British and Irish Lions Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

cgpg5

Does Care have a bad on-field disciplinary record or are his off field incidents enough to convince people to leave him out?

irishbucsfan

cgpg5 wrote: »

Does Care have a bad on-field disciplinary record or are his off field incidents enough to convince people to leave him out?

He used to be a headcase on the field. Not nearly as much in the past two years.

cgpg5

irishbucsfan wrote: »

He used to be a headcase on the field. Not nearly as much in the past two years.

He clearly appears to be with a few drinks in him though and the last thing you need on the tour is a scandal or two off the pitch. I'm sure he's matured though. He's a decent bloke actually

Fireball07

Didn't he get sinbinned against us the year we won the grand slam? For something really stupid. Played a big part in the winning of the game for us iirc.

He used to be a bit unreliable on the pitch, would do stupid things and get yellow cards, it doesn't seem to have happened as much recently...although I still wouldn't trust him entirely.

cgpg5

Fireball07 wrote: »

Didn't he get sinbinned against us the year we won the grand slam? For something really stupid. Played a big part in the winning of the game for us iirc.

He used to be a bit unreliable on the pitch, would do stupid things and get yellow cards, it doesn't seem to have happened as much recently...although I still wouldn't trust him entirely.

Oh yeah I remember that, Johnno went nuts and it was a while before he got another call up I think.

Can't remember exactly for what but it was at a pivotal stage and was daft alright

thomond2006

To avoid double standards, if you're not taking Care because of off field stuff, you'd have to leave Phillips behind as well.

Fireball07

thomond2006 wrote: »

To avoid double standards, if you're not taking Care because of off field stuff, you'd have to leave Phillips behind as well.

Would suit me fine...

thomond2006

Fireball07 wrote: »

Would suit me fine...

You're probably leaving out two of the top four scrum-halves then...

Phillips has been poor in a Bayonne jersey (French media calling himself and Rokocoko lazy money grubbers and the like) but if decides to play well he's definitely worth a place in the 23.

Fireball07

thomond2006 wrote: »

You're probably leaving out two of the top four scrum-halves then...

Phillips has been poor in a Bayonne jersey (French media calling himself and Rokocoko lazy money grubbers and the like) but if decides to play well he's definitely worth a place in the 23.

Well I'd bring Care, it's Phillips I wouldn't bring. I think he's been out of form for a couple of years now. Slow, ponderous, not a great pass, kicking isn't great...on his day he's excellent but then again, so is TOL. If Phillips was Irish, he'd be crucified.

Ciaran-Irl

cgpg5 wrote: »

Oh yeah I remember that, Johnno went nuts and it was a while before he got another call up I think.

Can't remember exactly for what but it was at a pivotal stage and was daft alright

Didn't he carry the ball into touch near their 5m line and then throw the ball into the crowd to prevent us taking a quick line out?

He is without a doubt the form scrum half, but yeah, there could be echos of Matt Dawson in 2001. He could cause problems with off the field antics. I haven't watched much French rugby this year, but I have heard that Philipps hasn't been playing well for Bayonne.

irishbucsfan

I think he ran from out of nowhere and shouldered someone in the back

Tox56

Ciaran-Irl wrote: »

Didn't he carry the ball into touch near their 5m line and then throw the ball into the crowd to prevent us taking a quick line out?

He is without a doubt the form scrum half, but yeah, there could be echos of Matt Dawson in 2001. He could cause problems with off the field antics. I haven't watched much French rugby this year, but I have heard that Philipps hasn't been playing well for Bayonne.

Think that was Youngs in 2011

durkadurka

Who was it who interfered with our scrum half as he was about to put in? Was that youngs?

jamiedav2011

durkadurka wrote: »

Who was it who interfered with our scrum half as he was about to put in? Was that youngs?

danthefan

Tox56 wrote: »

Think that was Youngs in 2011

Yeah it was. He didn't return to the field.

RoundBox11

Fireball07 wrote: »

Didn't he get sinbinned against us the year we won the grand slam? For something really stupid. Played a big part in the winning of the game for us iirc.

He used to be a bit unreliable on the pitch, would do stupid things and get yellow cards, it doesn't seem to have happened as much recently...although I still wouldn't trust him entirely.

I vividly remember him judo throwing TOL to the ground in that match. Then Ferris and Haskell got involved. Nothing in it but for some reason i still remember...... Theres another useless nugget of information for yee!

