British and Irish Lions Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

trouttrout

Sherry does offer a lot more than just his darts. He's very mobile around the park and very good in defense

I'm not sure how you could really say his scrummaging was a problem today either, it's very hard to tell

.ak

Chabals Beard wrote: »

I always assumed you were a knowledgeable so I will give you the benefit of the doubt but Sherry offers a lot around the park, best hands for a hooker in Ireland and unlike most front rows he doesn't look for contact all the time (due to the fact he used to be a flanker), he actually tries to go around players, fantastic prospect.

Call me a traditionalist, but I don't want my hooker to go around players... I want them to go through them, like the honeybadgers they are!

.ak

trouttrout wrote: »

Sherry does offer a lot more than just his darts. He's very mobile around the park and very good in defense

I'm not sure how you could really say his scrummaging was a problem today either, it's very hard to tell

He was being popped quite easily. He had a bad day in the first half in terms of the scrum. Although Botha wasn't helping.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Chabals Beard wrote: »

I always assumed you were a knowledgeable so I will give you the benefit of the doubt but Sherry offers a lot around the park, best hands for a hooker in Ireland and unlike most front rows he doesn't look for contact all the time (due to the fact he used to be a flanker), he actually tries to go around players, fantastic prospect.

Its not that unusual for hookers to be former flankers. Strauss was a backrow forward for a long time. JHW is a former flanker too. So is Doyle in the Leinster academy. Connacht are trying to covert Heffernan to hookerat the moment.

Neither Cronin or Strauss look for contact. They look for gaps.

.ak

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Its not that unusual for hookers to be former flankers. Strauss was a backrow forward for a long time. JHW is a former flanker too. So is Doyle in the Leinster academy. Connacht are trying to covert Heffernan to hookerat the moment.

Neither Cronin or Strauss look for contact. They look for gaps.

Don't know if I agree with Strauss not looking for contact... We've all seen him carry through the gainline with a few players hanging off him.

Kiwi_knock

Swiwi wrote: »

Lock as source of concern for the WBs?

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/second-row-must-be-first-priority-for-deans-20130407-2hepp.html

Would have loved for the Lions to play against Nathan Sharpe. No outstanding candidates to pack down alongside Horwill. Will be one of Timani, Simmons, Douglas, Pyle, Neville or Jones. I am a fan of Luke Jones but I doubt Deans will be giving debuts to players in the pack, so that rules him, Neville and Pyle out. Timani, Douglas and Simmons have all had a run out the last year and none of them have nailed down the jersey so a bit of uncertainty there. Not an easy choice for Deans.

Figured someone should try and get this thread back on track.

Chabals Beard

.ak wrote: »

Call me a traditionalist, but I don't want my hooker to go around players... I want them to go through them, like the honeybadgers they are!

Thats not a traditionist mindset, its a nothern hemisphere mindset :P

Tox56

A fully fit Strauss is better than anyone in Ireland at the breakdown, something Leinster have really missed over the last few weeks. Think he's still ahead of Sherry for Ireland right now but it will be interesting to see how that develops

Swiwi

Kiwi_knock wrote: »

Would have loved for the Lions to play against Nathan Sharpe. No outstanding candidates to pack down alongside Horwill. Will be one of Timani, Simmons, Douglas, Pyle, Neville or Jones. I am a fan of Luke Jones but I doubt Deans will be giving debuts to players in the pack, so that rules him, Neville and Pyle out. Timani, Douglas and Simmons have all had a run out the last year and none of them have nailed down the jersey so a bit of uncertainty there. Not an easy choice for Deans.

Figured someone should try and get this thread back on track.

Australia are in trouble if Horwill gets injured. He's there one world class lock. I would just choose some who's reliable and make do to partner Horwill.

shuffol

Cant see Sherry ever getting above Wolfhound standard but would be happy to be proved wrong, great darts but a bit lightweight and without Cronins dynamism, I think its a bit easy to overstate players individual abilitys after a great team performance.

As for the Lions I hope Bowe goes, showed his class yesterday and the Lions could do with a back 3 player with his footballing ability, cant see Zebo going myself, his flick against Wales has generated a ridiculous amount of hype given it was essentially a freak incident, not saying he didnt mean it but I'm not sure it says a lot about his ability, confidence yes.

.ak

Gatland said he's waiting til after the semis to make his decision on the squad. So still plenty of rugby left to play.

Kiwi_knock

Swiwi wrote: »

Australia are in trouble if Horwill gets injured. He's there one world class lock. I would just choose some who's reliable and make do to partner Horwill.

They would be fecked without their captain, not many other leaders in their squad. He is Australia's most important player.

Chabals Beard

shuffol wrote: »

Cant see Sherry ever getting above Wolfhound standard but would be happy to be proved wrong, great darts but a bit lightweight and without Cronins dynamism, I think its a bit easy to overstate players individual abilitys after a great team performance.

As for the Lions I hope Bowe goes, showed his class yesterday and the Lions could do with a back 3 player with his footballing ability, cant see Zebo going myself, his flick against Wales has generated a ridiculous amount of hype given it was essentially a freak incident, not saying he didnt mean it but I'm not sure it says a lot about his ability, confidence yes.

Zebo played well considering no ball came his way due to the gameplan, he chased well, tackled well and was hunger for ball, snd I doubt he was 100% fit either, I would take him on the Lions.

Swiwi

Kiwi_knock wrote: »

They would be fecked without their captain, not many other leaders in their squad. He is Australia's most important player.

It's still Genia for me but Horwill is second now that there is plenty of backup for pocock. Robinson their prop is impt too.

