British and Irish Lions Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

FellasFellas

Moving on from that, we can now reveal we had Warren Gatland tailed on Saturday and Sunday, from the moment he left his Holiday Inn hotel suites to the times he spent sitting poker-faced in the stands, to the meals he had in the restaurants and back to his hotel rooms.

Finally, on Sunday night and after a hefty sum paid to the waiter, we got what we wanted. The napkins upon which Gatland had been scribbling while working his way through a couple of Kangaroo steaks were whisked from the table and delivered to us in our run-down B&B.

We worked our way through the crossings-out, doodles of Quade Cooper with a target on his chest and a series of line-out number codes and finally came up with the 36 names due to be announced on Tuesday's press conference:

B&I Lions touring party 2013: Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones, Cian Healy, Dan Cole, Mako Vunipola, Euan Murray, Richard Hibbard, Rory Best, Tom Youngs, Paul O'Connell, Geoff Parling, Alun-Wyn Jones, Richie Gray, Ryan Jones, Sam Warburton, Justin Tipuric, Sean O'Brien, Chris Robshaw, Toby Faletau, Jamie Heaslip, Mike Phillips, Ben Youngs, Greig Laidlaw, Jonny Sexton, Jonny Wilkinson, Dan Biggar, Jamie Roberts, Jonathan Davies, Brad Barritt, Brian O'Driscoll, George North, Alex Cuthbert, Leigh Halfpenny, Sean Maitland, Tim Visser, Rob Kearney.

You heard it here first!

Just read this on Planet Rugby. Sounds like a joke but who knows. Couple of serious left field selections.

Artful_Badger

sydthebeat wrote: »

he would be fighting for a place in an area the lions are probably best equipped, apart from flankers.

I like trimble, and think he has been slightly hard done by ireland-wise over the past few seasons... but the lions is definitely a step too far. He should be focusing on trying to impress on the NA tour.

The likes of Bowe and Zebo are being mentioned too though. On current form Trimble is not off the pace of either of them based on current ability and form ignoring youth and pedigree. Zebo's is different I suppose in that he could be a possible bolter and doesnt need to be playing to a Lions test standard, but I see some naming him in a test squad. Bowe would be travelling on past glory. If you name him you'd have no argument not to name Kearney imo. Both world class when on form but with injury and everything else havent shown it in a while.

TheGoldenAges

The Lions twitter page put up an interesting question, which club/province is going to have the majority in the touring party?

bilston

Artful_Badger wrote: »

The likes of Bowe and Zebo are being mentioned too though. On current form Trimble is not off the pace of either of them based on current ability and form ignoring youth and pedigree. Zebo's is different I suppose in that he could be a possible bolter and doesnt need to be playing to a Lions test standard, but I see some naming him in a test squad. Bowe would be travelling on past glory. If you name him you'd have no argument not to name Kearney imo. Both world class when on form but with injury and everything else havent shown it in a while.

Bowe has done pretty well since his injury comeback, two tries in two games and set another up against Connacht. Sure it's not the HEC or the 6Ns but there ain't a lot else he can do at this stage. For me there's only really George North who I'd rate above him in Britain or Ireland but we'll see.

Trimble has been Ulster's best winger this season and continues to be but not being involved at all with Ireland during the 6Ns means he has next to no chance which is incredibly harsh IMO but that's the way it goes. I have a feeling that Trimble's game will rise a notch or two under Schmidt though and I wouldn't be surprised to see him nail a spot in the Ireland team next season, but there is a lot of competition.

bilston

TheGoldenAges wrote: »

The Lions twitter page put up an interesting question, which club/province is going to have the majority in the touring party?

My guess is that the club/province with the most players will begin with the letter 'L' and it's not London Irish or Llanelli...

Deano7788

bilston wrote: »

My guess is that the club/province with the most players will begin with the letter 'L' and it's not London Irish or Llanelli...

London Welsh?

.ak

TheGoldenAges wrote: »

The Lions twitter page put up an interesting question, which club/province is going to have the majority in the touring party?

Wouldn't be surprised if it's Leinster as they probably have the highest contingent of home-nation internationals.

Deano7788

Going by Stephen Jones' squad, if he does have the inside track, Leinster would have 7, which would be the most.

Tox56

From Leinster the probables are BOD, Sexton, Heaslip, Healy, SOB

Possibles are Kearney and Ross... and dare I say it Madigan. Strauss might have had a chance if he played the 6 Nations. I'd say 6 maybe 7 will go which is 1/5 of the squad, so surely the most

totallegend

Yeah, can't see anyone beating Leinster's tally (assuming BOD, Sexton, Healy, SOB and Heaslip are very likely picks with Kearney a probable too).

The Welsh lads are spread quite evenly, even the bleedin' Dragons are likely to have two.

CIARAN_BOYLE

bilston wrote: »

My guess is that the club/province with the most players will begin with the letter 'L' and it's not London Irish or Llanelli...

not leicester either imo

healy sob sexton and bod are certs to make the squad while Ross heaslip and kearney are maybes. i would be surprised to see more than 5 from any other club/province

Rightwing

Deano7788 wrote: »

Going by Stephen Jones' squad, if he does have the inside track, Leinster would have 7, which would be the most.

