British and Irish Lions Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

Fireball07

cgpg5 wrote: »

Barring something extraordinary you'd have to imagine Best is a shoe-in for 2. It'll be hard to pick a side alright, on current form the only certs are A.Jones, Gray, Roberts, North, Sexton and Best for me. Some very wide open positions

Is Roberts definitely a cert?

Very good player but he'll have to keep his form up. Jonathan Davies can play at 12 too, and if BOD or Tuilagi or someone really puts up their hand for the other centre position, it could be a tight call.

Swiwi

Fireball07 wrote: »

Is Roberts definitely a cert?

Very good player but he'll have to keep his form up. Jonathan Davies can play at 12 too, and if BOD or Tuilagi or someone really puts up their hand for the other centre position, it could be a tight call.

Jonathan Davies is a must for me. Thought he was very good in the 6N last year. Roberts I could take or leave - BOD made him look better than he is - he still tries to be the bulldozer that goes thru people, rather than around them, although he is fairly handy at carting the ball up.

cgpg5

Fireball07 wrote: »

Is Roberts definitely a cert?

Very good player but he'll have to keep his form up. Jonathan Davies can play at 12 too, and if BOD or Tuilagi or someone really puts up their hand for the other centre position, it could be a tight call.

Of course it's all hypothetical anyway and a lot will change!

But at this moment in time I can't see how Gatland would switch Davies and have him ahead of Roberts. Roberts is a bit of a one trick pony yes but he's very effective and does his job well. Don't think Manu will be near it really. I'm finding it an incredibly tough call between BOD and Davies, if Bod keeps fit till then and has a good 6n it would be hard to leave him out in all honesty. I like Barritt but he's not near as mobile as the aforementioned too.

As for Gray, yeah he has been poor this year (albeit I've only seen a small bit of Sale) but when he puts on the Scotland jersey he's a different animal altogether. He'll no doubt stand out again in the 6n so he's probably going to be the first choice 2nd row. As for who'll join him? Hope it's O'Connell naturally, but Lawes has found form for the saints and if he has a big 6n and wins the Guinness Prem, who knows! I think Charteris is very underrated too and could be something of a surprise package

I'm working off the principle that once again Wales and Eng will be top 2 in 6n. Think they're both a step above us now

jacothelad

cgpg5 wrote: »

Barring something extraordinary you'd have to imagine Best is a shoe-in for 2. It'll be hard to pick a side alright, on current form the only certs are A.Jones, Gray, Roberts, North, Sexton and Best for me. Some very wide open positions

Roberts is playing like a drain at the moment.

Deleted User wrote: »

Currently
Best >> Strauss >> Hartley >>>>>>>>>>> Ford

Best >> Strauss >> Hartley >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
ROG>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Ford.
Ford is a big fairy

Glass Prison 1214

considering the lack of depth at 10, does anyone think one of irelands younguns (madigan, jackson, keatley) have a chance of touring?

cgpg5

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

considering the lack of depth at 10, does anyone think one of irelands younguns (madigan, jackson, keatley) have a chance of touring?

Keatley or Jackson not a hope.

Sexton, Farrell, Priestland/Laidlaw will prob tour and there are still many others ahead of those 2 right now

I like Madigan though but he most likely won't see enough game time at international level before that

Glass Prison 1214

cgpg5 wrote: »

Keatley or Jackson not a hope.

Sexton, Farrell, Priestland/Laidlaw will prob tour and there are still many others ahead of those 2 right now

I like Madigan though but he most likely won't see enough game time at international level before that

have you seen priestland this season? he has been shocking, it would be criminal if he toured IMO, i reckon madigan, jackson, keatley, biggar, hook, wilkinson and flood would all be better options.

Swiwi

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

have you seen priestland this season? he has been shocking, it would be criminal if he toured IMO, i reckon madigan, jackson, keatley, biggar, hook, wilkinson and flood would all be better options.

Priestland is a one-hit RWC wonder at present. He was very average in the 6N and awful in Australia. Just because Wales have been half-decent recently doesn't make him an automatic Lions selection, so I absolutely agree with you there. Sexton would be my starting 10 at present, but there should be a real bun-fight for his backup.

