British and Irish Lions Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

jamiedav2011

sting60 wrote: »

Warburton is now 2/1 to captain the Lions with Heaslip 50/1.With the talent at no 8 my opinion is Heaslip is in big trouble to be on the plane.The team will be largely based on the Welsh but Gatland may want someone other than a Welsh captain to keep harmony in the squad.With Gatland having thrown many a spanner in the works over the years do not be surprised if he picks a captain who has never captained his country in the past [Sexton if fit 40/1].The outstanding player of the 6 nations was 1/2P followed by Hogg.My certs to start are 1/2P,A Jones,Sexton[if fit],Hibbert,Warburton,A W Jones and J Roberts with M Philips likely to start.I still believe BOD will not travel as he is not a certain starter may want to stay at home changing nappies [the image could be damaged if sitting on the bench] only time will tell.

Yep, that sounds like Brian O'Driscoll alright.

:rolleyes:

ssaye

sting60 wrote: »

Warburton is now 2/1 to captain the Lions with Heaslip 50/1.With the talent at no 8 my opinion is Heaslip is in big trouble to be on the plane.The team will be largely based on the Welsh but Gatland may want someone other than a Welsh captain to keep harmony in the squad.With Gatland having thrown many a spanner in the works over the years do not be surprised if he picks a captain who has never captained his country in the past [Sexton if fit 40/1].The outstanding player of the 6 nations was 1/2P followed by Hogg.My certs to start are 1/2P,A Jones,Sexton[if fit],Hibbert,Warburton,A W Jones and J Roberts with M Philips likely to start.I still believe BOD will not travel as he is not a certain starter may want to stay at home changing nappies [the image could be damaged if sitting on the bench] only time will tell.

My cert is that all your posts are anti Ireland. Are you Irish or just a troll?

.ak

Don't accuse posters of being a troll. If you have an issue with a post, report it.

jm08

Sounds like all POC, Zebo, Lydiate has to do is prove their fitness and Bowe & Corbisero have a good chance.

Gatland talking about those who missed the 6Ns.

“

Definitely, without even thinking about it, three names come to mind,” Gatland added. “[Ireland wing Simon] Zebo, is currently out for 10 weeks so it will be whether he gets himself back in time to put himself into contention. He is inexperienced about at the top level but you can’t deny that there is something about him in terms of scoring tries and something happens when he is on the field.

“Paul O’Connell [the Ireland lock] is also coming back – but can he get himself fit enough? Dan Lydiate [the Wales flanker] is the other one. There are others as well, Alex Corbisiero [England prop] and Tommy Bowe [Ireland wing]. The players whose clubs sides are in the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cups, those are the games you want to see players perform in. That is why I want to name the squad on April 30, so I get a chance to see players who have come back and a couple of match-ups as well.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/britishandirishlionsrugby/9941150/Players-chosen-for-British-and-Irish-Lions-tour-to-Australia-will-not-hear-of-selection-in-advance-says-Warren-Gatland.html

Dublin Red Devil

@WrongWay

Lions Test Team -

1. Healy
2. Best
3. Jones
4. A-W Jones
5. O'Connell
6. Wood There are at least 3 blindside flankers ahead of him
7. Warburton
8. Heaslip
9. Phillips
10. Sexton
11. North
12. Roberts
13. O'Driscoll
14. Maitland He's not as good as Chutbert
15. Halfpenny

16. Sheridan
17. Hibbard
18. Jenkins
19. Parling
20. O'Brien
21. Youngs
22. Farrell
23. Tuilangi

.ak

jm08 wrote: »

Sounds like all POC, Zebo, Lydiate has to do is prove their fitness and Bowe & Corbisero have a good chance.

Gatland talking about those who missed the 6Ns.

“

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/britishandirishlionsrugby/9941150/Players-chosen-for-British-and-Irish-Lions-tour-to-Australia-will-not-hear-of-selection-in-advance-says-Warren-Gatland.html

Fair play to him for delaying the naming of the squad.

Makes Fitzy's injury all the more hard to take, as I think he'd have a good bit of time to impress.

