Lions 2017 [MOD WARNING IN OP]

Buer wrote: »

Peculiar selection. Not a hope a squad is going to be selected with only 6 Welsh players. No Rhys Webb for a start is simply not gonna happen. Nor are 9 Scottish players going to go.

You might be right in terms of what Gatland's going to bring but in terms of current form its a pretty fair and sensible selection if you ask me.

sydthebeat wrote: »

Either RC +ALB or SBW + RC for me.

Love to see reiko get a run though.

Yeah we see. Barring injuries the midfield is the only area really open to much debate. Doesn't look like Ngatai will be back any time soon which is a real pity.

awec wrote:

What time are the fixtures likely to be on TV irish time?

all are at 8.30am I think

swiwi_ wrote: »

Planetrugby has had a whirl

15 Stuart Hogg
14 Tommy Seymour
13 Jonathan Davies
12 Owen Farrell
11 George North
10 Johnny Sexton
9 Conor Murray
8 Billy Vunipola
7 Justin Tipuric
6 CJ Stander
5 Alun Wyn Jones (c)
4 Joe Launchbury
3 Dan Cole
2 Jamie George
1 Mako Vunipola

Replacements: 16 Rory Best, 17 Joe Marler, 18 Tadgh Furlong, 19 Maro Itoje, 20 Taulupe Faletau, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 George Ford, 23 Elliot Daly

That team of 23 is a little shy of Irish players (just 5), doubt it gains too much traction here...

Was that team selected by a poll by any chance? There are a few selections that are fairly nonsensical - but I'd understand if it was the product of people voting on a position by position basis.

It looks like a team that was selected before the 6N even started. And that's not even thinking with my Irish hat on.

The likes of Faletau, Vunipola x 2 and Jamie George are yet to start a game. Faletau hasn't started for Wales all season, actually. George North has been poison. Ben Youngs is far from top form either. Liam Williams is the clear form winger and isn't in the 23.

A very peculiar selection.

Wouldn't have Davies within an asses roar of the test team either.

Was having a good think about this today. The opening caveat here is that this obviously won't happen, but it's how I would like to see us go for it.

The All Blacks can be beaten, but it will take a combination of what Australia did in the RWC final, mixed with what Ireland did in Chicago. I.e., a balance of a aggressive disruption of their ball, mixed with ruthless, try-oriented decision-making with our ball. Torment them in the rucks, scrum them out the door and kick for the corner on every penalty. New Zealand will score 3 tires minimum in every game, so we don't win by kicking penalties. We also don't win this in the backs (at least not primarily). Their defense is too fast, too strong and too organised. For that reason, I would also shy away from picking any forwards purely for their ball-carrying, unless they offer something in the set-piece and breakdown. Our best bet is to gain ground with aggressive rucking and fast delivery to one-out runners, and with precision kicking and pressure.

So I'll start off with the pack, and I think the following offers the best balance of scrummaging, lineout, power and bastardry:

1 McGrath
2 Hartley
3 Furlong
4 Launchbury
5 Gray
6 Itoje
7 Strauss
8 SOB

Halfbacks are an automatic selection, if fit:

9 Murray
10 Sexton

We'll then need Henshaw for his defense but also for his physical presence in attack.

Then the back three will basically need to be selected for speed and distribution. Forget the big men, just get the ball to the space as quick as possible in the rare moments that gaps open up:

11 Daly
14 Williams
15 Hogg

The final call is outside centre, and I think if Payne is fit, he gets the nod for his defense and distribution.

On the bench, I've tried to keep much of the same emphasis on set piece, precision and overal personal unpleasantness:

16 Best
17 Marler
18 Lee
19 Lawes
20 POM
21 Webb
22 Farell
23 Nowell

Neil3030 wrote: »

Was having a good think about this today. The opening caveat here is that this obviously won't happen, but it's how I would like to see us go for it.

