British and Irish Lions Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

Swiwi

One player who's out of contention (not that he ever was in contention) is Andy Powell - he's off to league. How often does that happen these days (with the exception of league players such as as SBW returning to the game)? I remember the amateur days when players regularly switched to the 13-man code.

leftleg

Tox56 wrote: »

D'Arcy won't and shouldn't tour, but as a general point I think he is very underrated, so much so that "honest toiler" doesn't do him justice. He more than played his part in the midfield partnership with BOD, but I think the fact he was alongside BOD means people don't realise just how good he was.

He was 6N player of the tournament and nominated for IRB player of the year 2004.. playing at 13 because O'Driscoll was injured.. in a BOD-less world he could have been a real star. Even at 12 I think he was one of the best around for most of his career

Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy, the most capped test centre partnership in history. Between them they share four IRB International Player of the Year nominations, four Six Nations Player of the Tournament awards and three IRUPA Players’ Player of the Year awards.

Honest toiler he is not, getting on a bit, maybe, but he still has alot more to give to Leinster and, to a lesser degree Ireland.

totallegend

Swiwi wrote: »

One player who's out of contention (not that he ever was in contention) is Andy Powell - he's off to league. How often does that happen these days (with the exception of league players such as as SBW returning to the game)? I remember the amateur days when players regularly switched to the 13-man code.

Think Powell started in league too?

He had one good season but he was just too predictable and therefore too easy to nullify. His 2009 Lions selection was surprising.

Swiwi

totallegend wrote: »

Think Powell started in league too?

He had one good season but he was just too predictable and therefore too easy to nullify. His 2009 Lions selection was surprising.

You're right. Wikipedia says Cardiff Demons. Once a league-ie always a league-ie I guess. I found him to be a fairly unsubtle battering ram. Great power game at his peak, but little finesse. Much like league I suppose...

wittycynic

bilston wrote: »

Or maybe Gatty felt that such was BODs standing in the game that at the very least he deserved to hear the bad news in person.

How one match can change it all. Had England won in Cardiff robshaw would be the nailed on tour captain and Warburton's name would be just a whisper in the wind.

Tox56

wittycynic wrote: »

How one match can change it all. Had England won in Cardiff robshaw would be the nailed on tour captain and Warburton's name would be just a whisper in the wind.

Really can't understand how Warburton is in the running at all, let alone as favourite. He had been blatantly out of form for a while, he was dropped from the captaincy of his country and at that point his team starts to recover and his own form improves sans the responsibility... so you give him the captaincy of the Lions in an extremely competitive position??? Mind boggling if he gets it, the only game he captained for Wales in the whole 6 Nations was the only one they lost! He was 3rd choice captain by the end of the 6 Nations.

bilston

Tox56 wrote: »

He was 3rd choice captain by the end of the 6 Nations.

But under Gatland he was first choice captain.

seanm92

leftleg wrote: »

Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy, the most capped test centre partnership in history. Between them they share four IRB International Player of the Year nominations, four Six Nations Player of the Tournament awards and three IRUPA Players’ Player of the Year awards.

Honest toiler he is not, getting on a bit, maybe, but he still has alot more to give to Leinster and, to a lesser degree Ireland.

Haha thats hilarious, they've more world player of the year nominations and six nations player of the tournament awards than IRUPA awards??!!! jeez the players voting must have awful high standards!

CIARAN_BOYLE

Tox56 wrote: »

Really can't understand how Warburton is in the running at all, let alone as favourite. He had been blatantly out of form for a while, he was dropped from the captaincy of his country and at that point his team starts to recover and his own form improves sans the responsibility... so you give him the captaincy of the Lions in an extremely competitive position??? Mind boggling if he gets it, the only game he captained for Wales in the whole 6 Nations was the only one they lost! He was 3rd choice captain by the end of the 6 Nations.

Supposedly he was offered the captaincy for the final match but turned it down so he could focus on his own form coming back from injury.

its_phil

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Supposedly he was offered the captaincy for the final match but turned it down so he could focus on his own form coming back from injury.

Was he injured? I thought he was just dropped?

Still though if your struggling to manage captaining and playing in any type of form or injury, really you should not be captaining the Lions. It is a massive chink in the armour, that he can be that vunerable. What if he falls to bad form in Australia? What does Gatland do then?

andrewdcs

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Supposedly he was offered the captaincy for the final match but turned it down so he could focus on his own form coming back from injury.

If that's true I am gobsmacked he's to be named Lions captain.

CIARAN_BOYLE

andrewdcs wrote: »

If that's true I am gobsmacked he's to be named Lions captain.

Just doing a quick search and the first article I can find claims that it is 'mutually agreed between him and howley' maybe thats code for he was dropped I don't know

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/wales/9931230/Six-Nations-2013-With-Gethin-Jenkins-Wales-captain-my-mind-is-free-to-tackle-England-says-Sam-Warburton.html

irishbucsfan

The Falve being brought as a doctor and Neil Jenkins going as kicking coach.

trouttrout

Odds for the starting wingers out

Cuthbert and North both 1/2 to start. Def think about laying one of them because I can't see them both starting

Bowe 15/8, Zebo, Maitland, Visser all 9/2

Podge_irl

I'd happily lay Visser at 9/2. He'll struggle to tour and he's definitely not starting a test. I'm surprised Zebo and Maitland are on the same odds as him tbh.

bilston

trouttrout wrote: »

Odds for the starting wingers out

Cuthbert and North both 1/2 to start. Def think about laying one of them because I can't see them both starting

Bowe 15/8, Zebo, Maitland, Visser all 9/2

North is absolute certainty IMO.