Izoard

sting60 wrote: »

Warburton is now 2/1 to captain the Lions with Heaslip 50/1.With the talent at no 8 my opinion is Heaslip is in big trouble to be on the plane.The team will be largely based on the Welsh but Gatland may want someone other than a Welsh captain to keep harmony in the squad.With Gatland having thrown many a spanner in the works over the years do not be surprised if he picks a captain who has never captained his country in the past [Sexton if fit 40/1].The outstanding player of the 6 nations was 1/2P followed by Hogg.My certs to start are 1/2P,A Jones,Sexton[if fit],Hibbert,Warburton,A W Jones and J Roberts with M Philips likely to start.I still believe BOD will not travel as he is not a certain starter may want to stay at home changing nappies [the image could be damaged if sitting on the bench] only time will tell.

Inclined to agree with this.

If BOD is not picked as captain, it is likely that he's a big fight on his hands for the 13 shirt.

In that case, with 3 tours under his belt, does he really want to put himself in a position where he is likely to be holding tackle bags/dirt tracking for 5 weeks?

Dublin Red Devil

O'Driscoll for Captain. He is a man that everyone else on the team can respect. He is a leader.

Yamanoto

Izoard wrote: »

Inclined to agree with this.

If BOD is not picked as captain, it is likely that he's a big fight on his hands for the 13 shirt.

In that case, with 3 tours under his belt, does he really want to put himself in a position where he is likely to be holding tackle bags/dirt tracking for 5 weeks?

Sweet Jebus

O'Driscoll will thrive on the competition for a test place & regardless of whether he makes the 1st XV or not, his contribution will be exemplary, his knowledge will prove invaluable and his commitment will be total.

I'm surprised it even has to be spelled out as above tbh.

SimmerDean

don't usually like jumping to conclusions but pics of gatland in the same room as heaslip today just about seals his place in the squad imo.

Quint2010

SimmerDean wrote: »

don't usually like jumping to conclusions but pics of gatland in the same room as heaslip today just about seals his place in the squad imo.

Seals his place...or seals his fate...?

Teferi

Gatland has been pictured with many players and will be pictured with many players over the coming months. It's meaningless.

bilston

The only certainties that I can think of for the test team at the minute are probably Adam Jones, George North and Leigh Halfpenny and none of them strike me as captaincy material.

Given that the other captain alternatives seem to be Jenkins, AWJ, Warburton, Robshaw and BOD. To be honest I think Warburton and Robshaw cancel each other out. They could be vying for the same spot in the team and it's impossible to predict who will get it.

That leaves Jenkins, AWJ and BOD. I think all three are favourites to make the test team, however if it did come to having to find a place for one of them even though they didn't necessarily merit it there is no doubt in my mind that BOD is the man you'd squeeze in. Not that I think it will come to that anyway.

BOD is the best man for the job anyway but if you go down the route of the captain must be a nailed on starter then he fits the bill as well, or at least as well as anyone does.

Just one thing on BOD, why does everyone keep saying that he might quit rugby because he's now a father? Yes your priorities do change and yes from my own experience it's not fun trying to play with your 2 year old daughter on a Sunday with an aching thirtysomething recovering body from a game the day before (and that's at a Junior level never mind professional rugby!). However he isn't the first professional rugby player to be a father. I think Rory Best, DOC and POC are all fathers. FFS doesn't ROG have four kids running around?!

Tox56

bilston wrote: »

The only certainties that I can think of for the test team at the minute are probably Adam Jones, George North and Leigh Halfpenny and none of them strike me as captaincy material.

Given that the other captain alternatives seem to be Jenkins, AWJ, Warburton, Robshaw and BOD. To be honest I think Warburton and Robshaw cancel each other out. They could be vying for the same spot in the team and it's impossible to predict who will get it.

That leaves Jenkins, AWJ and BOD. I think all three are favourites to make the test team, however if it did come to having to find a place for one of them even though they didn't necessarily merit it there is no doubt in my mind that BOD is the man you'd squeeze in. Not that I think it will come to that anyway.

BOD is the best man for the job anyway but if you go down the route of the captain must be a nailed on starter then he fits the bill as well, or at least as well as anyone does.

