British and Irish Lions Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

postitnote

I love the Lions, the drama of it. That second test in 09 was a prime example of backs to the wall, just get 15 players on the pitch.

Like Andy Nicol in 2001


"A veteran of the 1993 Lions tour to New Zealand, Andy Nicol was in Sydney for the last Test of the 2001 series, working for a Lions tour operator when he received a shock call from Lions coach Graham Henry. Injuries to Austin Healey and Rob Howley had left the Lions without any scrum-half back-up to Matt Dawson, who was carrying an injury himself, so Nicol answered Henry's SOS to bench for the Lions.

"I was convinced it was a wind-up by someone with a comedey Irish accent," recalled Nicol. "And then I realised it really was Donal Lenihan [tour manager] and he was being deadly serious!

I wasn't in great shape to be honest. I'd been leading a tour group around Australia, and we all know what goes on with tours...so maybe it was just as well I didn't play. I think the adrenalin would have seen me through the first 5-10 minutes but after that I might have struggled - luckily Matt Dawson's body held together."
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/news-comment/surprise-lions-selections-1671838.html?action=gallery&ino=10

Realistically, how much of the initial lions squad do we think will be available for selection in the first test?

jamiedav2011

Interesting to see Mogg and Folau in there, we could be seeing some Aussie 'bolters' too.

Tigerandahalf

Has Israel Folau gone from rugby league to AFL to rugby union?!

the baby bull elephant

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

Has Israel Folau gone from rugby league to AFL to rugby union?!

Yep.

Deano7788

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

Has Israel Folau gone from rugby league to AFL to rugby union?!

Yep. He must be just one of those guys good at every sport (although on a different level to most people like that).

Tigerandahalf

He was poor in the AFL.

Deano7788

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

He was poor in the AFL.

Comparatively. He was still able to play at a professional level. Not many people can say they played professionally in 3 sports.

.ak

Deano7788 wrote: »

Comparatively. He was still able to play at a professional level. Not many people can say they played professionally in 3 sports.

Yeah, that's seriously impressive.

Dublin Red Devil

My Austarlia XV

1. Benn Robinson
2. Stephen Moore
3. Ben Alexander (although I'd prefer Sekope Kepu but he's not in the squad)
4. James Horwill
5. Kane Douglas
6. Scott Higginbotham
7. Michael Hooper
8. Wycliff Palu
9. Wil Genia
10. James O'Connor (again based on the squad right now it's JOC but I'd prefer Quade Cooper)
11. Digby Ioane
12. Pat McCabe
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
14. Israel Folau (If I could have Cooper at 10, I'd have JOC at 14)
15. Berrick Barnes (only because Kurtley Beale is out of the squad)

Tigerandahalf

Crikey the Wallabies look weak.
Complacency is the only fear for the Lions

FellasFellas

I think the team that the Wallabies will have by the tour will be:

Robinson
Moore
Alexander
Horwill
Simmons
Hooper
Smith
Palu
Genia
Cooper
Mitchell
JOC
AAC
Folau - who I think will be in the team no matter what, meaning moving JOC to inside centre or to fullback.
Beale

trouttrout

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

Crikey the Wallabies look weak.
Complacency is the only fear for the Lions

What areas are they weak in?

They look a hell of a lot stronger now than they did 12 months ago

matthew8

I'd put Speight in the starting team at wing, maybe Folau at FB.

Ernest Oreo

Did TBowe do enough to be considered for a seat on the plane last night?
Apologies, missed the game due to other commitments.

danthefan

Ernest Oreo wrote: »

Did TBowe do enough to be considered for a seat on the plane last night?
Apologies, missed the game due to other commitments.

A game against the Dragons? In isolation, no clearly not. Based on his class as a player, proven track record at club and international level, and signs of form, maybe.

thomond2006

Has a date for the squad announcement been set yet?

CatFromHue

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

Crikey the Wallabies look weak.
Complacency is the only fear for the Lions

I don't think it is. It's easy to right off the Aussies but they are only very marginally third in the world (0.07 points behind SA and over 3 full points ahead of fourth) and suffer because they play New Zealand the most.

When you look at their stats since the RWC they've played 16 lost 5 and drew 1. The games they lost were to NZ x 2, SA in SA, Scotland, and France in France. Only the Scotland game and maybe the manner of the loss to France would be seen as bad form. Then when you add in that they've been pretty injury hit since the RWC and have very rarely fielded their first choice 15 e.g. against Franc they didn't have Genia, Pocock, Horwill, JOC, Cooper, Barnes, Iaone, and Horne and that's just of the guys I know.

The games they've won have been
Wales x 5 (3 in Oz, 2 in Wales)
SA x 1 (in Oz)
Arg x 2 (home and away)
Eng x 1 (in Eng)
Ita x 1 (in Eng)

So in 7 games against the home nations they've lost once, to Scotland. Anyone who remembers the Scottish game will remember the conditions and timing of the game favoured the scots i.e. it was played in torential wind rain where and was played mid week after a Super XV weekend.

irishbucsfan

thomond2006 wrote: »

Has a date for the squad announcement been set yet?