If the 1st test was tomorrow I'd pick Cuthbert but after a few games on tour I'd be inclined to think Bowe will end up with the 14 jersey but at 15/8 isn't really worth a bet. But it will be close so maybe Zebo or Maitland are worth a sneaky tenner. Actually thinking about it if he makes the tour Maitland may be the guy who comes through and makes the test team out of left field.

Visser hasn't a hope IMO.

ionadnapokot

Falvey On Board For Lions Tour!
http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/28998.php

thomond2006

Based on Paddy Power's odds, this would be the test team:

Cian Healy, Rory Best, Adam Jones, Alun-Wyn Jones, Paul O'Connell, Sean O'Brien OR Justin Tipuric, Sam Warburton, Toby Faletau;
Mike Phillips, Jonathan Sexton, George North, Jamie Roberts, Brian O'Driscoll, Alex Cuthbert, Leigh Halfpenny

Bench: Richard Hibbard, Gethin Jenkins, Dan Cole, Geoff Parling, Sean O'Brien OR Justin Tipuric, Ben Youngs, Owen Farrell, AN Other*

*Difficult to determine since odds are split between positions.

wittycynic

thomond2006 wrote: »

Based on Paddy Power's odds, this would be the test team:

Cian Healy, Rory Best, Adam Jones, Alun-Wyn Jones, Paul O'Connell, Sean O'Brien OR Justin Tipuric, Sam Warburton, Toby Faletau;
Mike Phillips, Jonathan Sexton, George North, Jamie Roberts, Brian O'Driscoll, Alex Cuthbert, Leigh Halfpenny

Bench:Richard Hibbard, Gethin Jenkins, Dan Cole, Geoff Parling, Sean O'Brien OR Justin Tipuric, Ben Youngs, Owen Farrell, AN Other*

*Difficult to determine since odds are split between positions.

It's a fantastic team of individuals but I think it would struggle to play any one style. Tuilagi would be better than BOD at playing the bash brothers rugby the other Welsh backs are more used to. Back row looks especially strong but I think POC needs someone more dynamic than Wyn-Jones beside him.

sydthebeat

wittycynic wrote: »

It's a fantastic team of individuals but I think it would struggle to play any one style. Tuilagi would be better than BOD at playing the bash brothers rugby the other Welsh backs are more used to. Back row looks especially strong but I think POC needs someone more dynamic than Wyn-Jones beside him.

'bash brothers' rugby is all too predictable..... if you have an artist in the like bod to open the gate for the wingers, then all the better

i bet if you asked north and cuthbert who theyd rather inside, i know who they would say...

Hype710

As much as I rate Davies, BOD could be the missing link in the Welsh three quarters. Throw in Johnny Sexton and a personal preference for Ben Youngs and you've a hugely threatening back line.

Glass Prison 1214

Has no one else noticed there isn't a single Englishmen on that team? Very strange from the bookies

trouttrout

trying to run over the Aussies won't work. I'm still very up in the air about playing Roberts at 12. McCabe will more than likely be lined out for Australia at 12 if that's the case and he's probably the best defensive 12 in the game.

Tualigi could be another option at 12.

thomond2006

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

Has no one else noticed there isn't a single Englishmen on that team? Very strange from the bookies

It just reflects what the punter's cash is going on. If you think of it, are any English players a likely starter?

trouttrout

thomond2006 wrote: »

It just reflects what the punter's cash is going on. If you think of it, are any English players a likely starter?

Is it not insider info

matTNT

thomond2006 wrote: »

It just reflects what the punter's cash is going on. If you think of it, are any English players a likely starter?

Parling, Youngs, Croft and Youngs/Care I reckon are the kind of mobile English players the Lions may need and may start.

Glass Prison 1214

thomond2006 wrote: »

It just reflects what the punter's cash is going on. If you think of it, are any English players a likely starter?

Ben Youngs is the only one I would consider a likely starter, but the English media would go mental if there was none or even one Englishmen in the team, so I reckon there will be about 3-5 English in the team.

trouttrout

I really hope Phillips doesn't start. Youngs is flakey as **** but he's the ability to get a lot more out of the Lions backline than Phillips

wittycynic

sydthebeat wrote: »

'bash brothers' rugby is all too predictable..... if you have an artist in the like bod to open the gate for the wingers, then all the better

i bet if you asked north and cuthbert who theyd rather inside, i know who they would say...

I agree it would be a lot better but I just think Bod and the others are a bit wasted outside a blunt instrument like Roberts. Problem is we don't really have any other options at twelve, save maybe brad barritt. Actually, I think tuilagi may have more about him at twelve than roberts. It's a poor crop at twelve in truth though.

the baby bull elephant

wittycynic wrote: »

I agree it would be a lot better but I just think Bod and the others are a bit wasted outside a blunt instrument like Roberts. Problem is we don't really have any other options at twelve, save maybe brad barritt. Actually, I think tuilagi may have more about him at twelve than roberts. It's a poor crop at twelve in truth though.

Yeah BO'D was really wasted the last time he was outside Roberts...