I don't think you can safely pick a 10 who doesn't play this year's 6N, so players like Madigan etc would need Father Kidney to smile on them. Was that just a pig I saw flying by...

cgpg5

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

have you seen priestland this season? he has been shocking, it would be criminal if he toured IMO, i reckon madigan, jackson, keatley, biggar, hook, wilkinson and flood would all be better options.

I didn't say I'd bring him, did I? I said he'll probably tour. To be frank Priestland has been shocking since the RWC but Gatland has kept faith in him and that may well continue

Podge_irl

Gatland has a choice between Priestland and Biggar (and picked the wrong one imo). Not stellar options.

It just emphasises the difficulty he's going to have returning to his Wales job after not even bringing some of his players on tour.

Glass Prison 1214

cgpg5 wrote: »

I didn't say I'd bring him, did I? I said he'll probably tour. To be frank Priestland has been shocking since the RWC but Gatland has kept faith in him and that may well continue

i know you didnt http://b-static.net/vbulletin/images/icons/icon7.png you were just saying who you think will go and your probably right but if gatland picks him i think it be serious favouratism of welsh players which he said wouldnt happen

edit:ha failed at putting a smiley in there^^^

Swiwi

jacothelad wrote: »

Roberts is playing like a drain at the moment.



Best >> Strauss >> Hartley >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
ROG>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Ford.
Ford is a big fairy...

...whose fairytale is that Scotland can beat NZ. I know a few people on this site said "Good on him for being positive" and to them I say " Good on Robbie Keane for saying Ireland could beat Germany".

Just my luck, Scotland WILL beat NZ, and then I'll have this post quoted back at me for eternity...

Swiwi

Podge_irl wrote: »

Gatland has a choice between Priestland and Biggar (and picked the wrong one imo). Not stellar options.

It just emphasises the difficulty he's going to have returning to his Wales job after not even bringing some of his players on tour.

Well he needs to be tough as nails with his selections. If he chooses the Lions in the guise of Wales with a few token other players thrown in he'll be in trouble. See Woodward, Clive (2005) for an example (Lions in the guise of England). Welsh players tend to self-doubt against bigger teams, so I would definitely have the odd English player in there to ratchet up the arrogance factor, and get in the Aussie faces.

twinytwo

Swiwi wrote: »

Jonathan Davies is a must for me. Thought he was very good in the 6N last year. Roberts I could take or leave - BOD made him look better than he is - he still tries to be the bulldozer that goes thru people, rather than around them, although he is fairly handy at carting the ball up.

I dont think its fair to roberts to say that bod made him look better than he was. The saffers needed at least two to stop roberts which only left space for drico. But they were visabley scared for their lives every time drico got the ball.... thus the saffers were in the situation of which do they stop, they go after one the other does the damage which is why Roberts/Drico were so effective together.

cgpg5

At the end of the day it'll go on 6 nations form, primarily. This time in 08 you'd have been laughed at if you left Ryan Jones out of your side never mind squad!

Glass Prison 1214

cgpg5 wrote: »

At the end of the day it'll go on 6 nations form, primarily. This time in 08 you'd have been laughed at if you left Ryan Jones out of your side never mind squad!

thats true, who do people think could be a shock exclusion from the squad?(not including anyone who misses out through injury)

cgpg5

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

thats true, who do people think could be a shock exclusion from the squad?(not including anyone who misses out through injury)

Impossible to call now really. Don't think Foden will make it but doubt that'd be a shock.

Mike Brown>>> Foden for me.

POC, BOD and warby (3 stand out candidates for captains not long ago) could very easily not start

Glass Prison 1214

cgpg5 wrote: »

Impossible to call now really. Don't think Foden will make it but doubt that'd be a shock.

Mike Brown>>> Foden for me.

