British and Irish Lions Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

thomond2006

.ak wrote: »

I'd love to see Foden played at 9 for a few games. That's where he started out right? He strikes me as a Philips-esque SH with a better skillset.

It looks like he may play on the wing for England this season, but Mallinder has said he will stay at fullback for Northampton.

CatFromHue

totallegend wrote: »

I think if you know your recent Lions history, you'd realise that international partnerships are very rarely retained.

In 2005 some partnerships were retained. The starting second and back row for the first test was POC, Ben Kay, Hill, Back, Corry :eek:

For the second and third test it was POC, DOC, Easterby, Moody, and Ryan Jones. I can't remember if Kay was injured or not but that back row for the first test.......I still struggle with why!

thomond2006

CatFromHue wrote: »

In 2005 some partnerships were retained. The starting second and back row for the first test was POC, Ben Kay, Hill, Back, Corry :eek:

For the second and third test it was POC, DOC, Easterby, Moody, and Ryan Jones. I can't remember if Kay was injured or not but that back row for the first test.......I still struggle with why!

I wonder is Clive 'winning' like Charlie Sheen :pac:

CatFromHue

I like Clive but I still can't understand how he made such a big mistake. Back had been dropped from the 2004 England 6 Nations team so was well off the pace for international rugby in June 2005.

danthefan

CatFromHue wrote: »

I like Clive but I still can't understand how he made such a big mistake. Back had been dropped from the 2004 England 6 Nations team so was well off the pace for international rugby in June 2005.

Did he not retire from international?

PhatPiggins

Hagz wrote: »

I'm sorry but Foden is clearly a better player than Brown. Brown starting during the summer tours is what I like to think of as experimentation.

What is this experimentation you speak of? Is it part of this tactics business you hear of?

Brown was picked at 15 in the first test for his boot. Foden moved around for the other tests to accommodate other injuries. He's clearly still first choice 15 and will be in the autumn.

Tox56

PhatPiggins wrote: »

Hagz wrote: »

I'm sorry but Foden is clearly a better player than Brown. Brown starting during the summer tours is what I like to think of as experimentation.

What is this experimentation you speak of? Is it part of this tactics business you hear of?

Brown was picked at 15 in the first test for his boot. Foden moved around for the other tests to accommodate other injuries. He's clearly still first choice 15 and will be in the autumn.

Brown deserved a chance after the season he had, he wasn't picked simply for his boot.

CatFromHue

danthefan wrote: »

Did he not retire from international?

Yeah I think once he was dropped he retired (from international rugby)

PhatPiggins

ComeOnYou BoysInBlue wrote: »

<SNIP DELETED POST>

England were far from useless in fairness. New team with a new coach, they're definitely moving in the right direction.

Hagz

PhatPiggins wrote: »

What is this experimentation you speak of? Is it part of this tactics business you hear of?

Not sure if agreeing with me or slagging me....

PhatPiggins

Hagz wrote: »

PhatPiggins wrote: »

What is this experimentation you speak of? Is it part of this tactics business you hear of?

Not sure if agreeing with me or slagging me....

Agreeing with you. I think people can sometimes be too black or white on why a player plays one game and not the next

bilston

CatFromHue wrote: »

In 2005 some partnerships were retained. The starting second and back row for the first test was POC, Ben Kay, Hill, Back, Corry :eek:

For the second and third test it was POC, DOC, Easterby, Moody, and Ryan Jones. I can't remember if Kay was injured or not but that back row for the first test.......I still struggle with why!

Wasn't Dallaglio injured early on in 2005? Don't get me wrong Hill, Back and Dallaglio were clearly great players in their day but 2005 Back and Dallaglio anyway were done. The more you think about the '05 tour the more you realise you probably shouldn't think about!

SCW did wonders with the England team from about 2001-2003 but feck he came close to single handedly destroying the Lions in 2005. It's just a shame BOD had to be so closely associated with it.

cgpg5

ComeOnYou BoysInBlue wrote: »

<SNIP DELETED POST>

If England were useless then what were we? On another day they could very easily have won the GS. Were unfortunate v Wales.

Croft will probably have his work cut out now. Lawes (if fit), Hartley (will make it I think though I don't entirely agree), Farrell, Barrett, Waldrom, Morgan, Robshaw, Cole, Youngs, Ashton and Foden, Tuilagi all have serious cases to be fair.

yimrsg

Dallaglio broke his ankle I think early on in the 2005 tour and Easterby was called up(?). I remember reading somewhere that when he was being stretchered off, he reminded the medical staff to make sure they gave his Lions jersey to the opposition.

thomond2006

http://www.espnscrum.com/lions-tour-2013/rugby/story/168910.html

According to ESPN, the coaching staff is likely to be:

Head Coach: Warren Gatland
Attack Coach: Rob Howley/Joe Schmidt
Forwards Coach: Graham Rowntree
Defence Coach: Shaun Edwards

CIARAN_BOYLE

I can't see Gatland Howley and Edwards all taking jobs with the Lions. Someone has to be left at home to take over as caretaker boss for the summer tour.

totallegend

thomond2006 wrote: »

http://www.espnscrum.com/lions-tour-2013/rugby/story/168910.html

According to ESPN, the coaching staff is likely to be:

Head Coach: Warren Gatland
Attack Coach: Rob Howley/Joe Schmidt
Forwards Coach: Graham Rowntree
Defence Coach: Shaun Edwards

Hmmm, sounds too heavy on the Wales/Wasps front. I wouldn't think both Howley and Edwards will get it.

