what is the big thing about the Lions?

thebaz

Rightwing wrote: »

all the players would swap a Test win series for a world cup medal.

I'd seriously doubt it - to me it should be a much bigger honour winning a WC medal with your country

and when I remember England winning the WC , it was - the Sky coverage was intolerable ;-)

matTNT

thebaz wrote: »

I'd seriously doubt it - to me it should be a much bigger honour winning a WC medal with your country

Dan Lydiate said that captaining the Lions in a midweek match was the greatest moment of his career. (Which has included Grand Slams and a SF appearance in the WC.

However the argument that a WC medal is better than a Lions tour series win is pointless, it's like asking a parent which child they love more.

Rightwing

thebaz wrote: »

I'd seriously doubt it - to me it should be a much bigger honour winning a WC medal with your country

and when I remember England winning the WC , it was - the Sky coverage was intolerable ;-)

You are right, I left out the word 'not', so I edited the initial post.

ArmaniJeanss

matTNT wrote: »

Dan Lydiate said that captaining the Lions in a midweek match was the greatest moment of his career. (Which has included Grand Slams and a SF appearance in the WC.

A wild stab in the dark but was this in answer to an incredibly leading post match question by a Sky Sports journo, a question which any answer other than 'Yes, yes it is, totally the greatest moment' would have been seen as churlish and bad for squad morale?

LuckyLloyd

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

A wild stab in the dark but was this in answer to an incredibly leading post match question by a Sky Sports journo, a question which any answer other than 'Yes, yes it is, totally the greatest moment' would have been seen as churlish and bad for squad morale?

In the same way that BOD isn't going to say 'well actually now, there are greater honours than being here' when asked whether being here is the greatest honour possible.

Tox56

The thread asks what the appeal of the Lions is, not whether captaining a midweek team is the greatest moment in Dan Lydiate's career or not. Even if representing the Lions isn't the single greatest moment in a players career, it's still clearly a big ambition for most players, and despite all the arguments in this thread it's still extremely relevant.

irishbucsfan

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

In the same way that BOD isn't going to say 'well actually now, there are greater honours than being here' when asked whether being here is the greatest honour possible.

He wasn't asked if it was the greatest honour. He replied with that line when talking about Sam Warburton I believe it was.

patmac

So in light of Gatlands dreadful IMO decision to drop BOD has people's love for the Lion's diminished? A lot of people agreeing with a quote from Larvie34 in the other thread: The 4 year old in me says I hope they loose.
No wait,the 39 year old in me says I hope they loose..... ( should be lose but we know what he means).
Keith Wood on Newstalk said the decision was a disgrace and that Gatland doesn't 'get' the Lions. I haven't got the Lions myself this time around. Win or lose I won't be celebrating, think I'll back the draw @20/1 to give myself something to cheer, that would be a fitting end to an overhyped contest, or maybe it would be worth an Australian win just to see the look on Gatland's face.

Rightwing

patmac wrote: »

So in light of Gatlands dreadful IMO decision to drop BOD has people's love for the Lion's diminished? A lot of people agreeing with a quote from Larvie34 in the other thread: The 4 year old in me says I hope they loose.
No wait,the 39 year old in me says I hope they loose..... ( should be lose but we know what he means).
Keith Wood on Newstalk said the decision was a disgrace and that Gatland doesn't 'get' the Lions. I haven't got the Lions myself this time around. Win or lose I won't be celebrating, think I'll back the draw @20/1 to give myself something to cheer, that would be a fitting end to an overhyped contest, or maybe it would be worth an Australian win just to see the look on Gatland's face.

No, Quinny had a good read about the lions in last weeks Ir Times. People go to follow them mainly for the booze and the party.

Tim Robbins

daheff wrote: »

I follow rugby....but I dont get the thing about the Lions!