POC, BOD and warby (3 stand out candidates for captains not long ago) could very easily not start

i cant see any of wales current big stars(warburten, north, halfpenny etc) not touring and there isnt any english players that seem like a certainty to tour so if theres gonna be a shock exclusion from the squad for me its gonna be an irishman or gray

cgpg5

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

i cant see any of wales current big stars(warburten, north, halfpenny etc) not touring and there isnt any english players that seem like a certainty to tour so if theres gonna be a shock exclusion from the squad for me its gonna be an irishman or gray

Gray will def make it. He'll stand out as ever for a limited Scotland side in Feb/March.

Barring injury it's hard to think of anyone though. Unless Tipuric overtakes Warburton for Wales? Not impossible

Steffon Armitage too is playing class stuff and his club are certs to be at the business stage of HC. Robshaw is a cert too...

Podge_irl

Warburton only held his starting spot over Tipuric due to his captaincy I think. He'd want to up his game substantially.

cgpg5

Openside flanker could well be the most hotly contested position. Tipuric/Warburton from Wales, Robshaw/Armitage from England and of course SOB from ireland

Robshaw has continued to impress me the more I've watched him recently. Could well captain England to a slam...

Glass Prison 1214

cgpg5 wrote: »

Gray will def make it. He'll stand out as ever for a limited Scotland side in Feb/March.

Barring injury it's hard to think of anyone though. Unless Tipuric overtakes Warburton for Wales? Not impossible

Steffon Armitage too is playing class stuff and his club are certs to be at the business stage of HC. Robshaw is a cert too...

robshaw is a quality player and i think he will travel but i dont think hes is a certainty because the other options at 7 are so good(SOB, warburton, tipuric, armitage and rennie) even POM could continue his development and sneek onto the plane

Podge_irl

SOB was absolutely exceptional at 7 down in NZ. He will presumably slot in at 7 again for Leinster - he is really beginning to demonstrate the skills of being a great 7 as opposed to just a barnstorming general backrow player. I think he'll travel, but he'll struggle to get ahead of Warburton/Tipuric for the test shirt. He's no better off at 6 either - he has Ferris and Lydiate to compete with there. I think he could be an excellent bench option though.

cgpg5

Podge_irl wrote: »

SOB was absolutely exceptional at 7 down in NZ. He will presumably slot in at 7 again for Leinster - he is really beginning to demonstrate the skills of being a great 7 as opposed to just a barnstorming general backrow player. I think he'll travel, but he'll struggle to get ahead of Warburton/Tipuric for the test shirt. He's no better off at 6 either - he has Ferris and Lydiate to compete with there. I think he could be an excellent bench option though.

Boy will that be a tough call too. Lydiate is out for a while. It may come down to who injury has affected the most!

Quint2010

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

i cant see any of wales current big stars(warburten, north, halfpenny etc) not touring and there isnt any english players that seem like a certainty to tour so if theres gonna be a shock exclusion from the squad for me its gonna be an irishman or gray

Gray will definitely go. A shock Irish exclusion would be either POC or BOD. Big seasons ahead for both. BOD looks injury free now but still doubts over POC.

Podge_irl

cgpg5 wrote: »

Boy will that be a tough call too. Lydiate is out for a while. It may come down to who injury has affected the most!

Its not even remotely beyond the realms of possibility that neither will make the plane. I'd consider Lydiate more likely though - he has a reasonably firm return date and its just the one injury. Ferris appears to be extremely injury prone and I can't see him being fully fit at the end of the season. If only one travels they'll be close to a dead cert for the 6 jersey though. If neither then it opens up possibilities for SOB and others.

Quint2010

SOB will definitely go. He can play all 3 back row positions and will be fresh when he returns in November. This is a guy who was ERC Player of the Year in 2011 and HEC Final MOTM in 2012 while carrying an injury.

Podge_irl

He'll go, but I don't think he'll start without injuries.

Quint2010

Actually if there is a shock Irish exclusion it could well be Heaslip. He's not the player he was 4 years ago and he can only play one position. Big competition at 8 with Denton, Morgan and Feletau

Teferi

I can't see Warburton being injury free come May. He is very injury prone and seems to end up with the strangest injuries. Did you see his finger over the weekend? Ouch.