Lions 2013

Woody1997

I was just wondering if anyone has any ideas for a lions team this June? I can't wait for the series and This is the team that I would pick. This is presuming THAT EVERYONE IS FIT :
1. Cian Healy
2. Dylan Hartley/Rory Best
3. Adam Jones
4. Richie Gray
5. Paul O'Connell
6. Stephen Ferris
7. Sam Warburton
8. Jamie Heaslip
9. Ben Youngs
10. Johnny Sexton
11. Tommy Bowe
12. Jamie Roberts
13. Brian O'Driscoll
14. George North
15. Rob Kearney

16. Rory Best/ Dylan Hartley
17. Dan Cole
18. Luke Charteris
19. Sean O'Brien
20. Mike Phillips
21. Toby Flood
22. Leigh Halfpenny
23. Gethin Jenkins

WorldRugby99

not a bad team.i know fans love to continually do their lions teams.Although i doubt any of us will actually be correct.And each nation does tend to be just a tad biased towards their own nation! I mean 9 irish starters when ireland have had a pretty dreadful year internationally? England just walloped the all blacks and lets not forget ireland earlier this year but have one single player? slightly unlikely i would think.I think the lions team deserves to be mostly english and welsh(as grandslam champs) at this stage.I think there would need to be an irish grandslam to change that.

As for your team-my suggestions-centre pairing is picked purely on reputation not form-roberts has been dire recently,and o driscoll is not the player he once was. tuilagi and j davies are surely the form pairing? With sexton in the team-a better goal kicker would be preferable and so i think halfpenny would be in given his form over bowe at the moment.
backline- youngs,sexton,north,tuilagi,davies,halfpenny,kearney

up front-healy is best all round loose probably but gatland may favour a better scrummager so corbisiero or even sheridan could get nod.Adam jones is probably 50/50 with dan cole at this stage at tight.in second row-richie gray frankly has been in pretty average form for sale and scotland but probably still gets picked at moment but o connell has been out for so long it would only be on reputation to pick him frankly. i think joe launchbury is going to be a surprise pick and end up in test team-this guy is going to be pretty good imo.
in back row-heaslip is best 8 and may well be a surprise pick as captain.Warburton barely deserves to be midweek 7 let alone test 7 at this stage although his form could return in six nations.And ferris? when hes playing well and regularly pick him but not until then.same with lydiate.
For me forwards-
Healy,Best,Cole,Launchbury,Gray,Robshaw,O Brien,Heaslip

Woody1997

Hi, I partly agree within you but I think when you compare Irelands form to the amount of injuries and the amount of players missing it hasn't been all that bad. I mean, don't get me wrong I am not justifying losing 60 nil to new Zealand but I think the majority of the Irish players I have selected are world class players and warrant their place in the side based on their ability, as well as form. I mean two of them are former erc players of the year, two former lions captains ferris, sexton, Healy and tommy Bowe.

That said, certain elements of my selection might be slightly biased. I don't agree with playing tuilagi, I think he lacks the maturity and temperament for the big games, and I think Brian odriscoll is a shoe-in, his presence on the pitch, experience, big game temperament and pure class and skill is enough to have him in the team. I dont think launchbury isn't unite ready yet, maybe 2017? I don't think robshaw should be in the team either, he proved over the autumn series with that shambolic decision to go for the posts that he certainly doesn't have the leadership skills for the lions, never mind the playing. And why isn't ferris in your team, I thought he had a fantastic tour in 09, prior to injury, and is just starting to hit top form. I agree with picking halfpenny, he would act as a second fullback, not that I feel Kearney needs much help, and his kicking his exemplary. I do feel that sexton is still a world class goal kicker so should be in charge of the kicking duties. It's still a bit early to be talking about the team, but at the moment these are just the guys I think should play.

totallegend

Lads, multiple threads already open

tolosenc

Healy, Best, Jones, Gray, Lawes, Lydiate, O'Brien, Heaslip
Youngs, Sexton, Visser, Tuilagi, O'Driscoll, North, Kearney

Strauss, Corbisero, Cole, Launchbury, Robshaw, Phillips, Biggar, Halfpenny

mfceiling

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056711761

tolosenc

totallegend wrote: »

Lads, multiple threads already open

Is there anything to be said for another thread?

