Lions 2017 [MOD WARNING IN OP]

Bazzo

blackdog1 wrote: »

French scrum has been average for a while now. They've had no quality loose heads of late. Slimani is a good tight though.

Their scrum had no problem spanking ours up and down the pitch this time last year.

blackdog1

Bazzo wrote:

Their scrum had no problem spanking ours up and down the pitch this time last year.

That was our first time without Ross and the 2 Th barely had 5 starts between them. before that we had the better of there scrum for years. Furlong is much improved and Ryan if he's on the bench should do OK. Best scrummaging side the last few years have been England and Scotland

Bazzo

blackdog1 wrote: »

That was our first time without Ross and the 2 Th barely had 5 starts between them. before that we had the better of there scrum for years. Furlong is much improved and Ryan if he's on the bench should do OK. Best scrummaging side the last few years have been England and Scotland

Our scrum was being minced on both the TH and LH side that day. And Nathan White, who was starting at TH, would hardly be considered a rookie scrummager.

The French always have and will always take great pride in their scrummaging, Ben Arous and Baille are both technically excellent LH scrummagers and Slimani can play either side. Atonio is probably their weakest scrummager tbh but he's improved hugely over the last couple years and at 140kg or whatever he is he's incredibly hard to shift on that side. Their second rows tend to be big powerful lumps too.

Bazzo

Bazzo wrote: »

Their second rows tend to be big powerful lumps too.

But susceptible to violent pain in their tummy's.

FellasFellas

Bazzo wrote: »

Our scrum was being minced on both the TH and LH side that day. And Nathan White, who was starting at TH, would hardly be considered a rookie scrummager.

The French always have and will always take great pride in their scrummaging, Ben Arous and Baille are both technically excellent LH scrummagers and Slimani can play either side. Atonio is probably their weakest scrummager tbh but he's improved hugely over the last couple years and at 140kg or whatever he is he's incredibly hard to shift on that side. Their second rows tend to be big powerful lumps too.

They also have a 17 year old, 6'7, 160kg coming through France 20's so..

Buer

I see the Irish Times have an article up on the contenders for the Lions starting jerseys, one position at a time. I'm sure this will be an informative, well researched and insightful piece.

*opens article and reads opening paragraphs which discuss loosehead selection*

Joe Marler will miss the start of the Six Nations

*closes tab*

Paper of record my swiss.

pickarooney

Buer wrote: »

I see the Irish Times have an article up on the contenders for the Lions starting jerseys, one position at a time. I'm sure this will be an informative, well researched and insightful piece.

*opens article and reads opening paragraphs which discuss loosehead selection*



*closes tab*

Paper of record my swiss.

Suspended for mouthing at the ref before kick off?

kilns

Live on Sky Sports asking who will be Lions 10. Im sorry but a stereotypical Munster guy picked Farrell as he said he is not a fan of Sexton

Stheno

POC had Heaslip at 6 in his lions 15

Felix Jones is God

Stheno wrote: »

POC had Heaslip at 6 in his lions 15

Who said Munster men couldn't hold their own against Dublin meeja trolls

Farrell has a good chance of being the starting 10. I'd love it to be Sexton but his injury profile makes him questionable IMO

razorblunt

FellasFellas wrote: »

They also have a 17 year old, 6'7, 160kg coming through France 20's so..

Not to mention the dozens they have coming through in Fiji!





:cool:

kilns

Nancy Narrow Self-expression wrote: »

Farrell has a good chance of being the starting 10. I'd love it to be Sexton but his injury profile makes him questionable IMO

The main logic the guy said he wasnt picking him was because he didnt like him he said. Petty

marienbad

kilns wrote: »

The main logic the guy said he wasnt picking him was because he didnt like him he said. Petty

and a stereotypical Leinster guy takes offence , Why do we even care what some random plonker thinks ?

kittyeater102

Stheno wrote: »

POC had Heaslip at 6 in his lions 15

He didn't. He put vunipola at 6 and Heaslip at 8.He said " in the back row Heaslip, at 6 Vunipola" but the way he said it without that coma/pause made it sound like he said Heaslip at 6.

swiwi_

Nice bit of SH analysis

A back three of North, Hogg and Williams would be very exciting on paper.

razorblunt

swiwi_ wrote: »

Nice bit of SH analysis

A back three of North, Hogg and Williams would be very exciting on paper.

Interesting to note Hogg ran through Best and Mike Ross on Saturday, according to that fella.

molloyjh

razorblunt wrote: »

Interesting to note Hogg ran through Best and Mike Ross on Saturday, according to that fella.

He was referring to Hoggs try last year.

Hogg announced his quality with the outstanding individual try of last year’s championship against Saturday’s opponent’s Ireland, starting from kick return.

jezzer

Hogg is a cert for full back on the lions tour barring injury, would Kearney even get on the plane?

Farrell will be the starting 10, sexton as back up if fit?

Heaslip wont make it on the plane?

What Irish players will make the squad?

Former Former

jezzer wrote: »

What Irish players will make the squad?

At this stage, I'd say:

McGrath, Furlong, Murray, Sexton, Henshaw are our most likely travelers. Best will be in there too, if we resolve our lineout issues.

After that, any of Stander, Heaslip and O'Brien are possibles, but back row is going to be seriously competitive. Everyone else will be reliant on a major improvement in our fortunes over the next 6 weeks. I think anything more than 7-8 Irish tourists would be a good return.

flangemeistro

jezzer wrote: »

Hogg is a cert for full back on the lions tour barring injury, would Kearney even get on the plane?

