Lions 2017 [MOD WARNING IN OP]

Yeah_Right

Basil3 wrote: »

After living here for 6 or 7 years now, I'm still not understanding the general dislike for Gatland and the Welsh.

Yeah the Gatland hatred stems from before my time too.

As for the dislike of the Welsh, just hang out with some Welsh fans. You'll get it.

Sephiral

Basil3 wrote: »

If it's a deliberate ploy to maximise their chances in the tests, then who cares?

After living here for 6 or 7 years now, I'm still not understanding the general dislike for Gatland and the Welsh.

Eh, no need to generalise a specific criticism into a general dislike.

If the plan was always to ring fence the test squad, then bring a big enough squad to do so. I can understand the argument that it is easier to keep morale good with the smaller number, but anyone not in the test squad will surely feel that a bunch of people being called up in a disruptive way means that things are splitting in two at the precise point when a sense of togetherness is most important.

Anyways, agree to disagree etc

Buer

Sephiral wrote: »

Being a Lion is a prestigious thing for a player. Deliberately planning to call up players mid tour when your own team is touring nearby and then calling them up appears deeply unfair. It's all conjecture at this point though.

I do expect the majority of call ups to be Welsh but I don't really have much issue with that. These tours were decided years in advance before there was any real indication that Gatland would be coach. It makes sense with them being around the corner, geographically.

I would have issue with multiple call ups to the squad though. It's a 41 man squad which has gone fairly well in terms of injuries. If he wants to protect his first 23, he should only need a couple of call ups to do so. A lock and an outhalf, to my mind.

With those players, he shouldn't need any player from the 23 to start against the Chiefs. Normally the bench players from the tests will feature in the final warm up game. Corbisiero, Youngs, Parling, Lydiate, Farrell, Cole and Hibbard all featured against the Waratahs in 2013 days before being in the 23 for the opening test.

There are guys who are set to be on the bench for the test who have played under 100 minutes of rugby in 4 weeks.

Buer

Yeah_Right wrote: »

Yeah the Gatland hatred stems from before my time too.

As for the dislike of the Welsh, just hang out with some Welsh fans. You'll get it.

Agreed. Gatland? We'd love him if he was (still) ours. He's a top class coach although he's a tad arrogant and speaks his mind. So what.

The Welsh? Nah, they're insufferable in large parts. Many fans I've spoken to have a massive superiority complex and are extremely patronising towards Irish rugby. Sorry, Penybont.

Yeah_Right

Yeah_Right wrote: »

Yeah the Gatland hatred stems from before my time too.

As for the dislike of the Welsh, just hang out with some Welsh fans. You'll get it.

I have Welsh mates from my time living in the UK, and they love the Irish. That's why I was shocked with the Irish attitude towards the Welsh when I moved here.

Found the Welsh crowd to be great when watching the AB's play Wales at the Millennium. I obviously need to meet more Welsh

Sephiral wrote: »

Eh, no need to generalise a specific criticism into a general dislike.

If the plan was always to ring fence the test squad, then bring a big enough squad to do so. I can understand the argument that it is easier to keep morale good with the smaller number, but anyone not in the test squad will surely feel that a bunch of people being called up in a disruptive way means that things are splitting in two at the precise point when a sense of togetherness is most important.

Anyways, agree to disagree etc

Sorry, thought it was something against the Welsh when you said you'd be happy for Scots to be called up, but not them.

Regardless, the match next Tuesday is a non-event. After quickly looking through the AB's match this morning, I'd be shocked if the Lion's can stop them from scoring at least 3 or 4 tries on Saturday week.

Bazzo

I don't know if I'm alone but as a Connacht fan I actually have a bit of a soft spot for Gatland. He does tend to have a go at the Irish in the media which will undoubtedly wind a few people up.

I have no problems with Welsh fans either to be honest, if anything I think the English can be the worst for arrogance (maybe I just notice it more because I live there) but even then for the most part they're still grand. Rugby fans in general seem to be a sound bunch.

Former Former

Basil3 wrote: »

After living here for 6 or 7 years now, I'm still not understanding the general dislike for Gatland and the Welsh.

Gatland is disliked because:
a) He has been very successful and has beaten Ireland and Irish provinces along the way.
b) He's made some pretty harmless comments ahead of games that have been blown out of proportion.
c) Third test, 2013.

Nothing really of any substance.

As to people giving out about Welsh fans on this forum, I'm utterly perplexed by it myself. It's very odd.

bilston

In my experience some Welsh fans on the internet are the friendliest.

