British and Irish Lions Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

Buer

thomond2006 wrote: »

He hasn't suffered a serious injury for four years. Age doesn't really come into either as long as he is playing well. I don't think his form warrants a call up though.

But he's not playing well enough...because he's getting older and slowing down. A 10 game tour at the end of a long season where those travelling will have to push themselves to their physical limits is beyond him.

trouttrout

Buer wrote: »

But he's not playing well enough...because he's getting older and slowing down. A 10 game tour at the end of a long season where those travelling will have to push themselves to their physical limits is beyond him.

He said his form doesn't warrant a call up

Buer

trouttrout wrote: »

He said his form doesn't warrant a call up

I was responding to the comment:

Age doesn't really come into either as long as he is playing well.

thomond2006

My point is that age isn't a factor because the Lions aren't developing a squad for the future like a national or club side. It's a one off, so if Wilkinson's form is good enough it shouldn't matter if he's 25 or 35 years old.

Fireball07

P.Walnuts wrote: »

Since people keep talking up Madigan for the Lions, how would we feel for Freddie Burns getting a call?

I actually wouldn't mind Burns going. I mean it's unlikely that he'd end up starting, but I reckon he'd be a good player to bring off the bench if you did want to change things up a bit.


Biggar is more likely to go than either, but he's not top class...he's solid enough though.

schools rugby

Potential bolters : Eli Walker, Christian Wade , Lloyd Williams , Billy Twelvetrees , Luke Marshall
Nick Easter a darkhorse for selection too

ssaye

lionsofficial British&Irish Lions 4h
So this is @lionsofficial line-up Robbie Deans expects to face in 1st Test in Brisbane according to @QantasWallabies pic.twitter.com/nGxyDntXb2



Mind games

Dublin Red Devil

Delighted Gatland is not considering French based mercenaries. They have no right to be Lions,

When Sexton goes, I don't every want to see him in an Irish 10 shirt again

ssaye

Dublin Red Devil wrote: »

Delighted Gatland is not considering French based mercenaries. They have no right to be Lions,

When Sexton goes, I don't every want to see him in an Irish 10 shirt again

Nonsense, our best 10, Bowe went to ospreys and was our best winger, Sexton is still #1 and to not want him to play for Ireland is ludicrous

Deano7788

Dublin Red Devil wrote: »

Delighted Gatland is not considering French based mercenaries. They have no right to be Lions,

When Sexton goes, I don't every want to see him in an Irish 10 shirt again

I completely disagree with everything in this post.

Why are they mercenaries, because they're trying to maximise earnings in a short career. Could you honestly say you wouldn't try to do the same and earn as much as you can during your career?

And I sincerely hope we do see Sexton in an Irish shirt again, and often, as long as he is the best option.

Teferi

Dublin Red Devil wrote: »

Delighted Gatland is not considering French based mercenaries. They have no right to be Lions,

When Sexton goes, I don't every want to see him in an Irish 10 shirt again

You have a right to your opinion but it's wrong and I hate you.

Podge_irl

Meh, Sexton is no more a mercenary than Nacewa or Conters are for coming to Leinster.

.ak

ssaye wrote: »

lionsofficial British&Irish Lions 4h
So this is @lionsofficial line-up Robbie Deans expects to face in 1st Test in Brisbane according to @QantasWallabies pic.twitter.com/nGxyDntXb2



Mind games

Actually not a bad team. Except for Biggar (who I rate!) but Farrell and Sexton will be ahead of him.

Fireball07

That Lions team there is actually pretty good. Couple of marginal calls, I'd expect Sexton to start ahead of Biggar but all the others could happen. I'd probably expect Tuilagi to be ahead of Marshall too but you never know.


Has Gatland actually said he's not going to pick French-based players? That would mean no Phillips, right?

Obviously the thing about them being mercenaries is a load of crap.....I mean they probably are interested in the money, but if they're the best players, you play them. Sexton has to start for Ireland as long as he's comfortably our best 10.....I don't remember anyone calling Howlett a mercenary when he came to Munster...or Nacewa at Leinster, Pienaar at Ulster. They are hailed as legends.

Grimebox

Fireball07 wrote: »

That Lions team there is actually pretty good. Couple of marginal calls, I'd expect Sexton to start ahead of Biggar but all the others could happen. I'd probably expect Tuilagi to be ahead of Marshall too but you never know.


Has Gatland actually said he's not going to pick French-based players? That would mean no Phillips, right?

Obviously the thing about them being mercenaries is a load of crap.....I mean they probably are interested in the money, but if they're the best players, you play them. Sexton has to start for Ireland as long as he's comfortably our best 10.....I don't remember anyone calling Howlett a mercenary when he came to Munster...or Nacewa at Leinster, Pienaar at Ulster. They are hailed as legends.

If Gatland said anything like that he would lose his job.

I predict in the future that the Top 14 will become what the premiership is to soccer. Players will flock from all around the world to get paid premium rates, and why shouldn't they? While it will be a huge shame for rugby to leave Ireland, it would be good to see all the best players duking it out on a regular basis. I hope I'm wrong on this prediction of course, however money dictates everything unfortunately

Podge_irl

Grimebox wrote: »

If Gatland said anything like that he would lose his job.

Gatland has said he's not ot taking anyone who won't be on the plane. That means no French based players still playinga in the playoffs.

Grimebox

Podge_irl wrote: »

Gatland has said he's not ot taking anyone who won't be on the plane. That means no French based players still playinga in the playoffs.