Farrell will be the starting 10, sexton as back up if fit?

Heaslip wont make it on the plane?

What Irish players will make the squad?

Christ, Kearney is lucky to be getting on the plane to Rome this weekend nevermind New Zealand this summer.
He wouldn't get ahead of Hogg, Halfpenny or Brown unless they all contracted Ebola.

Sexton can also forget about it the way Biggar, Farrell, Ford and Russell have been performing this season.

I reckon Ireland will have one of the poorest representations in recent memory.

Off the top of my head the only guarantees are Murray, Henshaw, Stander, McGrath and Furlong.

kilns

flangemeistro wrote: »

jezzer wrote: »

Hogg is a cert for full back on the lions tour barring injury, would Kearney even get on the plane?

Farrell will be the starting 10, sexton as back up if fit?

Heaslip wont make it on the plane?

What Irish players will make the squad?

Christ, Kearney is lucky to be getting on the plane to Rome this weekend nevermind New Zealand this summer.
He wouldn't get ahead of Hogg, Halfpenny or Brown unless they all contracted Ebola.

Sexton can also forget about it the way Biggar, Farrell, Ford and Russell have been performing this season.

I reckon Ireland will have one of the poorest representations in recent memory.  

Off the top of my head the only guarantees are Murray, Henshaw, Stander, McGrath and Furlong.

Why would Kearney be lucky to be travelling to Rome? he was the best performing back for Ireland

awec

awec wrote: »

Irish guys who went to Australia:

Rory Best
Tom Court
Cian Healy
Paul O'Connell
Sean O'Brien
Jamie Heaslip
Conor Murray
Jonathan Sexton
Brian O'Driscoll
Tommy Bowe
Simon Zebo
Rob Kearney

Breaking these guys down into categories (and ignoring all new players):

Definitely not travelling in 2017
POC
BOD
Best
Court
Bowe
Kearney

Most likely not going to travel, due to form or age or alternate options from other nations
Healy (Jack McGrath will take his spot)
Heaslip (I think he'll only bring 2 number 8s in Faletau and Vunipola)

Fighting for a spot
Zebo
SOB (needs to stay fit)

Place on plane assured
Murray
Sexton

My predictions back in September. Having gone through half the season I wouldn't change too much.

Best moves from a definitely not to a maybe. Sexton moves from a certainty to a maybe too on the back of his injury issues.

awec

kilns wrote: »

Why would Kearney be lucky to be travelling to Rome? he was the best performing back for Ireland

We're not having this argument for the 50th time on the Lions thread.

b.gud

awec wrote: »

My predictions back in September. Having gone through half the season I wouldn't change too much.

Best moves from a definitely not to a maybe. Sexton moves from a certainty to a maybe too on the back of his injury issues.

I'd pretty much agree with that. The only things I'd change would be I'd say Furlong is in pole position to be the starter and is definitely on the plane.

Henshaw as well I reckon is guaranteed the get on the plane and is in with a great shot of starting a test.

Clegg

Jack McGrath just has to stay fit and he's in the 23 for the first test.

His main competition is Vunipola and he's injured at the minute. A solid 6N may even put JMcG in pole position.

jezzer

flangemeistro wrote: »

Christ, Kearney is lucky to be getting on the plane to Rome this weekend nevermind New Zealand this summer.
He wouldn't get ahead of Hogg, Halfpenny or Brown unless they all contracted Ebola.

Sexton can also forget about it the way Biggar, Farrell, Ford and Russell have been performing this season.

I reckon Ireland will have one of the poorest representations in recent memory.

Off the top of my head the only guarantees are Murray, Henshaw, Stander, McGrath and Furlong.

Haha Ebola! I have to agree with you though, wicked competition for full back, Brown will probably get the nod with Hogg as back up, maybe Halfpenny...Kearney has gone so far backwards, fair enough some recent decent displays but hes not a patch on the player he was, remember him and his brother Dave were the next big things, doing milk ads and all, both will be lucky to get places in the Leinster team over the next couple of years...

With sextons injuries I dont think they would chance bringing him so farrell will get the nod with Biggar as back up and Ford as 3rd choice

I think Murray is the only real possibility as a starter on the lions..

It shows you how far Ireland have fallen when its lightly Scotland will have more Lions than us...

kilns

It gas actually, one defeat and all of a sudden Ireland have fallen so far down that only one player will make the Lions team to some..................

Clegg

From the article Swiwi linked to earlier.

Ireland are very good at holding onto the ball and putting the opposition under tremendous pressure. Conversion rates aren't great however.

Ireland made 227 passes and built an enormous 155 rucks on their way to dominating two-thirds of the territory/possession balance in the game. 67 of those rucks were set between the Scottish 22 and the goal-line, the ‘red zone’. That is the kind of figure you would more commonly expect for total rucks built throughout in all areas of the field.

Clegg

kilns wrote: »

It gas actually, one defeat and all of a sudden Ireland have fallen so far down that only one player will make the Lions team to some..................

I think we have 6 definitely travelling and 1 probably. Two front rows and two backrows, Murray and Henshaw. Sexton would be a definite but he has injury problems.

All these players would be in the test side for me as well. Or at least just outside it. I've no idea who could be in the wider squad for the midweek games however. There's a lot of competition for Zebo, Earls, Toner etc to make it. Not sure they're quite good enough.