In real life they are a a great bunch of lads. But then I've never come across a bunch of rugby lads in real life from any country that aren't sound.

irishbucsfan

I've always tried to put in some defense of Gatland on here but he's a much hated figure in general. Like when he was vilifed for saying Irish teams didn't play rugby, everyone lost their marbles.

If he hadn't beaten us so much I guarantee he wouldn't be as disliked. If he was our coach we'd love his shtick.

Christy42

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I've always tried to put in some defense of Gatland on here but he's a much hated figure in general. Like when he was vilifed for saying Irish teams didn't play rugby, everyone lost their marbles.

If he hadn't beaten us so much I guarantee he wouldn't be as disliked. If he was our coach we'd love his shtick.

He was our coach and seemed to hold a grudge over letting him go. Granted he was possibly let go too early (did not follow rugby much at the time).

My main annoyance with the Welsh is Stephen Jones who seems to hate us with a passion. Can't hold that against the rest of them though.

buck65

Stephen Jones (the journalist) though Welsh , tends to see himself as English so that tells you enough about the guy.

Well paid troll by the Times, has been found out often enough at this stage, sure he is right now and again, like a stopped clock.

Clown

Amazed no one has mentioned a certain 2011 quarter final...

Buer

Deleted User wrote: »

Amazed no one has mentioned a certain 2011 quarter final...

I have no idea what you're talking about.

You shut your damn mouth.

irishbucsfan

Buer wrote: »

I have no idea what you're talking about.

You shut your damn mouth.

I assume he's referring to Leinster v. Leicester. Not sure why.

.ak

The Welsh and Irish are very alike.

That's why we hate them.

Former Former

awec

I just hate everyone.

thomond2006

awec wrote: »

I just hate everyone.

Post of the Year right there.

Christy42

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Amazed no one has mentioned a certain 2011 quarter final...

While that match did generate hatred in me it was not the Welsh I blamed for the loss.

Teferi

awec wrote: »

I just hate everyone.

Finally!

That's step 1 of the 12 steps program.

awec

awec wrote: »

I just hate everyone.

dublinman1990

Some good news from BBC Newsline tonight.

Rory Best has been awarded with an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to Rugby.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-40303890

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40291724

Clegg

Kristian Dacey, Thomas Francis, Cory Hill and Gareth Davies to be called up to the Lions as per the Telegraph.

I genuinely don't know who Dacey or Hill are.

awec

TBH this makes a bit of a mockery of the whole concept.

Orchard Rebel

Clegg wrote: »

Kristian Dacey, Thomas Francis, Cory Hill and Gareth Davies to be called up to the Lions as per the Telegraph.

I genuinely don't know who Dacey or Hill are.

Cory Hill ahead of both Gray Brothers and Donnacha Ryan????

Anyone remember Ron Waldron and the Neath Experiment?....

TomsOnTheRoof

awec wrote: »

TBH this makes a bit of a mockery of the whole concept.

Yep. The Lions are meant to be the cream of the crop. People can call it pragmatism but it only serves to devalue the jersey and the honour of being selected.

Richard Hillman

Rumour has it Fat Eddie of the Ebbw Vale 5th team has flown out to New Zealand via Magaluf. Can play anywhere on the front row and occasionally on the doors for the local nightclub.

RugbyLover123

Making an absolute mockery of the Lions. Im a big fan of the Lions, but it means a good bit less to me now if they do this..

paulie21

Clegg wrote: »

Kristian Dacey, Thomas Francis, Cory Hill and Gareth Davies to be called up to the Lions as per the Telegraph.

I genuinely don't know who Dacey or Hill are.

Russell and Dell coming in from the Scotland squad too

typhoony

Joe Launchbury is a fantastic player and gets snubbed by Gatland, I think he's the worst Lions head coach they've had, forgotten how much critisicm he has rightly received over the last few years, from Wikipedia...

During the tour, Gatland led the Lions to a 2–1 series victory over the Wallabies, the first series win since the 1997 tour of South Africa. Including the non-test matches, Gatland coached the Lions to win eight out of the ten matches played, the loses coming against Australia in the second test, and the Brumbies in a mid week match. In the first test, he named ten Welsh players in the match day-23, four Irish, eight English and one Scot. This team won the first test 23–21, following a missed penalty by Kurtley Beale post 80 minutes. His team in the second test, consisting of nine Welsh, six Irish, seven English and one Scot, lost the test in Melbourne 16–15. In the third test, Gatland was heavily criticized by the amount of Welsh players in the match day 23, at 11 players. He was criticized over the dropping of Brian O'Driscoll, not just out of the starting XV, but out of the whole match day squad. Despite this, the Lions won the final test 41–16, which was a record winning margin for the Lions against Australia