British and Irish Lions Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

Gordon Gecko

Deano7788 wrote: »

Laidlaw has played all his rugby at 9 for the last few months though.

Very true. People have been going on about the 10/12 overlap a lot but I think it'd be more beneficial to have a player like Laidlaw who can play 9/10. I think it'd give the touring party a good bit of balance and allow proper rotation without having 3 OHs and 3 SHs to sift through midweek.

totallegend

Tox56 wrote: »

It's almost like he thrives on it, I don't know if it'll be Madigan but I'm sure he'll pluck someone from somewhere. The same guy wanted to take Gordon D'Arcy from school to play for Ireland FFS

George North had played six times for the Scarlets when Gatland called him up for Wales, think Tom Prydie had played even less.

Gatland will pick who he thinks is right for the squad and there is bound to be one or two surprises.

Christian Wade has to be in the running. That dude is a bolter in every sense of the word.

totallegend

Watching a rerun of European Rugby Special on Sky, I really hope Ashton doesn't go on the Lions tour.

.ak

Mahatma Geansai wrote: »

Madigan is being hilariously over-rated/hyped by Leinster fans desperate for him to step up and replace Sexton.

Here's an idea... Why don't you drop the provincial BS?

Chabals Beard

What do people think of Peter O Mahoney's chances of going? I think he has a outside chance, he has been super this year, future Munster captain for sure.

rchendz92

Chabals Beard wrote: »

What do people think of Peter O Mahoney's chances of going? I think he has a outside chance, he has been super this year, future Munster captain for sure.

No way, too much competition in back row.

Teferi

Chabals Beard wrote: »

What do people think of Peter O Mahoney's chances of going? I think he has a outside chance, he has been super this year, future Munster captain for sure.

Yeah, he's had a cracking year. Would love to see him travel, backrow is very competitive too.

Chabals Beard

rchendz92 wrote: »

No way, too much competition in back row.

If Tom Croft is injured, then he has every chance in my opinion, he was the best 6 at the weekend anyway.

justsomebloke

I can see SOB being brought as a 6

danthefan

At 6 you could be looking at Lydiate, Jones, Brown, SOB, Robshaw (more of a 6 than a 7 imo), so POM would have some competition there. He was excellent on Sunday but I don't think he had a strong enough 6N.

ronanc1000

O Connell, o Gara, Willkinson and B.o.D, Now lads that would be vintage lions if especially Willo and Pauline keep up their recent performance
Would love rog to be there and of course drico to captain...maybe
I see at the Munster game gatland was yawning at the start and by the second half he was all eyes!
Look it would be good to see them there even tho I know there is youth!!!:cool:

TheKeenMachine

ronanc1000 wrote: »

O Connell, o Gara, Willkinson and B.o.D, Now lads that would be vintage lions if especially Willo and Pauline keep up their recent performance
Would love rog to be there and of course drico to captain...maybe
I see at the Munster game gatland was yawning at the start and by the second half he was all eyes!
Look it would be good to see them there even tho I know there is youth!!!:cool:

O'Gara is simply no longer good enough to tour with the Lions, despite having a good game at the weekend.

Podge_irl

O'Gara and Wilkinson aren't travelling.

thomond2006

Podge_irl wrote: »

O'Gara and Wilkinson aren't travelling.

No they're not, but I'd imagine Wilkinson would be ahead of ROG in terms of a standby list. Whatever about his attacking ability, he remains a supreme goalkicker and defender.

.ak

thomond2006 wrote: »

No they're not, but I'd imagine Wilkinson would be ahead of ROG in terms of a standby list. Whatever about his attacking ability, he remains a supreme goalkicker and defender.

He gets around the park a bit more too for an auld fella and had a pretty great game without the ball on Sunday. I'd have no issue with Wilkinson traveling tbh.

.ak

justsomebloke wrote: »

I can see SOB being brought as a 6

I can see him getting the 20 shirt tbh, he's just so versatile. Having said that, I suppose he could start wherever and be moved later on in the game.

Podge_irl

thomond2006 wrote: »

No they're not, but I'd imagine Wilkinson would be ahead of ROG in terms of a standby list. Whatever about his attacking ability, he remains a supreme goalkicker and defender.

I haven't really seen much of Toulon the last couple years. I was actually impressed with Wilkinson and he was a lot better around the park than I was expecting.

Still, they're not going to tour with both him and Farrell (especially as Toulon will likely be in the play-offs), though he could well travel over as a replacement.

Tox56

Wilkinson.. Farrell.. In Halfpenny we have a metrenomic kicker who isn't a 10, this should allow us to free up the outhalf to actually play the role of a 10 without worrying about the kicking... but the best we've got outside Sexton is Farrell and Wilkinson who are both more kickers than outhalves.. sigh. As long as Sexton stays fit we should be OK but if he gets injured I really don't think we'll have enough spark in the backline

schools rugby

If Farrell plays 10 then we can expect an awful brand of rugby. England and Saracens build their gameplans around his boot by suffocating the opposition - in fairness it works and they win the majority of games they play. But is a 10 man game enough to win a Lions series ???

England scored four tries in the six nations with their backline ( Care, Ashton, Tuilagi and Twelvetress ) . Farrell may be a world class kicker but is an average attacking 10 on the international scene. He simply cant use a backline effectively .

