British and Irish Lions Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

roycon · 27-07-2012 1:21pm

Id say Warburton is the best player in the Northern hemisphere defintely the best 7 anyway. Unbelievable handling, lineout organisation, fitness and conditioning. the best tackler ive ever seen and brlliant at ruck time. The only thing hes lacking is size and carrying ability. With Gatland as coach he's a shoe in for the team and id say theres a strong chance he will be captain. Although Tupiric is a great player I dont know if he's up to the standard of Warburton just yet. The only black mark on Warbutons card is hes injury prone because hes a bit light and throws himself around and also the famous red card.
Are you sure your not thinking of Lydiate - all he does is tackle really

Kiwi_knock · 27-07-2012 3:08pm

I do not think Warburton is that great but Gatland really seems to like him so I would be surprised if he was not starting for the Lions and he has a good chance of being captain. The backrow is so competitive, we will leave behind players that would easily get into the Australian backrow.

Richie Gray looks at this moment the only guaranteed starter, so there is a big year ahead for a lot of players to stake a claim. The starting Scrum Half will be an interesting choice, it looks likely to be Phillips but I think Youngs would be a better choice.

The Lions should win the series, and should even a good shot at a whitewash. Australia will not be able to function if Pocock, Genia and O'Connor are shut down. I would be optimistic and say we will win the series 3-0.

tolosenc · 27-07-2012 5:25pm

I wouldn't count on POC or BOD even touring, let alone captaining the team.

Warburton is vastly overrated in Ireland. O'Brien is a better 7 - outplayed Richie McCaw, while needing hip surgery.

thomond2006 · 27-07-2012 5:28pm

tolosenc wrote: »

I wouldn't count on POC or BOD even touring, let alone captaining the team.

Warburton is vastly overrated in Ireland. O'Brien is a better 7 - outplayed Richie McCaw, while needing hip surgery.

They'll take 5 locks, POC (if match fit) is definitely in the top 5 of Britain and Ireland.

On BOD, there's not much depth at 13 at the moment so IMO he'll definitely tour. Hogg is a potential bolter if Scotland decide to play him there (he's played at 13 for Glasgow).

tolosenc · 27-07-2012 5:31pm

thomond2006 wrote: »

They'll take 5 locks, POC (if match fit) is definitely in the top 5 of Britain and Ireland.

On BOD, there's not much depth at 13 at the moment so IMO he'll definitely tour. Hogg is a potential bolter there if Scotland decide to play him there (he's played at 13 for Glasgow).

Eek. Was thinking of a matchday 22.

matthew8 · 27-07-2012 5:38pm

My ideal Lions team right now:
1. Healy
2. Best
3. Jones
4. Gray
5. O'Connell
6. Ferris
7. SOB
8. Heaslip (though I'm keeping an eye on Waldrom, potential sleeper)
9. Care
10. Sexton
11. Bowe
12. Roberts
13. Davies
14. Visser
15. Kearney

1 English, 2 Scottish, 3 Welsh and 9 Irish. Club form weighs heavily in this side, and it should. No way Gatland would pick it, but the side I would field.

cgpg5 · 27-07-2012 5:56pm

matthew8 wrote: »

My ideal Lions team right now:
1. Healy
2. Best
3. Jones
4. Gray
5. O'Connell
6. Ferris
7. SOB
8. Heaslip (though I'm keeping an eye on Waldrom, potential sleeper)
9. Care
10. Sexton
11. Bowe
12. Roberts
13. Davies
14. Visser
15. Kearney

1 English, 2 Scottish, 3 Welsh and 9 Irish. Club form weighs heavily in this side, and it should. No way Gatland would pick it, but the side I would field.

Great shout the guy is a beast and was outstanding against the Boks. If he has a good 6n he'll surely make the tour anyway

Podge_irl · 27-07-2012 6:06pm

matthew8 wrote: »

My ideal Lions team right now:
1. Healy
2. Best
3. Jones
4. Gray
5. O'Connell
6. Ferris
7. SOB
8. Heaslip (though I'm keeping an eye on Waldrom, potential sleeper)
9. Care
10. Sexton
11. Bowe
12. Roberts
13. Davies
14. Visser
15. Kearney

1 English, 2 Scottish, 3 Welsh and 9 Irish. Club form weighs heavily in this side, and it should. No way Gatland would pick it, but the side I would field.

Why should club form weigh ao heavily? You havw the guts of an international side who have been very poor for much of the last 3 years. Not exactly picking on form

matthew8 · 27-07-2012 6:29pm

Podge_irl wrote: »

Why should club form weigh ao heavily? You havw the guts of an international side who have been very poor for much of the last 3 years. Not exactly picking on form

You have the greatest European club team of all time too. Wales may have won the 6N, but they really haven't played very well recently.