The All Blacks can be beaten, but it will take a combination of what Australia did in the RWC final, mixed with what Ireland did in Chicago. I.e., a balance of a aggressive disruption of their ball, mixed with ruthless, try-oriented decision-making with our ball. Torment them in the rucks, scrum them out the door and kick for the corner on every penalty. New Zealand will score 3 tires minimum in every game, so we don't win by kicking penalties. We also don't win this in the backs (at least not primarily). Their defense is too fast, too strong and too organised. For that reason, I would also shy away from picking any forwards purely for their ball-carrying, unless they offer something in the set-piece and breakdown. Our best bet is to gain ground with aggressive rucking and fast delivery to one-out runners, and with precision kicking and pressure.

So I'll start off with the pack, and I think the following offers the best balance of scrummaging, lineout, power and bastardry:

1 McGrath
2 Hartley
3 Furlong
4 Launchbury
5 Gray
6 Itoje
7 Strauss
8 SOB

Halfbacks are an automatic selection, if fit:

9 Murray
10 Sexton

We'll then need Henshaw for his defense but also for his physical presence in attack.

Then the back three will basically need to be selected for speed and distribution. Forget the big men, just get the ball to the space as quick as possible in the rare moments that gaps open up:

11 Daly
14 Williams
15 Hogg

The final call is outside centre, and I think if Payne is fit, he gets the nod for his defense and distribution.

On the bench, I've tried to keep much of the same emphasis on set piece, precision and overal personal unpleasantness:

16 Best
17 Marler
18 Lee
19 Lawes
20 POM
21 Webb
22 Farell
23 Nowell

Itoje over the best no 6 in the world Stander ( not even on your bench)and Hartley over Best ,SOB at 8 ,won't happen.

sting60 wrote: »

People on this forum have very short or selective memories because Ireland took the All Black pack to the cleaners in both tests and Kieran Reed said on Kiwi TV that "the Irish pack was the best they played against in years.Very physical, aggressive and quick and are a very serious front eight".Some of the team selections here are quite Bazaar and in all honesty idiotic.

People have short, selective memories, and you use one match, from 4 months ago, to make (what I think is) a point....

This is the Lions test team for me (green tinted glasses and all);

15 Hogg
14 Seymour
13 Henshaw
12 Farrell
11 Daly

10 Sexton
9 Murray

1 McGrath
2 Best
3 Furlong
4 Launchbury
5 Itoje
6 Stander
7 Strauss
8 Vunipola

Strauss?

He's not an open side but rather a number 8. He doesn't measure up to Heaslip, Faletau or Vunipola as no 8's and I don't even know how far down the list he'd be as a 7. Probably not even on it. If there's a Scottish backrow with a chance of starting for the Lions it's Hamish Watson.

sting60 wrote: »

This forum is all about making points and having opinions.If you read my post it said both games against the best team on the planet and just in case the memory is that little bit suspect I will throw in the packs performance against the beasts that are the Springbok and also the scrummaging against Australia.These performances will not be lost on Gatland or should they be.There is very little point in including players from certain nations just for the sake of it.Imo 1,2,3,6 should start with 7,8 distinct possibilities.

We have very good forwards (I'd have 3 starting and one on the bench). But there are better forwards for what I think is needed to beat NZ. If SOB isn't fit, I'd have Stander in at 8, but Stander otherwise doesn't make it ahead of Itoje at 6. That one isn't even close. The reason I prefer POM as a sub is both for the strategy to attack their lineout and for the dawg he brings.

Best and Hartley is a marginal call, but I'd give the nod to Hartley because I trust his darts in attacking lineouts, and his connection with Launchbury and Itoje.

Former Former wrote: »

As the Kiwis would say, don't be a Souk about it mate.

We're not Arabs

Sook.

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

Eh swiwi_ wasn't smoking anything.

That's a Planet Rugby selection. He even said so.

Yes, it's definitely not my selection. Haven't made my mind up yet TBH. The hardest thing is dissecting individual performances away from team ones - which is required because the Lions obviously come from the 4 home nations.