Lions tour to Australia

I know I shouldnt get wound up by a podcast I've never actually listened to but that is such BS. Ireland literally beat Wales in Cardiff in the 2013 6Ns...lol

We're the current TC champions, champions last year and GS winners the year before. We've lost once to another "home" nation since 2022 and that was a last second DG at Twickenham last season. That is pretty dominant.

Anyway, listening to the BBC rugby podcast with Chris Jones, Ugo Monye and John Barclay earlier and they seemed pretty much behind the selection. Maybe you were just unlucky with the podcast you chose.

Edit - we also won the TC in 2022.

In fact we've lost once to another Lions nation since the last Lions tour. 1 defeat in 13 games (including the Scottish WC game - WC warm ups not included) If that can't be described as dominance then what is?

Well, not really - one of the reasons he might be in line for the shirt would be that the guy who is primarily selected ahead of him in the 13 shirt for club and country is injured.

Yeah, I think that's fair.

It's also kind of reflective of things being at a transition point - Jamie Osborne is on the way up, and Henshaw and others are probably on the way down a bit.

By the end of the season, Jamie Osborne started at thirteen for the URC QF and SF - and played really well in both games. Granted this was also driven by injuries to Ringrose & Henshaw.

I don't even think Osborne's best position is 13 - I think his long term future is at 12 tbh, but there is a real paucity of good 13 options across all four Lions countries. Ollie Lawrence is a guy who had a good 6Ns and probably would be out there but for his ruptured achilles injury.

I'm not sure they'd go with Tuipolotu at 13 if Jones is hurt. He was really poor there against Argentina, and hasn't featured there since (despite Ringrose missing a good amount of time with injury).

It would be a big call to plump for Osborne in that scenario, but it wouldn't totally shock me.

I'd be more surprised at that tbh - at least Tuipolotu plays 13. I would have still thought Farrell, Easterby and Co would have battle scars from the ill-fated decision to pair Stuart Closkey & Bundee Aki in a 12-13 partnership against Italy back in 22/23 season, and that was only against Italy.

I do agree we're likelier to see some rotation if it's a dead rubber - really would love to see Josh in particular get a test cap.

I'm getting fed up of it now. Australia are crap, they are not going to beat the Lions. It's a forgone conclusion. There really is nothing to watch.

All I care about now is our players returning home injury free.

I really couldn't be bothered watching the last two tests. I've loads of gardening to do and I think I'd rather spend my time doing that than watching matches that are meaningless.

The history books don't grade the opposition.in 10 years time these guys will be feted like any other Series winning Lions team.Assuming Joe doesnt pull a rabbit out of the hat.

Was the 1971 All Blacks or the SA 1974 a vintage team.No idea.

Ok,well say the Northampton v Leinster win in 2011,were Northampton a title winning team that year,I have no idea,I just know it was an iconic day for a Leinster supporter.

That's totally different, as is the Six nations and world cups. Even the AIs with world rankings are important.

Playing a terrible team for nothing outside of joining an unimportant list is what this is.

Fact of the matter is it doesn't matter what they do, this doesn't compare to a tour of South Africa or New Zealand.

A Lions tour in this day and age should be three test, one against each of the three Southern hemisphere teams.

What's going on now is ridiculous. The best of four nations, in the pro era, taking on weakened clubs.

And taking on one weak nation for three games doesn't interest many people.

2005. Pure dross under Woodward.

20 players from England…plus 4 added on tour. , 11 from Ireland, 10 from Wales and three from Scotland. Most of the England players were past their best. They played seven matches against first and second division teams from the National Provincial Championship, one match against the New Zealand Maori team, and three test matches against New Zealand (the All Blacks). The Lions lost the test series 3–0, the first time in 22 years that they lost every test match on tour.

1983. 9 Irish players in the squad.

In 1983 the British and Irish Lions toured New Zealand for the first time since 1977. The Lions went down to a 4–0 whitewash for only the second time in history – the previous was also inflicted by the All Blacks on the 1966 Lions.

Overall the Lions played eighteen matches, winning twelve and losing six. In addition to their four test defeats they also lost to the Auckland and Canterbury provincial unions.

Itoje really is as dull as ditch water when you hear him talk. I'd say he's great craic to be around.