GerM · 27-07-2012 7:08pm

Club form will come into play. In 2009, Shaw, Earls, Quinlan, Payne, Croft and Hook started a combined 3 or 4 games in the 2009 6N. The 6N will always be the big test but those that aren't selected will still have an opportunity to show they've the goods.

GerM · 27-07-2012 7:15pm

Waldrom is a good player and has a decent chance of touring but he needs to show a bit more and nail down the Leicester jersey ahead of Crane first. Prepared opposition sides have shown that he's shut down easily enough if you do your homework. Get in his face, take him low and don't let him get up a head of steam. His influence is negated hugely. Once you stop his carrying, he is very quiet.

Podge_irl · 27-07-2012 7:43pm

Club form will come in to play of course, but not to the extent that Ireland will end up with triple the representation of a grand slamming Wales.

Jame Gumb · 27-07-2012 7:51pm

Warburton's a shoo in to start and to be captain so any projected Test side without him in it is fundamentally inaccurate.

GerM · 27-07-2012 7:59pm

Jame Gumb wrote: »

Warburton's a shoo in to start and to be captain so any projected Test side without him in it is fundamentally inaccurate.

He's arguably not the best 7 in Wales right now.

Besides that... Warburton for IRB POTY!

thomond2006 · 27-07-2012 8:21pm

Jame Gumb wrote: »

Warburton's a shoo in to start and to be captain so any projected Test side without him in it is fundamentally inaccurate.

Given Wales' record for bringing in new players during Gatland's reign Warburton is no shoo in if he's not playing well. He's got Tipuric breathing down his neck plus Aaron Shingler was decent in the one Six Nations game he started IIRC.

In the news today, the ARU/Robbie Deans want an extended Super Rugby mid-season break so the Aussies can prepare for the series.

http://www.planetrugby.com/lions-09/story/0,25883,16024_7938186,00.html

With the SH season pretty congested now, unfortunately I see the Aussie franchises sending out weakened teams against the Lions.

Sindri · 27-07-2012 10:09pm

70% is a brilliant record.

My team.

1. Jenkins
2. Best
3. Jones
4. Ryan
5. Jones
6. Ferris/Lydiate
7. O' Brien
8. Heaslip
9. Philips/Youngs
10. Sexton
11. Bowe
12. Roberts
13. Davies/BOD
14. Cuthbert
15. Foden

The Welsh props to destroy them in the scrums. They won't like that. A physical domineering pack is what we need, not exactly the above but that is what we need although I do think Armitage could be a valuable payer to have playing Australia. I'd like to see him play against Pocock and I think he could negate him somewhat. Can't think of many more in the same class as Heaslip IMO but some other players would be more suited to playing Australia IMO. Philips I think may be shown up against Genia, it would probably be better to play a different type of scrum half. Sexton without a doubt, Bowe and a Welsh winger and Visser. I think Davies is a very good player. He always does things the right way. Foden is a better player IMO than Kearney or Halfpenney and I'd bring Halfpenney instead of Kearney.

Podge_irl · 28-07-2012 1:05am

Forgive me if I'm being dim, but who's record is that chart referencing?

ormond lad · 28-07-2012 1:23am

Podge_irl wrote: »

Forgive me if I'm being dim, but who's record is that chart referencing?

B&I Lions wiki

Podge_irl · 28-07-2012 1:32am

I see.

Turns out I was being phenomenally dim.

culline · 28-07-2012 12:14pm

Sindri wrote: »

70% is a brilliant record.

My team.

1. Jenkins
2. Best
3. Jones
4. Ryan
5. Jones
6. Ferris/Lydiate
7. O' Brien
8. Heaslip
9. Philips/Youngs
10. Sexton
11. Bowe
12. Roberts
13. Davies/BOD
14. Cuthbert
15. Foden

The Welsh props to destroy them in the scrums. They won't like that. A physical domineering pack is what we need, not exactly the above but that is what we need although I do think Armitage could be a valuable payer to have playing Australia. I'd like to see him play against Pocock and I think he could negate him somewhat. Can't think of many more in the same class as Heaslip IMO but some other players would be more suited to playing Australia IMO. Philips I think may be shown up against Genia, it would probably be better to play a different type of scrum half. Sexton without a doubt, Bowe and a Welsh winger and Visser. I think Davies is a very good player. He always does things the right way. Foden is a better player IMO than Kearney or Halfpenney and I'd bring Halfpenney instead of Kearney.

North, Warburton?

Jame Gumb · 28-07-2012 12:18pm

European Player of the Year Rob Kearney left out?

The man who arguably delivered the greatest fullback performance in the history of the Lions during the 2nd Test in Pretoria?

CatFromHue · 28-07-2012 1:24pm

Jame Gumb wrote: »

European Player of the Year Rob Kearney left out?