Of course, Schmidt's Leinster contract will expire just in time for the tour.

thomond2006

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

I can't see Gatland Howley and Edwards all taking jobs with the Lions. Someone has to be left at home to take over as caretaker boss for the summer tour.

Well Gatland is more or less in, so that's leaves Edwards or Howley then. I reckon Schmidt and Edwards will be the ones to go, you're right when you say Wales need a caretaker, the WRU aren't going to release Howley probably.

totallegend

There was a piece in yesterday's Sunday Times by Stephen Jones (I know, I know) saying that although he'd tipped the Lions a couple of months ago to win, he'd looked at the calendar and decided it was impossible with the number of games and lack of rest time the players would have before arriving in Australia.

It's a valid point; it's a fair bet that the four teams contesting the Rabo and AP finals on 25th May are going to make up a fair chunk of the Lions team; e.g. if it was Northampton v Leicester and Ospreys v Leinster, you could be looking at 20 people going full tilt until two days before the flight to Hong Kong. That's after a long season of league, Heineken Cup and Six Nations to finish with a trip halfway around the world.

irishbucsfan

totallegend wrote: »

There was a piece in yesterday's Sunday Times by Stephen Jones (I know, I know) saying that although he'd tipped the Lions a couple of months ago to win, he'd looked at the calendar and decided it was impossible with the number of games and lack of rest time the players would have before arriving in Australia.

It's a valid point; it's a fair bet that the four teams contesting the Rabo and AP finals on 25th May are going to make up a fair chunk of the Lions team; e.g. if it was Northampton v Leicester and Ospreys v Leinster, you could be looking at 20 people going full tilt until two days before the flight to Hong Kong. That's after a long season of league, Heineken Cup and Six Nations to finish with a trip halfway around the world.

I think that gap might also affect Schmidt's ability to take a senior position in the coaching team. If he has games with Leinster until the 25th of May then he may not be free to go to Oz until a bit later. And then you have the issue of his responsibilities with Leinster which would have to be delegated to Gibbes or someone. I'd imagine Leinster would look for some compansation for that.

Teferi

The announcement is on now.

Teferi

Confirmed: Gatland.

I am shocked. Shocked.

touts

Has the "No Irish need apply" sign gone up outside the Lions office yet?

Teferi

Hopefully they will announce the backroom staff. Far more interesting.

GerM

Teferi wrote: »

Hopefully they will announce the backroom staff. Far more interesting.

Due to do that nearer to the end of the year, I believe.

Tox56

GerM wrote: »

Due to do that nearer to the end of the year, I believe.

The ESPN article that linked Schmidt to the attacking coach role claimed this:

"Wales head coach Warren Gatland is set to be unveiled as head coach for the Lions' tour of Australia next summer in early September and he is set to discuss who will be part of his coaching team with senior management in the next few days."

Hard to tell what exactly that means, but I take it that it will be announced soon. He must have an idea of who he'll be selecting, everyone has known for months he would be getting the job.

Then again, Schmidt later denied any contact so it's hard to know how reliable the article is.

thomond2006

I love how there was about 2 seconds of footage from the 2005 tour in that montage they showed during the conference. :pac:

thomond2006

Gatland said during the press conference that he was travelling to France to talk about the release of players, I think it could a major issue when the time of the squad announcement arrives, since the Top14 final is played the same day as the Lions' opening match against the Barbarians in Hong Kong.

Below are the main hopefuls playing in France, there's a few other eligible players around but I doubt they'll get near selection.

Bayonne: Mike Phillips
Clermont: Lee Byrne
Perpignan: Luke Charteris, James Hook
Toulon: Andrew Sheridan, Gethin Jenkins, Steffon Armitage

Of those clubs, Bayonne and Perpignan are unlikely to get into the French playoffs. Clermont and Toulon are pretty certainties with their strength in depth. I think Armitage and Jenkins are certainly worth a place in the squad but Toulon won't think about releasing them if there is a fixture clash.

I think it's a case of wait and see...

irishbucsfan

If there is major trouble then I think we'll see something change. Players might just start demanding clauses in their contracts which ensures a release for the Lions in future. Maybe French clubs will be less keen on Lions candidates or vice versa. I don't think there's any doubt these players all want to be involved with the Lions.

thomond2006

irishbucsfan wrote: »

If there is major trouble then I think we'll see something change. Players might just start demanding clauses in their contracts which ensures a release for the Lions in future. Maybe French clubs will be less keen on Lions candidates or vice versa. I don't think there's any doubt these players all want to be involved with the Lions.

I don't know the ins and outs of what happened, but when Hines "left" Perpignan before their Top14 Final to join the Lions squad in 2009, USAP were very pissed off. Gatland even made reference to the Hines incident.

It would be a great shame if a guy like Armitage who dominated the Top14 last season can't tour because of club commitments.