is a controversial choice. Actually if you're the BBC it seems that the omission of just about any English player is a controversial choice and the inclusion of Stevens and Hartley are master-strokes.

 

[USARugger]

If you're an England fan or the BBC the omission of Robshaw is a controversial choice. Actually if you're the BBC it seems that the omission of just about any English player is a controversial choice and the inclusion of Stevens and Hartley are master-strokes.

I understand the Hartley selection because frankly he is stronger than Best in the set-piece on current form. That said I will always think he is a little biting whinging fluffybunny of a human being. Mostly because of all the whinging and biting.

Robshaw never had a shot of making the Lions squad and anyone who thought so doesn't know much about Gatland or back-row play in general. Robshaw is the equivalent of dropping a stick of dynamite in your back-row balance. You would need to pick the other loosies specifically to compensate for a player who isn't even that good.

 

[JSRF10]

Hartley is a fine player when your winning but he isn't a guy who likes a challenge. There have been far too many times that he is gone missing when the heat is on, Heineken Cup final 2011 being the prime example. He isn't a guy who the Lions can rely on if the series is at stake IMO. Best had the yips in the 6 Nations but is superior in every department to Hartley.

An amusing moment in the Leinster match was when SOB and Alun Wyn Jones got into a bit of handbags and Nigel Owens pulled them over and said "I hope you two are rooming together on the tour after that.". Sexton looks in great form as does Madigan, really excited about how they'll go with Ireland next year. Didn't see the Ulster game but I heard Olding went well again, Irelands no12 on the summer tour me thinks.

 

[Italophile]

Treviso tonked Scarlets last night, their big, largely Azzurri back row blowing holes in the limp Scarlets defence almost at will. Not the farewell George North would have hoped for. Playing 14 he saw little pill thanks to Scarlets' fumbling, stumbling lateral attack, AWOL for at least one Treviso try, and seemed intent on scoring solo tries on the occasions he did get the pill.

Best had the yips in the 6 Nations but is superior in every department to Hartley.

Agree completely.

 

[Wales Fan]

Treviso tonked Scarlets last night, their big, largely Azzurri back row blowing holes in the limp Scarlets defence almost at will. Not the farewell George North would have hoped for. Playing 14 he saw little pill thanks to Scarlets' fumbling, stumbling lateral attack, AWOL for at least one Treviso try, and seemed intent on scoring solo tries on the occasions he did get the pill.



Agree completely.

Scarlets were woefully poor, laughable at times to be honest. Even when facing 13 men it was Treviso showing all the attacking intent.
Too many scarlet players seemed to have their minds elsewhere.
Play like that next weekend at Ulster and it'll be a brutal beating.

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[Italophile]

Yep, Treviso with 13 men looking much more dangerous was almost comical.

 

[Dai bando]

looking forward now to the lions games, why anyone would want to see them finish is a little surprising to say the least a rugby players dream tp play for or against them I would imagine.
But a lot on here have been critical of the selections or at least some of them, Best must be really disapointed, so to Grant Warburton as captain will be fine I think I mentioned here some time ago that his red card in the WC affected him and that he would need to overcome that , I now think he has, a very good player who lost his form now has it back. Form is temporary class is not. Right Sam off at your cost me thinks,
Yep Gats will play the way he always has, up to you to stop it.

 

[the plastic paddy]

Do you think Martin Johnson puts his captaincy of the Lions above his RWC medal? Of course he doesn't and that in a nutshell is why I don't think Irish players should be in Lions squads anymore. We do not have the player pool to afford our best players compromising their summer break involved in a tour where they beat shit out of each other to get on the team and they have to contend with half wits like McCrae trying to make a name for themselves by maiming someone.

The Southern Hemisphere nations accrue the financial benefit disproportionately in relation to the IRFU so the financial argument doesn't fit either.

I also don't buy the 'the players love it' argument either. The players are happy to play with concussion in spite of the definitive proof that it is potentially fatal but are prevented from doing so for the good of their health.

When you factor in the resolutely charmless coaching ticket (apart from Howley and Jenkins) and the presence of individuals such as Tuilagi and Hartley(FFS) in the squad I thank Christ in his infinite mercy that I enjoyed my revelation as far as the Lions are concerned on the 17th September 2011 and can now thoroughly enjoy the shambolic spectacle that Gatland is overseeing. Although that said, I will still be watching with fingers crossed that we do not have another Ferris type injury on this tour.

 

[mark_s]

Geez TPP, that's some sour grades your stomping there. If the lions weren't on, the irish would be touring be touring some where anyway so the number of games argument smells a bit.

Seems like the biggest problem is that gatland picked a bunch of wellies. Problem for you though is that he probably would of picked more poms as best was probably the only Irish that was unlucky. Lions is the most special tour in the world. Come down if you want proof, I can get you seats. RWC is the pinnacle but lions is more special if that makes sense.