That makes more sense. I thought it was implied that he would be ousting them based purely on leaving their home country to make more money in France

Podge_irl

Grimebox wrote: »

That makes more sense. I thought it was implied that he would be ousting them based purely on leaving their home country to make more money in France

It would have made even more sense if I could type properly on my phone.

siochain

Odds on POC as captain are moving very fast

saturday 30's
this morning 9's
now 6's

Podge_irl

siochain wrote: »

Odds on POC as captain are moving very fast

saturday 30's
this morning 9's
now 6's

That's a lot of dead money going on him. Not a hope that a player returning to fitness and with no international game time all season is going to captain the tour.

siochain

Podge_irl wrote: »

That's a lot of dead money going on him. Not a hope that a player returning to fitness and with no international game time all season is going to captain the tour.

I would say a fit POC makes perfect sense, he has enough past international and lions experience to be the first name on the team sheet for the tests. Plus he's fresh as and must be chopping at the bit after a frustrating year.

toomevara

schools rugby wrote: »

Potential bolters : Eli Walker, Christian Wade , Lloyd Williams , Billy Twelvetrees , Luke Marshall
Nick Easter a darkhorse for selection too

I'd stick Dan Lydiate in there too..

Podge_irl

siochain wrote: »

I would say a fit POC makes perfect sense, he has enough past international and lions experience to be the first name on the team sheet for the tests. Plus he's fresh as and must be chopping at the bit after a frustrating year.

I'm sorry, but the guy has played in 3 internationals since the RWC and is only 1 real game back into his comeback from yet another injury. At absolute most he'll have 7 games before the plane takes off (and likely only 5). There is not the minutest chance the guy is being named captain.

rchendz92

toomevara wrote: »

I'd stick Dan Lydiate in there too..

Is he really a "bolter" though? A fit Dan Lydiate is probably the most valuable asset a team could have...apart from maybe a fit Stephen Ferris. I'm sure that as long as Lydiate doesn't get injured again he'll be on the plane, hopefully partnering Tipuric or SOB (can't stand Warburton, the most overated player in Britain & Ireland).

jamiedav2011

toomevara wrote: »

I'd stick Dan Lydiate in there too..

Ah here, we've had Bowe and Poc, now Lydiate.

How the hell can any of these three be called 'bolters'!

All three would be guaranteed tourists given fitness.

totallegend

rchendz92 wrote: »

A fit Dan Lydiate is probably the most valuable asset a team could have...

What about a big tubby Dan Lydiate?



In fairness, if anyone should be picked on reputation and given the chance to show what he can do once he's out there, it's Lydiate.

PhatPiggins

Podge_irl wrote: »

I'm sorry, but the guy has played in 3 internationals since the RWC and is only 1 real game back into his comeback from yet another injury. At absolute most he'll have 7 games before the plane takes off (and likely only 5). There is not the minutest chance the guy is being named captain.

You're looking at it from a single point of view. He'll have played 9 games this season. He'll be very fresh compared to some who've played nearly 40 games come the summer. He's definitely going and its between himself and BOD for a non Welsh captain.

Depends on how Gatland wants to run the camp but I think him being the excellent coach that he is he knows he needs a unified camp and that he's still not loved aoutside the valleys. Wales rightly will have 10 starters but they'll the other 5 to win the series. The Welsh boys will go to the wall for him and a non Welsh captain will go a long way in getting the rest on board.

Podge_irl

PhatPiggins wrote: »

You're looking at it from a single point of view. He'll have played 9 games this season.

Assuming he doesn't break again.

He'll tour if he puts in a good shift in the HEC QF but I don't think Gatland is going to rate a few Rabo games that highly. You just can't pick a captain fresh back from injury, who hasn't played an international in over a year and with a terrible injury record over the last 3 years. It's pie in the sky stuff. The next couple months will be about showing he deserves to be in the test team and is fully match fit for the hard grounds down south and he only has a max of two high profile games to do that (and more likely just one). The only proper game he has played is at home to Connacht let's not forget.

If it's a non Welsh captain it's either BOD or Robshaw. If POC tours it will largely be on reputation, not form. I'm ok with that given who he is but you can't select your captain with that hanging over them.

trouttrout

totallegend wrote: »

What about a big tubby Dan Lydiate?



In fairness, if anyone should be picked on reputation and given the chance to show what he can do once he's out there, it's Lydiate.

Mother of god, when was that taken? He's huge

jm08

Podge_irl wrote: »

Assuming he doesn't break again.

He'll tour if he puts in a good shift in the HEC QF but I don't think Gatland is going to rate a few Rabo games that highly. You just can't pick a captain fresh back from injury, who hasn't played an international in over a year and with a terrible injury record over the last 3 years. It's pie in the sky stuff. The next couple months will be about showing he deserves to be in the test team and is fully match fit for the hard grounds down south and he only has a max of two high profile games to do that (and more likely just one). The only proper game he has played is at home to Connacht let's not forget.

If it's a non Welsh captain it's either BOD or Robshaw. If POC tours it will largely be on reputation, not form. I'm ok with that given who he is but you can't select your captain with that hanging over them.

I don't know about that - Gatland knew he played for Munster A last week.

“

No, he [POC} played last week for Munster A,” said the Lions coach when asked if it might be too late for the 2009 Lions captain to make the plane after five months out with injury. “The older players with a bit more experience have the upper hand because they have that behind them, don’t they?

“We know a lot about Paul O’Connell. We know what he brings to the party so we will be keeping a pretty close eye on him. Someone like Tommy Bowe, if he gets back from injury, Dan Lydiate as well. There is a young, talented player in Simon Zebo — is he going to run out of time? We’ll keep a close eye on these sort of players over the next six weeks.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gatland-opens-door-for-oconnell-lions-return-226212.html

Gatland in the Telegraph. Looks like Zebo is on the plane if he can get fit.

“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