WorldRugby99

Woody1997 wrote: »

Hi, I partly agree within you but I think when you compare Irelands form to the amount of injuries and the amount of players missing it hasn't been all that bad. I mean, don't get me wrong I am not justifying losing 60 nil to new Zealand but I think the majority of the Irish players I have selected are world class players and warrant their place in the side based on their ability, as well as form. I mean two of them are former erc players of the year, two former lions captains ferris, sexton, Healy and tommy Bowe.

That said, certain elements of my selection might be slightly biased. I don't agree with playing tuilagi, I think he lacks the maturity and temperament for the big games, and I think Brian odriscoll is a shoe-in, his presence on the pitch, experience, big game temperament and pure class and skill is enough to have him in the team. I dont think launchbury isn't unite ready yet, maybe 2017? I don't think robshaw should be in the team either, he proved over the autumn series with that shambolic decision to go for the posts that he certainly doesn't have the leadership skills for the lions, never mind the playing. And why isn't ferris in your team, I thought he had a fantastic tour in 09, prior to injury, and is just starting to hit top form. I agree with picking halfpenny, he would act as a second fullback, not that I feel Kearney needs much help, and his kicking his exemplary. I do feel that sexton is still a world class goal kicker so should be in charge of the kicking duties. It's still a bit early to be talking about the team, but at the moment these are just the guys I think should play.

yes there are plenty of players with huge reputations in the ireland team but you could say same for wales too? its form that counts not number of caps,previous awards etc.its how you perform in international rugby-the worlds biggest and highest quality stage that determines surely whether you world class? im not sure 45-10 and 60-0 defeats and what was it 30-9 at twickers qualifies too many as world class at moment.ireland need a big six nations.At the moment players from wales and england have achieved more this year.you cant just pick players because you think they world class and want the lions to be mostly irish-the guys have to go out and prove it.
tuilagi blows hot and cold but hes still young but when hes good hes capable of making serious dents as we saw v NZ.With roberts playing poorly i would stick him at inside.why o driscoll a shoe in? hes lost at least 3 yards of pace,was totally outclassed by conrad smith in NZ-hes a legend yes and hes still good but not great anymore.j davies has been better this year. launchbury is getting better and better with time-excelled v safrica and NZ-very athletic,great line out skills-for me he will be a suprise pick if he keeps it up.
sure robshaw made some blunders and i know many outside england dont rate him but hes actually been excellent for most of the year for quins and england.
ferris is great player-but always injured-even if he makes tour he will be injured by the tests no doubt-the way he plays just means he will miss lots of rugby too.
sexton has had about a 60% kicking rate hasnt he?not good enough for a tight close series hence halfpenny in back 3.

Woody1997

I suppose but I am adamant odriscoll should play, he has that touch of class and ability to produce a piece of magic like nobody else. And to play launchbury ahead of someone od the calibre of oconnell wouldnt be right, but time will tell re launchbury. I agree about the six nations, we will have a much clearer picture of the team after the six nations.

I think Ireland have a very good chance in this years six nations, besides that once off win against nz England had a pretty dismal autumn, as did Wales and Scotland. I think France are our only real competition and we have them at home where we will have a very good chance.

duckysauce

Dylan Hartley will not be there his antics will rule him out , the guy is a waste of space bad ambassador of rugby.

Tox56

Woody1997 wrote: »

I suppose but I am adamant odriscoll should play, he has that touch of class and ability to produce a piece of magic like nobody else. And to play launchbury ahead of someone od the calibre of oconnell wouldnt be right, but time will tell re launchbury. I agree about the six nations, we will have a much clearer picture of the team after the six nations.

I think Ireland have a very good chance in this years six nations, besides that once off win against nz England had a pretty dismal autumn, as did Wales and Scotland. I think France are our only real competition and we have them at home where we will have a very good chance.

Don't bother, all his other posts on this site have the same theme

justsomebloke

As pointed out there is already a thread on this