Lions

hello all those with an interest in the upcoming rugby tour of australia.

so there are now as many scottish lions as there are pandas. can't really argue with that, and think richie gray is lucky to be there.

the whole squad looks a bulky bunch of bruisers.

two international captains left out, another lucky to be on the plane

thoughts? predictions

Comments

  • BarklesBarkles ✭✭✭

    Robshaw must be gutted. The host of Welsh players is understandable following the second half demolishing of England... Kicking options looks thin, given that the Aussies will be trying to take either Sexton or Farrell out of the tour in the first two matches.

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭

    Not a lot of of flair across the backs, apart from B.O.D. Mostly big crash ball types. 

    As said earlier , only Two fly halves how do they split them between the tests / midweek games? 

  • like all tours I suspect this won't be the end of the matter. rowntree as good as admitted that Wilko will be there at some point. loads more will travel.

    i'm not his biggest fan but I thought they might take laidlaw for his versatility, purely on the basis that he can play scrum-half and fly-half and is a good goalkicker.

    one of the papers printed the nationalities of the sides by birth, which is:

    England 10, Wales 9, Ireland 8, Zew Zealand 3, South Africa 2, Scotland 2, Samoa 1, Tonga 1, Israel 1.

     

  • there is admittedly a lack of flair but I think that says something about the nature of international rugby in general, as much as it does about Gatland's tendencies as a coach.

    rugby is mostly pretty turgid these days.

     

     

     

     

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭

    To be fair, if you looked in depth at the Aussie squad then there will be quite a few New Zealanders, Samoans etc there as well. 

  • absolutely. i actually thought there would be more antipodeans present.

  • Flat FootedFlat Footed ✭✭✭

     

    Barkles wrote (see)

     Kicking options looks thin, given that the Aussies will be trying to take either Sexton or Farrell out of the tour in the first two matches.

     

    doubt either will kick with Halfpenny in the team, miles better then either.

     

    The choice of Stevens and Vino is strange to me, other then that you can guarentee at least five or six won't make the plane due to injury and the likes of Robshaw witll still go.

  • fat buddhafat buddha ✭✭✭

    who's the Israeli??

    I think the squad is a fair reflection of the playing merits of each member over the last couple of years with a few oddball choices like Stevens, Hartley and Maitland.  I think Best was unlucky to lose out but I suspect they went for Hartley as he'll get in the faces of the Oz more - Best is just a bit too nice in comparison.

    Stevens?? hmm - I'm not his biggest fan (as an ex prop I know a bit about the front row).  he's an OK scrummager but as he can play either side, that's a bonus and he's a good loose ball tackle player in the Gethin Jenkins mould - he's good at the ground work.

    Maitland over Zebo or Visser??  frankly they're all damn quick but I guess Maitland has more experience of the SH being a Kiwi so will adapt well to the harder grounds.

    Robshaw was unlucky but ffs, look at the competition he had for a slot!  he's perhaps not quick enough for the Lions on hard ground and Sean O'Brien is as good a carrier and a bit quicker.  nice to see Croft getting another chance to prove himself.

    and I think Richie Gray was lucky - but his age probably was a factor vs Jim Hamilton and Nathan Hines who've both had better seasons but are at the back end of their careers now.

    there will be chances for others to come forward when injuries bite - with a few hard games left before they leave for Oz, there's a chance the squad may change yet

  • heaslip was born in israel.

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭

    FB, you got in just before me to say that Stevens can play on either side if the scrum. Although not particularly well recently. 

    There must be 10 or 15 players still on standby ready to go, as its a few games until the first test. 

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭

    FB, you got in just before me to say that Stevens can play on either side if the scrum. Although not particularly well recently. 

    There must be 10 or 15 players still on standby ready to go, as its a few games until the first test. 

  • BarklesBarkles ✭✭✭

    I will stake 10 euros of Don Minquez's money that Wilkinson is there by the time the second test kicks off

  • i don't think you'll get very generous odds on that.

  • NessieNessie ✭✭✭

    They're going to get humped anyway. image

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