How many Irish would make a Lions Team/Squad right now?

.ak

I'm just hoping Gatland picks a team that suits the test and not just who's on form internationally. If that makes sense.

GerM

.ak wrote: »

Lawes is a tad overhyped.. but potentially a brilliant player to get under Aussie skins. I'd want to see POC on the tour, but wouldn't be surprised if he didn't start.

Big issue with POC these days is staying fit and injury free. Whilst he doesn't seem to suffer from recurring injuries as the likes of Leamy did, he does appear to be quite prone to injuries and picks up twists, tears and strains that keep him out for several weeks at a time. In the past 3 years, POC has only started 27 matches for Munster. If he can keep injury free for 6 months, he has a good chance of being in the test side. Right now though, Donnacha Ryan is looking the most likely Irish lock to be a test player.

leonard7

Fireball07 wrote: »

There is no way Courtney Lawes is better than POC.

considering i named 37 players ill take it as a compliment that you only found one flaw

GerM

brownacid

GerM wrote: »

Dallaglio's backline would be immense. I think sexton-drico-tuilagi could be a very dangerous combination.

Tox56

They still reckon SOB is a blindside

twinytwo

GerM wrote: »

At least Barnes has shown he knows what he is talking about.. that woudnt be a half bad team.... Typical from jones though, complete and utter ****e of a squad.. does he ever watch rugby on a reguar basis.

I still reckon our best backrow for the lions would be Ferris,SOB, Faletau... if monye comes anywhere near the lions im not going to watch it..there are so many wingers ahead of him.

Squad is almost right. Monye shouldn't be there. POC should, and Ferris will need to grow a new knee to be involved I think.

thomond2006

Stephen Jones picking Monye... I lol'd. I think he needs to watch the 2009 1st test again. Then again it's not his typical bias given that he's left out Ashton.

Otherwise not much to complain about, a lot of quality players didn't get a mention there like Tipuric.

It's interesting that Barnes put Halfpenny on the wing in his team, his long range kicking would be very useful so it might make sense to have him on the field somewhere.

With Jenkins going to Toulon next year, he'll be seriously tested scrummaging wise in the Top14. The battle for the number 1 shirt between himself and Healy will be interesting, I wouldn't be against Jenkins starting ahead of Healy tbh, top class player.

Of the 3 pundits' teams, the players that got into all of the teams were Gray, Sexton, North and Kearney. At the moment I think that all of them would start alright.

twinytwo

thomond2006 wrote: »

Stephen Jones picking Monye... I lol'd. I think he needs to watch the 2009 1st test again. Then again it's not his typical bias given that he's left out Ashton.

Otherwise not much to complain about, a lot of quality players didn't get a mention there like Tipuric.

it will be interested to see what the squad will be... when is it actually announced?

thomond2006

twinytwo wrote: »

it will be interested to see what the squad will be... when is it actually announced?

In 2009 it was announced between the HEC QFs and HEC SFs, so mid April probably. Players need a lot of notice I suppose so they don't book holidays!

I can't wait for the tour, the 2009 was really enjoyable to follow and the 1st and 2nd tests were cracking games.

Podge_irl

I can't see any way Ferris will be on stand by. I figure he's either on the plane or injured. Interesting to see the positions all three agree on.

twinytwo

.ak wrote: »

I'm just hoping Gatland picks a team that suits the test and not just who's on form internationally. If that makes sense.

Exactly, he should pick the best team as opposed to the best 15 players.

GerM

Hopefully 23 man squads will be retained and in place for the Lions tour. If that's the case, it's a major bonus for the Lions. Australia are very shallow in terms of their scrummaging. They'd be in serious trouble if Cian Healy, Rory Best and Dan Cole came off after 50 minutes to be replaced by Gethin Jenkins, Matthew Rees and Adam Jones.

Don't think there's much wrong with Jones' squad. Most squads selected are going to have at least 2 or 3 contentious selections. I'm sure people in England and Wales might laugh at us suggesting Donnacha Ryan for example.

Only 4 constants in the various sides: Grey, Sexton, North and Kearney.

cgpg5

Stuart Barnes bloody LOVES Robshaw. I wouldn't have him in the England team myself personally. Monye? AH well. Iirc didn't Jones have Henson (who was out of the game at the time) as his lions centre when asked to pick his current team at the time a couple of years ago. No surprise he'll try and be controversial as usual. What makes it funnier is that Monye is his only English selection.

Waldron an outside bet for 8? Huge fan of the guy, think he'll be first choice 8 for England in the 6n

Blackheath

There are 3 or 4 No.7's that are better than Robshaw

O'Brien
Warbutton
Tupiric
Rennie

He won't even travel

Podge_irl

Jones had Henson and no BOD in the centre for his team last time round. He's a professional troll.

cgpg5

Blackheath wrote: »

There are 3 or 4 No.7's that are better than Robshaw

O'Brien
Warbutton
Tupiric
Rennie

He won't even travel

I'd have Haskell/Wood ahead of him for England alone even though neither is a natural o/s. Oh and ARmitage

cgpg5

Podge_irl wrote: »

Jones had Henson and no BOD in the centre for his team last time round. He's a professional troll.