Just one thing on BOD, why does everyone keep saying that he might quit rugby because he's now a father? Yes your priorities do change and yes from my own experience it's not fun trying to play with your 2 year old daughter on a Sunday with an aching thirtysomething recovering body from a game the day before (and that's at a Junior level never mind professional rugby!). However he isn't the first professional rugby player to be a father. I think Rory Best, DOC and POC are all fathers. FFS doesn't ROG have four kids running around?!

Even Keith Earls is a father, no calls for his retirement just yet

PhatPiggins

.ak wrote: »

Fair play to him for delaying the naming of the squad.

Makes Fitzy's injury all the more hard to take, as I think he'd have a good bit of time to impress.

Jeez tbh I'd say Fitzgerald was 13/14th choice back three player for the Lions.

He would have needed to turn the world on its head for Leinter for the rest of the season to have had any chance of touring.

.ak

PhatPiggins wrote: »

Jeez tbh I'd say Fitzgerald was 13/14th choice back three player for the Lions.

He would have needed to turn the world on its head for Leinter for the rest of the season to have had any chance of touring.

Yeah, I don't disagree with that, but atleast he'd be starting and therefor Gatland would get a look at him. Who knows, he could've rightly impressed.

pickarooney

What is up with Fitzgerald exactly?

thomond2006

pickarooney wrote: »

What is up with Fitzgerald exactly?

serious knee ligament injury

Wexfordboy89

thomond2006 wrote: »

serious knee ligament injury

did he not have a bad knee injury already???hope it not the same knee if he did

PhatPiggins

pickarooney wrote: »

What is up with Fitzgerald exactly?

He looked decidely shabby and over weight. Not what I'd come to expect from the 09 poster boy of the Lions Tour

thebaz

the lions in SA in '97 was one of the greatest test series that i have witnessed, sadly its been downhill since for me , bar some memorable BOD cameos , anyway I just cant see '97 been repeated , think the individuality of the WC and advances of professionalism has seen to that.

P.Walnuts

thebaz wrote: »

the lions in SA in '97 was one of the greatest test series that i have witnessed, sadly its been downhill since for me , bar some memorable BOD cameos , anyway I just cant see '97 been repeated , think the individuality of the WC and advances of professionalism has seen to that.

I may not have seen that many Lions tours, but if SA 2009 wasn't a great tour then I give up

.ak

P.Walnuts wrote: »

I may not have seen that many Lions tours, but if SA 2009 wasn't a great tour then I give up

The 2nd test is still to this day the best test rugby match I've ever seen.

thebaz

.ak wrote: »

The 2nd test is still to this day the best test rugby match I've ever seen.

was good, but not as good as the '97 second test , which we won

ther was something special about that team , Wood, Rodber, Gibbs, Johnson, Leonard, Dellagio

FellasFellas

.ak wrote: »

The 2nd test is still to this day the best test rugby match I've ever seen.

Jacque Fourie's try was one of the best tries I've ever seen scored in my life. Albeit it was ROG he ran over to get there, but it was just outstanding.

P.Walnuts

.ak wrote: »

The 2nd test is still to this day the best test rugby match I've ever seen.

I think i'd have to agree with that

brinty

.ak wrote: »

The 2nd test is still to this day the best test rugby match I've ever seen.

You must not have seen Aus v NZ at stadium australia in 2000/1

NZ scored 3 tries in first 5 minutes...and only won with a lomu try in injury time....
10 tries, high impact and unbelievable skills...
A must watch

jamiedav2011

PhatPiggins wrote: »

He looked decidely shabby and over weight. Not what I'd come to expect from the 09 poster boy of the Lions Tour

When?
Since he's come back this year he's looked very fit and speedy.

.ak

brinty wrote: »

You must not have seen Aus v NZ at stadium australia in 2000/1

NZ scored 3 tries in first 5 minutes...and only won with a lomu try in injury time....
10 tries, high impact and unbelievable skills...
A must watch

Yeah I've seen it, and it's defo up there with all time best games, but that 2nd test in SA in 2009... In terms of physicality and pressure and drama it just sucks the breath out of you.

.ak

PhatPiggins wrote: »

He looked decidely shabby and over weight. Not what I'd come to expect from the 09 poster boy of the Lions Tour

Jeez if anything Luke is in the best shape of his career, I met up with him before the 6n and he said he's at the lowest body fat % he's ever been, he's defo added some bulk in muscle tho.