Tyrone Howe brought up the point at the weekend that intrigued me - How fun is it for the back 3 playing with Farrell ?? How often have we seen any English or Saracens back 3 players with ball in hand in the opposition 22 ??? Not often as both teams are all about penalties. ( In fairness Ashton has 4 tries in the H cup this year )

I really hope Sexton is fit because we need his guile . If not.........

Fireball07

.ak wrote: »

I can see him getting the 20 shirt tbh, he's just so versatile. Having said that, I suppose he could start wherever and be moved later on in the game.

I thought he'd be 20 before...but he's just so good, sometimes you almost forget. I reckon, with the injuries to Lydiate and Ferris, and with form of some others in question, that he is the best back row in Britain and Ireland. Has to start...at 6, 7 or 8, I don't care. (I know he hasn't played 8 for a while but the options there are slightly weaker imo).

I mean...imagine Lydiate-Tipuric-SOB in the one back row.

CGD

Podge_irl wrote: »

Priestland is useless. Would be a waste of a spot on the plane.

Had a brain freeeze there meant Biggar instead of Priestland. Not sure about him but I do think Gatland will bring him

bilston

totallegend wrote: »

Watching a rerun of European Rugby Special on Sky, I really hope Ashton doesn't go on the Lions tour.

That was the first time I'd really had a good view of his try as it was the opposite end of the pitch from where I was and I hadn't really appreciated the extent of the swan dive. I'd say that's his worst one yet. Watching the replay I was almost begging Jackson to stamp on him.

Admittedly it was a good try but still...

bilston

bilston wrote: »

That was the first time I'd really had a good view of his try as it was the opposite end of the pitch from where I was and I hadn't really appreciated the extent of the swan dive. I'd say that's his worst one yet. Watching the replay I was almost begging Jackson to stamp on him.

Admittedly it was a good try but still...

Nah, not Jackson. Wouldn't want him missing games.

Maybe one of his own players though.

Or a mascot.

shuffol

Ashton with the Lions would be an odd one, I can imagine being delighted watching him running in the winning score in a test yet secretly hoping that he makes a complete balls of the grounding.

LuckyLloyd

To be honest, I find the Lions a weird one in general. It's not just Ashton, it's the other (as many as 12 other this time round!) guys you spend four years rooting against in massive Six Nations and HEC matches. And now you suddenly are supposed to get behind them?

I hope the Irish lads that are there play well but I couldn't say I'm too pushed on the outcome of the whole thing all told.

Buer

Ashton will travel and is a bloke that could actually be in the test side. Yes, he's difficult to like but he's a fine player. His try was excellent but it was his work around the pitch that was most impressive. There was a ruck on the near side of the field which I thought had a flanker in it the way the counter rucking was taking place. Ashton was battering the Ulster players repeatedly, disrupting their ball and being an utter pain.

Whilst his public persona isn't great, players in the past have spoken about him being one of the nicest blokes you could ever meet and hugely generous with his time to fans which is something I've never heard about the likes of Hartley who seems like a genuine pillock on and off the field. Those sort of things make me think that he might well be a good tourist.

Buer

Buer wrote: »

Ashton will travel and is a bloke that could actually be in the test side. Yes, he's difficult to like but he's a fine player. His try was excellent but it was his work around the pitch that was most impressive. There was a ruck on the near side of the field which I thought had a flanker in it the way the counter rucking was taking place. Ashton was battering the Ulster players repeatedly, disrupting their ball and being an utter pain.

Whilst his public persona isn't great, players in the past have spoken about him being one of the nicest blokes you could ever meet and hugely generous with his time to fans which is something I've never heard about the likes of Hartley who seems like a genuine pillock on and off the field. Those sort of things make me think that he might well be a good tourist.

his first decent game this season really.

Shouldn't have been anywhere near the England 6N team.

rainbowdash

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

To be honest, I find the Lions a weird one in general. It's not just Ashton, it's the other (as many as 12 other this time round!) guys you spend four years rooting against in massive Six Nations and HEC matches. And now you suddenly are supposed to get behind them?

I hope the Irish lads that are there play well but I couldn't say I'm too pushed on the outcome of the whole thing all told.

Its no different really in rooting against another Irish province and then supporting the same guy when he represents Ireland.

There are plenty of Leinster players over the years who Munster fans love to hate but suddenly when they are playing for Ireland we all love them.

The same goes for Leinster supporters with Munster players.

For Paws

In fairness to Ashton he'd be a decent member of any squad. He's well liked by his peers and in a Lions squad that's always considered a vital component. The swan dive thing looks arrogant, but it's really only an expression of the massive kick he gets from playing well and scoring.

His overall game is strong, rarely getting bundled into touch, and ferocious in support. His only weak point, and it's a general thing with wingers is his passing. I've heard his kicking is so bad that he won't even try to kick. Tbh I was surprised when he left N'hampton for a Sarries side that would rarely want to utilise an attacking back 3, but he must have had his reasons.

If the Lions toured 2 years ago Ashton would be a guaranteed starter in fairness.

Years Team Played Tries G FG Points
2007–2012 Northampton 110 92 1 0 452