He left POC out of his "team" for the first test in 09 too!

Taco Corp

my outsider choice for the back row is Dom Ryan. Think he'll crack on next season after the injury affected season he just had.

totallegend

Surley wrote: »

my outsider choice for the back row is Dom Ryan. Think he'll crack on next season after the injury affected season he just had.

We've been saying that for two or three years now. TBH his biggest problem is getting gametime ahead of Heaslip, O'Brien, McLoughlin and Jennings.

Hagz

totallegend wrote: »

We've been saying that for two or three years now. TBH his biggest problem is getting gametime ahead of Heaslip, O'Brien, McLoughlin and Jennings.

Definitely not three years. He was 19 3 years ago playing for the u20s. He had a brilliant season at age 20 two years ago and people were starting to talk him up. But then this year that's passed he was injured for most of it. So really he's only had one season to try and force himself into the squad, and he did very well in that one year. Don't think he'll grab a starting jersey next season though, but he might jump ahead of Jennings.

Swiwi

Podge_irl wrote: »

Jones had Henson and no BOD in the centre for his team last time round. He's a professional troll.

I'm pretty sure he was pushing a guy called Tom Shanklin, wasn't a patch on BOD at his peak. I don't know why ex-players allow their picks to be on the same page as a journalist, it just gives him credence. To the best of my knowledge, Jones never played rugby at any decent sort of level, and seems to have made his name goading any team that isn't English (which is odd for a Welshman, but I guess it's an English paper paying his wages). I would have thought the fact he has nominated Monye tells you all you need to know about his knowledge. Left-field pick is being kind.

rrpc

Swiwi wrote: »

I'm pretty sure he was pushing a guy called Tom Shanklin, wasn't a patch on BOD at his peak. I don't know why ex-players allow their picks to be on the same page as a journalist, it just gives him credence. To the best of my knowledge, Jones never played rugby at any decent sort of level, and seems to have made his name goading any team that isn't English (which is odd for a Welshman, but I guess it's an English paper paying his wages). I would have thought the fact he has nominated Monye tells you all you need to know about his knowledge. Left-field pick is being kind.

Ross Ford and Ben Youngs wouldn't be in my pick either. Youngs is inclined to panic under pressure and Ross Ford is probably the most useless hooker in the 6N.

Swiwi

rrpc wrote: »

Ross Ford and Ben Youngs wouldn't be in my pick either. Youngs is inclined to panic under pressure and Ross Ford is probably the most useless hooker in the 6N.

I would say though that in addition to the obvious choice of Richie Gray some of the Scottish forwards definitely merit consideration, especially their loosies. Hogg aside, their backs were fairly dreadful in the 6N, but in choosing Lions it is important not to tar individual players with the team brush.

Likewise, some of the Welsh players have been made to look better than they actually are IMHO, after watching the June internationals, I don't how Priestland keeps cropping up on Lions lists. He needs a big 6N I would have thought. I mean if I compare Carter & Cruden to what Priestland showed they are not on the same page. Australia might have a pretty average pack, but when they get O'Connor, Beale, Genia etc on the park they have handy enough backs.

Podge_irl

Priestland is painfully average. I dread to think what a Welsh back line would do with a proper outhalf. Hopefully we'll see with the lions.

GerM

Swiwi wrote: »

I'm pretty sure he was pushing a guy called Tom Shanklin, wasn't a patch on BOD at his peak.

Shanklin was a very competent player. Bit of a poor man's Conrad Smith. Not flashy but very effective. Did it simple, hit hard, ran straight and made very few errors. When BOD was off the boil in 2007 and 2008 and the world and its mother was writing him off, Shanklin was probably a better option.

Podge_irl

Pretty sure this was at the start of the tour Ger, If not during it. It was pure trolling. It was during one of the round table things, the others even called him out on his stupidity (particularly Guscott if I remember correctly).

Swan Curry

rrpc wrote: »

Ross Ford and Ben Youngs wouldn't be in my pick either. Youngs is inclined to panic under pressure and Ross Ford is probably the most useless hooker in the 6N.

There's nothing funnier than watching Ben Youngs throw a tantrum when a match isn't going his way.

Swiwi

CatFromHue wrote: »

I think Kearney played himself out of the reckoning to be honest. Australia aren't going to kick the ball much but will run at him instead. He struggled when the Kiwi's ran at him on this tour.

The rest of the Irish backs on this tour will have put negative marks against them I think. We didn't really pose an attacking threat (2 tries from three games and neither of them from a backs move).

I think Healy has done himself alot of credit on this tour. You could see the Kiwi's had marked him out as a player to watch today and the scrum went well too.

Heaslip, SOB, and Best will have enhanced their bids and Ryan will have put himself strongly in the mix too.

Not out of the reckoning, but not an automatic starting choice. Halfpenny is a very reliable player, and his ability to consistently kick long-distance penalties is a huge asset.

I can say that the 2 Irish players that did get themselves noticed in NZ by NZ commentators were Healy & SOB. Given the amount of coverage NZ papers give to the ABs, that speaks for itself.