CIARAN_BOYLE

.ak wrote: »

Don't know if I agree with Strauss not looking for contact... We've all seen him carry through the gainline with a few players hanging off him.

True. He certainly doesn't try and step through a defense and he isn't afraid of contact but he can be very good at bursting though gaps as well.

Rightwing

Favourite for Lions captaincy:


Paul O'Connell [URL="javascript:void(0)"] 13/8 [/URL] Chris Robshaw [URL="javascript:void(0)"] 10/1 [/URL] Kelly Brown [URL="javascript:void(0)"] 55/1 [/URL] Sam Warburton [URL="javascript:void(0)"] 5/2 [/URL] Gethin Jenkins [URL="javascript:void(0)"] 16/1 [/URL] Adam Jones [URL="javascript:void(0)"] 55/1 [/URL] Alun Wyn Jones [URL="javascript:void(0)"] 7/2 [/URL] Ryan Jones [URL="javascript:void(0)"] 20/1 [/URL] Tom Wood [URL="javascript:void(0)"] 66/1 [/URL] Brian O'Driscoll [URL="javascript:void(0)"] 4/1 [/URL] Jamie Heaslip [URL="javascript:void(0)"] 55/1 [/URL] Dylan Hartley [URL="javascript:void(0)"] 125/1 [/URL] Rory Best [URL="javascript:void(0)"] 6/1 [/URL] Johnny Sexton [URL="javascript:void(0)"] 55/1 [/URL] Ross Ford

thomond2006

The only thing to read into that is a lot of bets have come in for it.

POC at this stage is a good candidate but not at those odds! Remember he was a losing captain in 2009, that may be held against him (I wouldn't myself but then what I think doesn't matter).

shuffol

Chabals Beard wrote: »

Zebo played well considering no ball came his way due to the gameplan, he chased well, tackled well and was hunger for ball, snd I doubt he was 100% fit either, I would take him on the Lions.

He's a great footballer but I think to be a top class international wing you need to have the ability to break through tackles which I think Zebo lacks, he's very elusive but lacks leg drive IMO.

awec

4/1 for BOD? Think that's another pie I might invest in soon.

Rightwing

thomond2006 wrote: »

The only thing to read into that is a lot of bets have come in for it.

POC at this stage is a good candidate but not at those odds! Remember he was a losing captain in 2009, that may be held against him (I wouldn't myself but then what I think doesn't matter).

He was quite popular on the last tour, that will stand to him, but I do agree with you, not at that price.

thomond2006

I think the Lions captaincy is pretty open this year, IIRC in 2009 it was more or less between BOD and POC. Nobody is really standing out as the best candidate(s). The only person with any momentum right now is POC.

Rightwing

thomond2006 wrote: »

I think the Lions captaincy is pretty open this year, IIRC in 2009 it was more or less between BOD and POC. Nobody is really standing out as the best candidate(s). The only person with any momentum right now is POC.

Wouldn't that indicate that it's his to lose, as the rugby season is as good as over for the other contenders.

It's prob down to the same 2 again, even though Warburton is the 2nd fav.

thomond2006

Rightwing wrote: »

Wouldn't that indicate that it's his to lose, as the rugby season is as good as over for the other contenders.

Quite possibly

Robshaw still has the Premiership to fight for, so not over for him.

Rightwing

thomond2006 wrote: »

Quite possibly

Robshaw still has the Premiership to fight for, so not over for him.

Unfortunately for him, he seems to have lost form at just the wrong time.

I was reading on the Quins forum and they're not sure even if he'll get a place in the squad now.

Chabals Beard

shuffol wrote: »

He's a great footballer but I think to be a top class international wing you need to have the ability to break through tackles which I think Zebo lacks, he's very elusive but lacks leg drive IMO.

Players like Shane Willians would beg to differ

trouttrout

Zebo actually has a good leg drive. Seen it a few times this season. Not sure of specific examples but I definitely remember being impressed by it

I can understand why it might appear that he doesn't though given he often spins into contact and ends up with his back to the opposition

Don't think you need a very good leg drive to be a top class winger either though. Plenty of them didn't

Swiwi

thomond2006 wrote: »

The only thing to read into that is a lot of bets have come in for it.

POC at this stage is a good candidate but not at those odds! Remember he was a losing captain in 2009, that may be held against him (I wouldn't myself but then what I think doesn't matter).

Exactly, Thomond. It is always a misconception that what the bookies install as favourite, is who they actually think will win. They simply manipulate their odds to maximise returns - as POC had a good game yesterday, money would have gone on him ++, and regardless of whether the bookies think he will actually get the captain's job, so long as there is a chance, they will minimise their exposure by shortening his odds.

The TAB (NZ Paddy Power), famously expressed their delight at the ABs loss in 1999 because they were due to make big payout in the event of an AB victory. You can imagine how that statement went down...kind of a "let them eat cake"...

LuckyLloyd

If, and it's a super duper giant if, Munster beat Clermont behind another driving POC performance he'll be named the Lions Captain. If he is in towering form again next week and in Clermont and Munster make both games close that could well be enough for him.

Buer

Gatland has already said he knows who his captain is as of late March. The captain will possibly know by know I'd say already.

Swiwi

Buer wrote: »

Gatland has already said he knows who his captain is as of late March. The captain will possibly know by know I'd say already.

Captain might even already be involved in team selection etc. I'm sure POC secured his place on the plane yesterday, but it might be too little too late for the captain's armband. I rather suspect it's either BOD or a Welshie, but we'll see.