Lions 2017 [MOD WARNING IN OP]

thomond2006

Yeah this is a really bad look. The best players should be called up. You can't hype up the prestige of being selected and then give out cheap squad selections based on proximity. I feel bad for those who paid for tickets to the Chiefs and Hurricanes as they will be short changed.

Former Former

Apart from our own national pride, does it matter?

And if those four names are correct, then there's no Irish player hard done by anyway.

Dog Botherer

Dacey is probably the 4th best Welsh hooker behind Owens, Baldwin, and Hibbard, he literally earned his first cap against Tonga yesterday. Hill only made the Six Nations squad due to injury, and honestly is a very limited player. He's probably not even in the top 20 locks in Britain and Ireland. Also, Francis is utter rubbish. It's a joke that he's starting for a Tier 1 team.

But then again...

Eyes Down Field

What time is kickoff lads? . Up for some Rugby this morning?

It cheapens the tour. The optics are awful and it's a bad message to all the nearly men. If they felt they were gonna need the numbers they should have brought a bigger squad.

Looks like they are panicking even if that's not the case.

whatawaster

Don't the WRU get money for every call up?

This stinks tbh

Peregrine

Clegg wrote: »

Kristian Dacey, Thomas Francis, Cory Hill and Gareth Davies

Is this a joke?

Peregrine

Peregrine wrote: »

Is this a joke?

FFS, it's not a joke.

Erik Shin

Peregrine wrote: »

FFS, it's not a joke.

Technically, it's Gatlands joke upon us all....it's a bloody good one too

I guess the only people who could really be annoyed are those that narrowly missed out on selection. It's not like these players are going to get a test cap, anyway.

sydthebeat

Ross Moriarty out of tour with a back injury.

Peregrine

sydthebeat wrote: »

Ross Moriarty out of tour with a back injury.

Someone in the Dragons Academy is about to get a call up.

LuckyGent88

Absolute disgrace of calls ups by Garland. Makes a mockery of how prestigious the Lions shirt is and how hard it is to get one.

Never thought I'd agree with Eddie Jones but he was bang on the money. Should be selected on merit and not geography.

irishbucsfan

Basil3 wrote: »

I guess the only people who could really be annoyed are those that narrowly missed out on selection. It's not like these players are going to get a test cap, anyway.

Eh? What about the guys already on the tour who won't be joined by better players purely down to geographical proximity?

Everyone should be annoyed. Its a brutal decision that makes a mockery of the entire concept and has the potential to cause major problems. These guys get told endlessly that they're there because they're the best in Europe and what an honour it is to get to put on the jersey. This decision completely devalues that.

Dog Botherer

According to Gavin Cummiskey, Schmidt is going to comment on the Lions callups in his post game presser.

Take that with a large pinch of salt.

irishbucsfan

Basil3 wrote: »

I guess the only people who could really be annoyed are those that narrowly missed out on selection. It's not like these players are going to get a test cap, anyway.

https://twitter.com/davidflatman/status/875844542913794048

Or what about those guys who spent their careers trying to make it on tour and never made the cut. And are now seeing average players get the "honour".

irishbucsfan

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Eh? What about the guys already on the tour who won't be joined by better players purely down to geographical proximity?

Everyone should be annoyed. Its a brutal decision that makes a mockery of the entire concept and has the potential to cause major problems. These guys get told endlessly that they're there because they're the best in Europe and what an honour it is to get to put on the jersey. This decision completely devalues that.

I don't see why the guys on tour would care. These guys aren't​ going anywhere near the test side. These players are to add numbers, not strength. If anything, they could be happy a player isn't coming in who could take their test spot.

Dog Botherer

irishbucsfan wrote: »

https://twitter.com/davidflatman/status/875844542913794048

Or what about those guys who spent their careers trying to make it on tour and never made the cut. And are now seeing average players get the "honour".

Calling Cory Hill an average player is flattering to him, honestly.

WeleaseWoderick

Agree with everyone that these call ups are an insult to the players that barely missed out on the initial squad.

If they're going to devalue the jersey with selections like this, then don't bother with the midweek games anymore.

I'd be disgusted if I had travelled over to watch this tour and had tickets for the Chiefs game.

.ak

Moriarty out of the tour, incase it wasn't mentioned.

razorblunt

.ak wrote: »

Moriarty out of the tour, incase it wasn't mentioned.

There's an 18 year old lad from Pontypool staying in a Wellington hostel anxiously waiting for a call

Confirmed: http://www.lionsrugby.com/?p=17933

Trying not to be annoyed.

PhilipsR

Nothing short of disgraceful.

Gatland should never have gotten a second tour anyways.

Boscoirl

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Confirmed: http://www.lionsrugby.com/?p=17933

Trying not to be annoyed.

There is an ad on that page for "The untouchable Jersey" 😂 😟

irishbucsfan

Interesting

There will be a further announcement regarding call-ups following the conclusion of other Home Union Tests this weekend.

Maybe the Scots

sydthebeat

With 41 travelling and 2 out already... 6 more coming in, that's 45 players gatland had to choose from.

Pretty much a 50/50 split between the test team and the (now very average) dirt track team.

My money's gone straight on the chiefs and Canes to win.

The back line in those games could be laidlaw, Russell, nowell, Henshaw, Joseph, Seymour, Payne.
They could finish these games with a tight five of hill, dacey, Dell, Francis, Henderson.....

Erik Shin

Ferris and Ian Mc are being diplomatic.... Ferris doesn't do diplomatic normally....

Dog Botherer

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Interesting



Maybe the Scots

Yeah I assume that's just the confirmation of the callup of Russell and Dell.

Ian McGeechan politely slating Gatland

MattD

It's not like this tour has been insanely attritional with loads of bodies going home either. Hogg and Moriarty, the two positions that we had the most cover in the initial squad and still haven't been replaced by these dirt tracker Supremes...

Nothing has happened since Gatland announced the squad to force this response on him, so we can only assume that it was planned the whole time?

Like honestly why not just select Healy, Hartley, Nel, Launchbury, Watson, Russell (or whoever) in the first place instead of the dregs of the Welsh pack. It reeks of Gatland being told that he could only bring a squad of 41 under the Lions buck for logistics/money/publicity reasons and then pick up whatever he can once on the ground for free...