Dr SpudZ

If O'Gara pips Sexton for the Irish no 10 shirt then he has to go on tour with the lions

CIARAN_BOYLE

Dr SpudZ wrote: »

If O'Gara pips Sexton for the Irish no 10 shirt then he has to go on tour with the lions

Just because Kidney might be brain dead doesn't mean that its contagious

WorldRugby99

I know Some disagree but for me the sexton of leinster is rarely the sexton of ireland we see.For leinster he seems in total control,confident,bossing the game,utilising all his skills etc.But for me rarely has he looked like that for ireland.Hes been ok but hes yet to prove himself a top class international fly half in my opinion.this season he really needs to start proving doubters like me wrong.

that said-and it just shows how poor the home nations are in the 10 department-he is overwhelming favourite and it would need someone else to have a pretty amazing run of form to displace him from the lions 10 shirt. Agree flood is probably second choice at moment.

jacothelad

WorldRugby99 wrote: »

I know Some disagree but for me the sexton of leinster is rarely the sexton of ireland we see.For leinster he seems in total control,confident,bossing the game,utilising all his skills etc.But for me rarely has he looked like that for ireland.Hes been ok but hes yet to prove himself a top class international fly half in my opinion.this season he really needs to start proving doubters like me wrong.

that said-and it just shows how poor the home nations are in the 10 department-he is overwhelming favourite and it would need someone else to have a pretty amazing run of form to displace him from the lions 10 shirt. Agree flood is probably second choice at moment.

I don't think he'll give a flying feck what you and other 'doubters' think.

WorldRugby99

jacothelad wrote: »

I don't think he'll give a flying feck what you and other 'doubters' think.

touchy! well how come most people outside ireland dont rate him as highly as those living inside the isle? they just wrong or is becasue he hasnt actually ever put in too many brilliant displays for ireland?
I want sexton to be good-i think he has all the skills-but yes he does need to start displaying it .
who are you?his brother?

goreyguy

laughable to call out Sexton, he is by far Irelands best FH and probably the best in the northern hemisphere.

irishbucsfan

WorldRugby99 wrote: »

touchy! well how come most people outside ireland dont rate him as highly as those living inside the isle? they just wrong or is becasue he hasnt actually ever put in too many brilliant displays for ireland?
I want sexton to be good-i think he has all the skills-but yes he does need to start displaying it .
who are you?his brother?

Who exactly doubts Sexton?

In England (where I live) and in France I've been told by locals he's the best in Europe.

Do you have a source to back up your claim that he's not rated highly?

WorldRugby99

goreyguy wrote: »

laughable to call out Sexton, he is by far Irelands best FH and probably the best in the northern hemisphere.

whos saying hes not the best FH in ireland?who saying hes not the best 10 from the british isles at the moment-although that means little surely when the rest are pretty mediocre.
my point remains and until someone reels off several international games when sexton has been absolutely brilliant for ireland it will do-he rarely performs as well for ireland as for leinster.
although to be fair-you could make that argument about quite a few.
he is a great 10 but too many are so biased on here they think only of sexton of leinster and not his actual performances in a green shirt.

WorldRugby99

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Who exactly doubts Sexton?

In England (where I live) and in France I've been told by locals he's the best in Europe.

Do you have a source to back up your claim that he's not rated highly?

yes but hasnt most of that praise come when playing for leinster? his games for the province. For me and some others,of course that may not be you,hes not done it enough at the highest level for all this second best FH in world talk we get on here. Feel free to disagree,feel free to smother sexton in praise,but we all entitled to opinions surely unless its a closed shop in that regard?

goreyguy

he is being held back by an incompetent HC

Cpt_Blackbeard

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Who exactly doubts Sexton?

In England (where I live) and in France I've been told by locals he's the best in Europe.

Do you have a source to back up your claim that he's not rated highly?

If you don't watch much of Leinster and only see Sexton for Ireland I could understand not rating Sexton too highly. Or at least I could understand someone looking at him play and not understanding why he is rated so highly.

That said, he is still easily identifiable as the best outhalf in Europe and one of the top ~3 in the world. Is that because there aren't many great 10's around or just because Sexton is actually great I don't know. I think there is definitely a matter of people romanticising about the likes of ROG, Jones and Wilko though.

jm08

Here is a SH blog (The Rugby Site) that discusses all the Lions flyhalf options.

http://www.therugbysite.com/blog_posts/257-lions-watch-by-paul-rees

Jonathan Sexton should be the leading contender for the Lions, but he has yet to boss a game for Ireland as he does for Leinster, as if spooked by the shadow cast by his rival, Ronan O’Gara; there are times, especially when the outcome in the balance, when Sexton seems to play more like O’Gara would than be himself. It will be a big season for him as well as Ireland.

jacothelad

WorldRugby99 wrote: »

touchy! well how come most people outside ireland dont rate him as highly as those living inside the isle? they just wrong or is becasue he hasnt actually ever put in too many brilliant displays for ireland?
I want sexton to be good-i think he has all the skills-but yes he does need to start displaying it .
who are you?his brother?

I'm not a bit touchy, I just can't stand bumptious tripe. Why exactly would Sexton need to prove you wrong in doubting him? I'd imagine his 3 Heineken Cup medals, Irish caps and 400,000 Euro a year mean he has a pretty good opinion of his worth. I'd also be very confident that he doesn't give a fig for the views of self-important know alls.

Tox56

jm08 wrote: »

Here is a SH blog (The Rugby Site) that discusses all the Lions flyhalf options.

http://www.therugbysite.com/blog_posts/257-lions-watch-by-paul-rees

Sexton seems to play more like O’Gara would than be himself

Maybe it looks like that because the gameplan for Ireland appears to be "kick it away at every opportunity".