Lions Tour

Cosmo Kramer · 26-06-2021 08:55PM

Deleted User wrote: »

That's astonishing if true. Absurd.

If Cowan Dickie is out I suspect Kelleher is in for a call up but given the first two replacements who knows.

Would be crazy not to call up Kelleher given that he's already spent two weeks with the squad.

Buer · 26-06-2021 08:57PM

LuckyGent88 wrote: »

Navidi for Tipuric is completely understandable but Adam beard for Jones!!! Really. That’s mind boggling.

It's absolutely not

Gatland is selecting a certain squad for a certain job. It's not who we see as the best players. I said Ball in a previous post but it may as well be Beard. Another 120kg, tough, niggly lock.

He's not deviating from his plan. Navidi and Beard should not come as a shock.

Murray is an absolutely mental call though. Massive credit to him but I'm not sure he has ever even captained Munster more than once or twice or been in the Irish leadership group.

Some honour for him.

thomond2006 · 26-06-2021 08:58PM

Murray was the obvious choice and had I been on boards a few hours ago I would have suggested him for the job.

lawrencesummers · 26-06-2021 08:58PM

thomond2006 wrote: »

OUTRAGE

Who do you think should have been captain instead?

Downlinz · 26-06-2021 08:58PM

Delighted for Murray, well deserved.

If it goes well for him we'll hopefully see him return as Ireland captain as well, we've been missing a good leader since Best retired.

Podge_irl · 26-06-2021 08:58PM

Some reward for a pretty mediocre performance for Murray. I'm amazed its not Farrell but implies that Aki/Henshaw is the starting centre partnership.

awec · 26-06-2021 09:00PM

Downlinz wrote: »

Delighted for Murray, well deserved.

If it goes well for him we'll hopefully see him return as Ireland captain as well, we've been missing a good leader since Best retired.

if you try this again I’ll card you. This is not the Ireland thread.

thomond2006 · 26-06-2021 09:01PM

lawrencesummers wrote: »

Who do you think should have been captain instead?

Whoosh.

RugbyLover123 · 26-06-2021 09:05PM

Fair enough Navidi but Adam Beard…

Wouldn’t surprise me at all if Gatland says to Scott Baldwin to replace LCD, seems only Welsh get called up.

thomond2006 · 26-06-2021 09:06PM

RugbyLover123 wrote: »

Fair enough Navidi but Adam Beard…

Wouldn’t surprise me at all if Gatland says to Scott Baldwin to replace LCD, seems only Welsh get called up.

Kelleher is next man up at hooker, sure he's been training with them!

RugbyLover123 · 26-06-2021 09:10PM

thomond2006 wrote: »

Kelleher is next man up at hooker, sure he's been training with them!

I know yeah but knowing Gatland he’ll probably go ahead and pick a Welsh lad instead

Burkie1203 · 26-06-2021 09:12PM

RugbyLover123 wrote: »

I know yeah but knowing Gatland he’ll probably go ahead and pick a Welsh lad instead

What would Gatland know about rugby anyway. Sure not like he has won much .... .

LuckyGent88 · 26-06-2021 09:19PM

Who else would have been in consider to replace Tiperic??

VDF
Underhill

lawrencesummers · 26-06-2021 09:19PM

Podge_irl wrote: »

Some reward for a pretty mediocre performance for Murray. I'm amazed its not Farrell but implies that Aki/Henshaw is the starting centre partnership.

Farrell has nowhere near the physicality of Aki to take on the SA back line, and that’s before you even question his form over the last season.

lawrencesummers · 26-06-2021 09:20PM

LuckyGent88 wrote: »

Who else would have been in consider to replace Tiperic??

Coombes

Fixed

Neil3030 · 26-06-2021 09:23PM

Gatland obviously has credit in the bank but I just wonder what Murray starting means for his gameplan? We ain't going through those boys and I'd really rather not be bix kicking too frequently to Cheslin Kolbe...

sydthebeat · 26-06-2021 09:23PM

Delighted for Murray... Kick in the balls for farrell but gats probably not looking at him as a starter now.

Navidi makes sense and good on him, he's the type of player we need against the SAs.

Less said about beard the better.
What's the point of bringing locks as sixes and then bringing a bean pole 5??

26-06-2021 09:25PM

Buer wrote: »

It's absolutely not

Gatland is selecting a certain squad for a certain job. It's not who we see as the best players. I said Ball in a previous post but it may as well be Beard. Another 120kg, tough, niggly lock.

He's not deviating from his plan. Navidi and Beard should not come as a shock.

Murray is an absolutely mental call though. Massive credit to him but I'm not sure he has ever even captained Munster more than once or twice or been in the Irish leadership group.

Some honour for him.

To be fair - you nearly called it and I see your logic but I don't rate Beard at all and certainly not in the same regards as some of the other options. He's been poor in a poor Ospreys team that won 2 games all season last year and I didn't think he added much to the Welsh grand slam team in 2019.

A random series of events during this years six nations glossed over what was otherwise a very poor Welsh outfit and I fear Gatland's loyalty to certain players is going to catch up with him on this tour.

awec · 26-06-2021 09:26PM

sydthebeat wrote: »

Delighted for Murray... Kick in the balls for farrell but gats probably not looking at him as a starter now.

Navidi makes sense and good on him, he's the type of player we need against the SAs.

Less said about beard the better.
What's the point of bringing locks as sixes and then bringing a bean pole 5??

Lineout.

Beard won’t start but he is a rock solid lineout option for the bench.

Podge_irl · 26-06-2021 09:27PM

Deleted User wrote: »

To be fair - you nearly called it and I see your logic but I don't rate Beard at all and certainly not in the same regards as some of the other options. He's been poor in a poor Ospreys team that won 2 games all season last year and I didn't think he added much to the Welsh grand slam team in 2019.

A random series of events during this years six nations glossed over what was otherwise a very poor Welsh outfit and I fear Gatland's loyalty to certain players is going to catch up with him on this tour.

Well I think we can completely discount his Ospreys performance. It is clear that it is irrelevant when it comes to Wales selection and performance, never mind the Lions.

Buer · 26-06-2021 09:27PM

sydthebeat wrote: »

Delighted for Murray... Kick in the balls for farrell but gats probably not looking at him as a starter now.

Navidi makes sense and good on him, he's the type of player we need against the SAs.

Less said about beard the better.
What's the point of bringing locks as sixes and then bringing a bean pole 5??

Beard isn't really a bean pole. He's tall but he's also over 120kg. He's extremely durable and physical in the tight.

He's about the same height as Ryan but the 8kg heavier. He also has better hands in the loose. Ryan should take this summer as a suggestion to work on those elements where he can improve. He's generally a better player than Beard but not at the aspects Gatland needs.

If they were touring Australia this summer, I believe Ryan would go just as someone like Parling went in 2013.

sydthebeat · 26-06-2021 09:33PM

awec wrote: »

Lineout.

Beard won’t start but he is a rock solid lineout option for the bench.

But that's exactly my point.

Essentially 3 locks starting, no need for any specialist line out option.

Waste of a lions spot if he ends up being no where near the test squad