7 would be a massive amount. 8 is the record.

.ak

Rightwing wrote: »

7 would be a massive amount. 8 is the record.

Who holds that record?

Mahatma Geansai

.ak wrote: »

Who holds that record?

Munster I presume?

Kiwi_knock

Leicester could have a big enough contingent as well. The Youngs Brothers, Croft, Cole, Parling and Tuilagi are all likely tourists.

totallegend

.ak wrote: »

Who holds that record?

Leicester in 2005 afaik.

Edit:
Flannery, POC, DOC, Quinlan, Wallace, TOL, ROG, Earls = eight Munster guys picked in 2009, but three of them never made it to South Africa.

Tox56

Ospreys had 8 in 2009

Bogota

Ospreys hold the record on those who toured and I think Leicester hold the record on the most who started?

Dave_The_Sheep

From the 2009 tour, Munster had 9 and Ospreys 8 (though that includes players who were originally selected and may have withdrawn before/during the tour and also those who were added to the tour as replacements/backups).

If you remove those who didn't actually tour, it's Munster 6, Ospreys 8.

Source is Wikipedia though, so it may not be right.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_British_and_Irish_Lions_tour_to_South_Africa#Lions_squad

In 2005
Leicester also seem to have had 8 during the 2005 tour, and they seem to have all toured at some point then. Again, that's Wikipedia, so it might not be Gospel.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_British_and_Irish_Lions_tour_to_New_Zealand#Tour_squad

Edit: Also, it's busy in work so my head maths/reading skills may be lacking.

Rightwing

.ak wrote: »

Who holds that record?

Munster & Leicester

bilston

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

not leicester either imo

healy sob sexton and bod are certs to make the squad while Ross heaslip and kearney are maybes. i would be surprised to see more than 5 from any other club/province

They might be close enough, these guys all have a decent chance.

Tom Youngs
Dan Cole
Geoff Parling
Tom Croft
Ben Youngs
Manu Tuilagi

Artful_Badger

bilston wrote: »

Bowe has done pretty well since his injury comeback, two tries in two games and set another up against Connacht. Sure it's not the HEC or the 6Ns but there ain't a lot else he can do at this stage. For me there's only really George North who I'd rate above him in Britain or Ireland but we'll see.

Trimble has been Ulster's best winger this season and continues to be but not being involved at all with Ireland during the 6Ns means he has next to no chance which is incredibly harsh IMO but that's the way it goes. I have a feeling that Trimble's game will rise a notch or two under Schmidt though and I wouldn't be surprised to see him nail a spot in the Ireland team next season, but there is a lot of competition.

Cant see Trimble getting too many more chances internationally even with Joe taking over. Joe will be looking to the future and Zebo and Gilroy will be who he'll be most interested.

Tox56

Artful_Badger wrote: »

Cant see Trimble getting too many more chances internationally even with Joe taking over. Joe will be looking to the future and Zebo and Gilroy will be who he'll be most interested.

Schmidt does like his big physical backs and Trimble would offer that, but I agree, if Zebo and Bowe are both fit I can't see him picking anyone else

eltonio

I can't believe he'd take Laidlaw as the 3rd scrum/outhalf option. He might be a decent scrum half
but could anyone tell me he's a better outhalf option than someone like James Hook who also covers both
centre positions and fullback. Has to bring Hook imo.

bilston

Artful_Badger wrote: »

Cant see Trimble getting too many more chances internationally even with Joe taking over. Joe will be looking to the future and Zebo and Gilroy will be who he'll be most interested.

I think he'll get a few opportunities. I don't think he'll be left stranded on 49 caps anyway!

After Bowe and Zebo I think Trimble is the best winger in Ireland, Gilroy, Earls and Fitzgerald may have something to say about that but there you go.

Larbre34

bilston wrote: »

I think he'll get a few opportunities. I don't think he'll be left stranded on 49 caps anyway!

After Bowe and Zebo I think Trimble is the best winger in Ireland, Gilroy, Earls and Fitzgerald may have something to say about that but there you go.

in reverse order!

Would love to see Zebo travel, Lions stories are as much about young bucks as famous names. He'd have a field day in the midweek games at the very least working off Farrell and Davies

eltonio

totallegend wrote: »

Leicester in 2005 afaik.

Edit:
Flannery, POC, DOC, Quinlan, Wallace, TOL, ROG, Earls = eight Munster guys picked in 2009, but three of them never made it to South Africa.

I know Quinlan was banned and TOL got injured but who was the third not to travel.

totallegend

eltonio wrote: »

I know Quinlan was banned and TOL got injured but who was the third not to travel.

Jerry Flannery

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/lions-tour/2009/0520/249407-lions2/

CIARAN_BOYLE

eltonio wrote: »

I know Quinlan was banned and TOL got injured but who was the third not to travel.

Fla, injury

TheGoldenAges

eltonio wrote: »

I know Quinlan was banned and TOL got injured but who was the third not to travel.

Flannery broke something in trainning afaik