Irish players on the Lions tour

Hairy Homer

Speculation time. Which Irish players do you think will go in the squad of 44?

My guesses (including a few real dark horses)

Geordan Murphy (his reputation from the Premiership should clinch it)
Brian O'Driscoll (his reputation from the last tour should clinch it)
Shane Horgan (Big tough running back and he's half Kiwi anyway)
David Humphreys (I know it's a dark horse but it would please Ulster folk and anyway, Clive Woodward loves him)
Donncha O'Callaghan (Can't go wrong with a Munster lock)
Paul O'Connell (Ditto with knobs on)
John Hayes (ditto for a Munster prop)
Trevor Brennan (If only he was still playing for Leinster last Saturday. Leicester might have been given a game)

Downtime

A squad of 44 is huge. Considering there are 22 players in anyone team on a Six Nations match day.


I can see 12/14 irish going on tour.

Murphy, D'Arcy, O'Driscoll, O'Gara, Humphries, O'Callaghan, O'Connell, Brennan, O'Connor, Byrne, Horan, Wallace.

Trojan

I'm not so sure about Shaggy & the Bull.

Agreed with DH, the Munster locks, and 100% for Brennan (I've read several sources saying Woodward loves him).

You left out D'Arcy (6N 04 rep) and ROG (50-50 but had exceptional games in the Autumn).

Trojan

D'oh, and Wallace as downtime so rightly mentions.

PowerHouseDan

I'd agree with those players going alright. Dont see two kickers going from Ireland though.

Downtime wrote:

A squad of 44 is huge. Considering there are 22 players in anyone team on a Six Nations match day.


I can see 12/14 irish going on tour.

Murphy, D'Arcy, O'Driscoll, O'Gara, Humphries, O'Callaghan, O'Connell, Brennan, O'Connor, Byrne, Horan, Wallace.

MG

Forgetting about the players, the maths of it suggest an Irish contingent of 10-12 alright. From a squad of 44, I would expect about 4-6 Scots - White, Paterson, Cusiter, Taylor, maybe 1 or 2 others.

That leaves 38 players from England, Scoland and Wales. Although Wales had a super 6N, their Irish & English counterpartsfew stand up very well on a one to one comparison. I'd expect these 38 players to be split roughly 14 E,13 W,11 IR. So the maths suggest 10-12 Irish players and there would appear to be 10-12 Irish candidates:

Definites: O'Connell, O'Driscoll
Probables: O'Kelly
Possibles: Hayes, Byrne, O'Callaghan, O'Connor, Foley, O'Gara, Horgan, D'Arcy, Hickie, Murphy, Wallace, Brennan, Horan, Humphries

That's 15. I'd bet 10 to go depending on injuries. That's 7 of the 13 possibles I mention, and I'd predict -

Byrne, O'Connor, O'Gara, Horgan, D'Arcy, Hickie, Murphy

Downtime

Well we will find out next Monday when the touring paty is announced. Will there be any shocks?

Intersting to note that no one has gone for Stringer.

I feel Woodward might include some of his World Cup guys over some of the current English side. He will go for experience rather than up and coming.

I wil be disappointed if Henson goes (obiviously he will) but I hope he does not make the starting 22. There are better centes out there - namely O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, Shanklin, Greenwood.

MG

Downtime wrote:

Intersting to note that no one has gone for Stringer.

I wouldn't bring him if I were SCW but if he brings 4 scrumhalves then he might just nick it. Cusiter and Peel are certainties, Dawson a liklihood. That leaves Ellis, Cooper and Stringer and I think politics & experience will give it to Stringer.

Stringer will be under severe pressure for the Munster jersey next year. His time is passing.

Trojan

Actually, if he decides to bring Healy (Tigers coachs vendetta notwithstanding), then he'll have an option to put him at wing or SH.

daveirl

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Downtime

Downtime wrote:

I wil be disappointed if Henson goes (obiviously he will) but I hope he does not make the starting 22. There are better centes out there - namely O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, Shanklin, Greenwood.

Shanklin is the better centre by too much over Henson, he outshone him in every game (Literally Henson's fake tan outshone him but w/e) and if Henson makes it ahead of him it would be a travesty, that's not even taking into account Greenwood or D'Arcy!

RuggieBear

daveirl wrote:

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i'll bet you some lucozade sport.....