Its a long way away still I think. They pushed it right back.

danthefan

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Its a long way away still I think. They pushed it right back.

It's this month anyway.

Rightwing

thomond2006 wrote: »

Has a date for the squad announcement been set yet?

The Tuesday after the H Cup semis,,30th of April

Rightwing

A bit taken from a Gatland interview yesterday:

Paul O’Connell, the 2009 Lions captain, returned from injury at the weekend. It’s good timing for him to have played so well for Munster.

Definitely he was one that caught the eye. It will be interesting to see how he goes over the next couple of weeks. It was a very dominant performance from a very experienced player. You would expect him to come out and stamp his authority on the game, he did that and definitely took the eye of a number of people including ourselves particularly at line out time, around the field and his leadership qualities. I’ve a huge amount of time for Paul and all he has achieved.

His successes have been with Munster and Ireland but probably if he looks back on his career he’d love to go on another Lions tour and get win a series in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s something not a lot of players have achieved.

Have you decided on the captain yet?

I’m pretty close in my mind on who I would like. But in fairness to that person I haven’t even spoken to him. I’m trying to leave it as long as I possibly can because once you speculate you’ve chosen the Captain, that you’ve spoken to them, the media and journalists get on to everyone in contention and ask “Has Warren Gatland spoken to you?” My ideal situation is to keep that a secret until the squad is announced on 30th April.

There’s been speculation that you might pick a tour captain rather than someone who will feature in the Test XV. What sort of captain are you going for?

There was discussion about picking a tour captain but the ideal situation is that if you were picking a Test side now that the captain would be on it and almost guaranteed a start. But who ever we do decide to pick as captain will be under no illusion that their form has to be good enough. I think that’s only fair for the rest of the squad and particularly for those playing in the same position so they can be thinking “If I go out there and play better and my form’s better then there’s no guarantee they’re going to select the tour captain over me” because it’s about picking the best XV players to beat Australia. I don’t think anyone wants favouritism or an advantage over anyone else because they are captain. It’s about fairness as much as anything.

Swiwi

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

Crikey the Wallabies look weak.
Complacency is the only fear for the Lions

Don't agree. RD has actually chosen a mixture of form and experience and if their major players eg Genia stay injury free it will be no easy ride for the Lions.

totallegend

Winners:
Zebo, R Kearney - both had similar games in that they had very little few chances in attack but worked hard in defence, made the right decisions etc.

Cian Healy - I thought he was very impressive, hopefully injury is nothing serious.

Ian Madigan - probably too late in the day to make a real case and not a night for an outhalf of his talents, but flawless with the boot and tackled like a tiger.

Losers:
Paul O'Connell - played well but lost the head too often so definitely hurt his chances of captaincy. If the Kearney incident had happened anywhere other than Thomond...

Sean O'Brien - quiet to the point of anonymity

Jury out:
O'Driscoll - a mixed evening, thought he shot out of the defensive line too often but redeemed himself with the sort of try that only he scores.

Anyone else?

jamiedav2011

totallegend wrote: »

Winners:
Zebo, R Kearney - both had similar games in that they had very little few chances in attack but worked hard in defence, made the right decisions etc.

Cian Healy - I thought he was very impressive, hopefully injury is nothing serious.

Ian Madigan - probably too late in the day to make a real case and not a night for an outhalf of his talents, but flawless with the boot and tackled like a tiger.

Losers:
Paul O'Connell - played well but lost the head too often so definitely hurt his chances of captaincy. If the Kearney incident had happened anywhere other than Thomond...

Sean O'Brien - quiet to the point of anonymity

Jury out:
O'Driscoll - a mixed evening, thought he shot out of the defensive line too often but redeemed himself with the sort of try that only he scores.

Anyone else?

Thought pom played well.

trouttrout

It's going to piss me off if Ashton gets in ahead of Zebo

CatFromHue

I thought Kearney was average to be honest. He did some good things and then did some bad things.

Anyway why are you even mentioning him, you know all the Lions contenders were in red today :pac::pac:

FellasFellas

I think POM and TOD completely outshone SOB tonight. I think Madigan has all the tools to be that 3rd 10 for the Lions, I just think it's too late for him unfortunately. I think he's better than Biggar and the only guy I'd rather bring would be Wilkinson, but I'd bring a trio of Wilkinson, Sexton and Madigan before I brought Farrell and Biggar.

its_phil

I was in favour of bringing Kearney. But he is just missing that spark he had last year that set him apart. It is only his form right now because he is a class act, but right now he is very average.

I don't think he should travel (I say quite begrudgingly), unless he has one of the games of the season against Biarritz.

PhatPiggins

trouttrout wrote: »

It's going to piss me off if Ashton gets in ahead of Zebo

Prepared to be pissed off I'd say. Though there's a strong chance neither will go.

Blackheath

Has Gatland said that he is bringing only 2 out and out 10's on the tour