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Rugby Championship version of the lions

  • 04-09-2012 9:21pm
    #1
    PTH2009
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 39,471 ✭✭✭✭


    Will there ever be a rugby championship version of the lions.

    In other words a squad made up of the best of Austraila,Argentina,New Zealand and South Africa.

    They could tour Scotland,Wales,England and Ireland once every four years.


Comments

  • #2
    thomond2006
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 45,433 ✭✭✭✭thomond2006


    If a SH team was tomorrow, that would mean putting Bismarck du Plessis, David Pocock and Will Genia and maybe Digby Ioane together with New Zealand. On paper, any standalone NH team would be hammered out the gate.

    There was a quote from John O'Neill wanting to do it sometime (however his idea was more a SH Lions vs B&I Lions + France idea).

    The now extended Super Rugby season means a tour during the summer is out. With the Rugby Championship now finish in mid-October, there's not much time to fit in a 6 week NH tour in November/December. Players won't want to be away from their families coming up to and during Christmas time too, same goes for SH tourists coming up to the NH. Also, I'd wonder if the ARG/NZ/AUS/SA fans would buy into the idea, it's much easier for Scots/English/Welsh to buy into the Lions because they're it's the British and Irish Lions but could you see a situation of an Aussie cheering for NZ players? Maybe, maybe not.

    You can never rule anything out, but for the next 10 years I don't see it happening. It would be something different though!


  • #3
    CatFromHue
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 18,266 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatFromHue


    I'm not so sure. One of the great thing about the Lions is that they tour a different country every 4 years and more often than not the country they tour is in the top 2 in the world...at least (Tri Nations winners in 2001, 2005, and 2009 were Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, and Oz and SA won the RWC in 99 and 95 and 07).

    Whereas if a Rugby Championship team came up here they'd be playing inferior opposition in all their games and so would be favourites.


  • #4
    [Jackass]
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,193 ✭✭✭[Jackass]


    I think the Lions for the most part are weaker as a team, than England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales would be individually. Yes it's a collection of great players, but putting a squad together and sending them on tour is nortoriously difficult, and as we've seen, Wales and Ireland for example have probably done much better than the Lions will do against Australia from the recent(ish) meetings.

    We've also seen this when Fiji, Samoa & Tonga joined forces to make the Pacific Islands team, which was hammered out the gate by all and sundry, more so than those teams on their own would have been imo.

    I think as a show, a NH vs SH select would be an amazing once off game, or a touring SH super team would be amazing also.


  • #5
    Grimebox
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,997 ✭✭✭Grimebox


    I'd be more interested in seeing a play off between the top Heineken Cup teams VS top Super 15 teams


  • #6
    DDC1990
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,386 ✭✭✭✭DDC1990


    We can't beat them individually. Why would we play the best of the lot?


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  • #7
    Tommytwotimes
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29 ✭Tommytwotimes


    As the Lions tour southern hemisphere teams every four years, will they bring Argentina in to the rotation now that they are part of the Rugby Championship?


  • #8
    thomond2006
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 45,433 ✭✭✭✭thomond2006


    Tommytwotimes wrote: »
    As the Lions tour southern hemisphere teams every four years, will they bring Argentina in to the rotation now that they are part of the Rugby Championship?

    I doubt it, the Lions toured the SANZAR countries before the inception of the Tri-Nations. Another problem is there are no professional clubs in Argentina, so the midweek games would be very weak opposition.


  • #9
    Digifriendly
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,074 ✭✭✭Digifriendly


    [Jackass] wrote: »
    I think the Lions for the most part are weaker as a team, than England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales would be individually. Yes it's a collection of great players, but putting a squad together and sending them on tour is nortoriously difficult, and as we've seen, Wales and Ireland for example have probably done much better than the Lions will do against Australia from the recent(ish) meetings.

    Ireland haven't beaten Australia in Australia since 1979 and Wales haven't beaten Australia in Australia since 1969. Since then the Lions won a series in Australia (2-1 in 1989) and won a test in another lost series (1-2 in 2001). I believe the Lions will beat Australia but even if they lose the series they should win at least 1 of the tests which will be more than Ireland or Wales has achieved in last 30 odd years.


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