Lions tour to Australia

Table salt.

I think VDF has been very badly treated. Curry had a shocker and still got selected for the first test.

If we're being honest, Beirne didn't deserve to start the first test based on what we saw in the warm-ups. Like Curry, he proved Farrell absolutely right. The warm-ups are all over the shop, you can't really based anything on them.

The 'VDF is hard done by' idea was dead in the water by half time of the first test.

I genuinely think Farrell and the coaches decided early on the strategy they were going to pursue was physically bullying the Aussies up front, and the selections (consistently throughout the tour he's selected locks at blindside) pointed to that approach, and with that in mind, they thought Curry was the better fit. He's an incredibly physical player.

I think if this was a different tour against the Boks or the Kiwis, the selection and balance might be different and Josh may well have been first choice.

I honestly don't know - for me, Josh is the better player, and I thought his form was very good on tour (and he finished the season well for Leinster).

But, I don't know what gameplan they're trying to play exactly (above is only my theory), how they're training and how Farrell and Co rate their respective strengths and weaknesses.

Farrell clearly rates JVDF extremely highly - he's started him in 50 of his 56 tests since becoming Irish head coach - and, while I feel Curry hadn't earned the 7 shirt for the first test (saying that with the caveat that the form was harder to read much into given the vagaries in quality of the Lions' teams and opposition on tour to that point) - he's earned the right to retain it with his performances across the last two tests.

I'd imagine Curry is ahead on dominant tackles and while VdF can poach, it's not a massive strength to his game; he's much more a workhorse 7 than a ground hog 7.

English media were desperate to glaze his performance

Ah come on.

Irish Times:

Tom Curry

Eight carries, seven of which he took over the gain-line, 11 tackles, half of which half were dominant, scored a try and had a double assist in Dan Sheehan’s. Went into the game with a little chat about his selection, left it with no further debate required.

Rating: 9

Irish Independent:

Tom Curry 9

A seismic first hit and this continued. Sheer power got him the close-in try. Snaffled the overthrown lineout and provided the assist for Sheehan. On and over the edge, justifying his selection.

So just based on Podge's link for the stats, torevisit this, it looks like VDF:

• Does make more tackles, but they're not as dominant
• Does hit more rucks, but they're not as effective
• Doesn't make more turnovers but
• Does make more meters carrying

You can believe, as I do, that VDF is an overall far superior player to Curry, was in better form coming into the Lions series, and played better in the 'warmups' and yet still accept that ever since that first test, regardless of how justified the initial selection was, Curry has earned it since then. In spades.

Is it unfortunate for Van der Flier? Yes. Is that the game they all play? Again, yes.

I'm more gutted for Ringrose who if not for incredibly unfortunate injury, would be sitting on two if not three Lions caps this tour. But here we are, and I'm gutted for both.

I'd still be surprised over a bigger sample size if the story changed much with regards # tackles vs dominance, # rucks vs effectiveness, turnovers etc.

I think it's reasonably representative of their respective talents.

Farrell is lucky that his team are facing the worst opposition in lions history.

As for picking his son, and out of form Millwall of a player who went off to France for money and left in a hissy fit, a joke. Farrell senior is lucky the lions squeaked home last week against a side wgo would struggle against any of the four provinces, otherwise his halo would have blown a fuse.

Never let the facts get in the way of an argument - Jack Conan played 18 times for Leinster this season, and started 15 of those games.

As for “getting the most out of his career” - he’s about to start his 6th consecutive test for the Lions, he has over 50 caps for Ireland and has won championships, he’s played in multiple European Cup Finals and is a regular in the Ireland 23.

Please explain how moving to Connacht so he can play against Newcastle in the Challenge Cup will help him “get the most out of his career”?

How is he going to be likelier to start in RWC or 6 Nations games by moving to weaker teams to play with weaker players?

I'm just saying he deserves to be starting every game somewhere. To be in a place where he is loved and.a difference maker.

I'm talking about Jack enjoying the twilight of his career. If he was to join Connacht and go win a Challenge Cup that's a far bigger deal than being the no.2 on another URC winning team. Then go fight the good fight as a huge underdog in the Champions cup the next year. I think he'd enjoy it and I think he'd have a great time playing under Lancaster again. The appreciation he'd get from the fans would be a great experience as well.

Bundee Aki has turned down big money moves to France because he adores Connacht. Mack Hansen loves it too. I'm not sure about Finlay because I've never heard him talk about it.

He'd also be a fantastic mentor to younger players coming through.

At no stage was I suggesting he'd end up as the starter for Ireland. I said Doris is the best 8 in the world and he's not going to dislodge him.

I was pointing out the number of starts for Ireland in the biggest competitions in response to a post blowing up his stats to sound better than they actually are.

And if he did go to Munster he would get the 8 job because he's on a whole different level to Coombes. He's far and away the second best 8 in the country.

I'm a huge fan of Jack Conan and my fellow Connacht man Caelon Doris. I'm in no way saying anything negative about either of them.