I know its been going for 50/60 years and is 'technically' seen as international grade rugby..but from my view
A-Its an excuse to get a GB team (including Ireland in there)
B-Its pretty much saying that Northern Hemisphere teams (excluding France)arent good enough on their own to compete with Southern Hemisphere teams...so they need to create a team with the best of 4 countries to challenge.
C- In the professional era, the warm up games are a farce because any internationals (of the country the tour is in) are usually withdrawn and/or the warm up team has other games on and wont play their best team leading to one sided matches. Compound this with semi-pro/amateur players losing the rag with Lions players and thumping/biting /kicking the professionals and causing injury


So can somebody please explain the draw and appeal of the Lions coz i dont see it

It's like a dream team. Everyone has their own first 15 and very few agree. There are games within games and even getting selected is a battle in itself.
And you are right there is a massive advantage having four countries against one but playing away from home and at the end of your season is a big minus.
Also, getting the styles of players from different countries with different playing styles is also a big challenge not just for the players but the coach.

Artful_Badger

The entire tour is a big let down compared to the last one. Selections have been poor (ridiculous on some occasions), its more of a Welsh team than a Lions team which kinda ruins the whole point in it, the game plan is anti rugby and the rugby played has been poor and not exciting at all. Only thing that kept it interesting was the fact that the Aussies were just as poor if not poorer which made the games so close.

All in all I'm sorry I paid for Sky Sports to watch the games, waste of money tbh given the quality of and standard of the whole thing. Thats just me though, maybe some of you people with money to burn are happy enough just to have the games on at all.

thebaz

right I'll say it - the Lions should be put to bed - same as the Barbarians - these players should be resting and preparing for next season instead of lining peoples pockets commercially - its just a money making excercise - that makes no sense to me , the only home nation i can see benefitting these days is Scotland , and they hardly get any players picked - life changes , lets move on

Rightwing

Artful_Badger wrote: »

The entire tour is a big let down compared to the last one. Selections have been poor (ridiculous on some occasions), its more of a Welsh team than a Lions team which kinda ruins the whole point in it, the game plan is anti rugby and the rugby played has been poor and not exciting at all. Only thing that kept it interesting was the fact that the Aussies were just as poor if not poorer which made the games so close.

All in all I'm sorry I paid for Sky Sports to watch the games, waste of money tbh given the quality of and standard of the whole thing. Thats just me though, maybe some of you people with money to burn are happy enough just to have the games on at all.

Last tour they were really unlucky, I was much more for them, playing nice rugby, as well seeing as there were so many Munster boys on it, this year, it's a Welsh thing, too much so, players like C Robshaw not even touring ?

Rightwing

I like this idea from the ARU:

Pulver would like to see Australia, New Zealand and South Africa unite to form a team that would face the home nations to mark the 100th anniversary of Gallipoli in two years' time.
"I would love the idea if you could find a southern hemisphere combination," Pulver said.
"I'd even be happy with an ANZAC team, taking the best of Australia and New Zealand. Imagine playing a combined Australia-New Zealand team against an allies team.
"We've got a cycle coming up where you have a Lions tour in one year, you have a World Cup in one year and we've now got an Olympic Games in one year.

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

Robshaw not touring is about as far down the list of questionable selections that were made before and during this tour that I'm not sure if it's even worth mentioning

Alpha Dog 1

Where would the lions be without sky sports?

Grandpa Hassan

thebaz wrote: »

right I'll say it - the Lions should be put to bed - same as the Barbarians - these players should be resting and preparing for next season instead of lining peoples pockets commercially - its just a money making excercise - that makes no sense to me , the only home nation i can see benefitting these days is Scotland , and they hardly get any players picked - life changes , lets move on

Doubt the players agree with that. Nor anyone in the absolutely jam packed pubs in west London last Saturday morning

Rightwing

Grandpa Hassan wrote: »

Doubt the players agree with that. Nor anyone in the absolutely jam packed pubs in west London last Saturday morning

Absolutely, everyone made a packet out of it including the players, with the ARU laughing all the way to the bank.