The man who arguably delivered the greatest fullback performance in the history of the Lions during the 2nd Test in Pretoria?

That was 3 years ago against a team that played to Kearneys strengths. The Aussies won't play that way, he isn't a definite starter. Possibly not even a definite tourist to be honest. Halfpenny, Hogg, and to a lesser extent Foden will be breathing down his neck.

Fishooks12 · 28-07-2012 1:32pm

CatFromHue wrote: »

That was 3 years ago against a team that played to Kearneys strengths. The Aussies won't play that way, he isn't a definite starter. Possibly not even a definite tourist to be honest. Halfpenny, Hogg, and to a lesser extent Foden will be breathing down his neck.

Kearney isn't just the catching machine he's being made out to be lately, he's a far more potent broken field runner than halfpenny and I don't think the fact that Halfpenny is a goal-kicker will be much of an advantage with Sexton presumably at 10. Hogg is very young and more of a center IMO and Foden is just after losing the starting 15 shirt for England and has a very poor year

Plenty of teams didn't horse high balls up to him this year and along with Best he was still Ireland's stand out player and is still the frontrunner for the starting 15 shirt IMO

Don't see how you can say he might not be on the plane on the evidence of current form and ability

Tox56 · 28-07-2012 1:39pm

If the tour was tommorow, Kearney is a definite tourist. Only an injury or a dramatic loss of form will see him fail to travel, whether or not he will start is the only question right now.

Benny Cake · 28-07-2012 2:05pm

Jame Gumb wrote: »

European Player of the Year Rob Kearney left out?

The man who arguably delivered the greatest fullback performance in the history of the Lions during the 2nd Test in Pretoria?

Lofty praise indeed...

danthefan · 28-07-2012 2:12pm

CatFromHue wrote: »

That was 3 years ago against a team that played to Kearneys strengths. The Aussies won't play that way, he isn't a definite starter. Possibly not even a definite tourist to be honest. Halfpenny, Hogg, and to a lesser extent Foden will be breathing down his neck.

He's as definite as anyone around at the moment.

jacothelad · 28-07-2012 2:27pm

Jame Gumb wrote: »

European Player of the Year Rob Kearney left out?

The man who arguably delivered the greatest fullback performance in the history of the Lions during the 2nd Test in Pretoria?

I'm sorry but that is just twaddle. How many series have you seen? Such rampant hyperbole is a real problem in some quarters. He was very good but getting the ball booted down his throat every few minutes didn't do him any harm. Why not be content with a bit of controlled praise instwead of posting like a Welsh fan?

RoundBox11 · 28-07-2012 2:31pm

The only nailed on starters (barring injury) imo are Best and Gray.

I would love to say that Sexton and Kearney were too but i fear Gatland may favor Priestland/Biggar and Halfpenny out of bias.

I'd argue Adam Jones is pretty certain to start too, unless Cole can get firmly ahead of Castro at Leicester, which i can't see happening.

My starting 15 would be:

1. Healy (very close call with Jenkins)
2. Best
3. Jones
4. Gray
5. POC
6. Ferris
7. SOB
8. Denton

9. Phillips
10. Sexton
11. Visser
12. Davies
13. BOD
14. North
15. Kearney

I know full well this wont be the team and i fear i'm viewing the pack with my green tinted glasses. I really feel Ferris is a better 6 than Lydiate and SOB deserves the 7 jersey more than Warburton. However i don't think Gatland will have the same opinion.

I'd like to think Heaslip could be the starting 8 but theres no way it'll be an all Irish back row. I wen't with Denton because he's got so much potential to improve between now and then (and also because i wanted to have 1 or 2 Scots in the team).

I'm shocked at the lack of depth at scrum half at the moment.

IMO Bod with Davies offers more than Davies and Roberts.

Jame Gumb · 28-07-2012 2:33pm

Benny Cake wrote: »

Jame Gumb wrote: »

European Player of the Year Rob Kearney left out?

The man who arguably delivered the greatest fullback performance in the history of the Lions during the 2nd Test in Pretoria?

Lofty praise indeed...

Or even Loftus praise...

It may have been 3 years ago but the guy is the reigning European Player of the Year.

His performance in that Test was possibly the greatest I've ever seen, and was roundly acknowledged by seasoned Lions watchers as incredible.

I was at the game and the South Africans were shocked at how good Kearney was.

To claim that he won't tour if fit is bonkers to be honest.

Can't see SOB getting the nod at 7...fetcher / classic 7 required.

Suspect that Ferris and SOB will fight it out for the 6 jersey.

Tox56 · 28-07-2012 2:40pm

Jame Gumb wrote: »

Can't see SOB getting the nod at 7...fetcher / classic 7 required.

And so you wouldn't bring him because..?

British and Irish Lions Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

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