General Rugby Discussion

Wang King wrote: »

It's a debate for another year, nevermind another day, but it depends on who is the head coach. If Joe gets a tilt, maybe Bowe has a chance, if its Gatland, I'd say not a chance

But if it was today who are the 14s available, Cuthbert? I think he's probably a decent shout but I think there's definitely a decision to be made between the two. Then there's Rokoduguni who could well be the ultimate answer. I don't think any of them are the obvious answer though (and it's not Tommy Seymour god bless him).

Wang King wrote: »

It's a debate for another year, nevermind another day, but it depends on who is the head coach. If Joe gets a tilt, maybe Bowe has a chance, if its Gatland, I'd say not a chance

Remember that Gatland dropped Cuthbert for Bowe the second that was Bowe was close to fit in the last Lions series. So I wouldn't say that Bowe wouldn't have a chance if he was coach

Some super 2nd rows around at the moment.


We've got POC who did have a very impressive season imo and if I was picking the Lions team now, I'd definitely have him in there. AWJ still going very strong too. Jonny Gray is superb, as is Launchbury... and I wouldn't be a big fan of Lawes but he is a very effective rugby player. After that, you've got Toner too and we all know what he brings.


I'd probably pick:

Corbisiero Best Cole
POC Launchbury
Armitage Heaslip SOB
Murray Sexton
North Henshaw Joseph Watson
Halfpenny

Hartley McGrath Lee AWJ Warburton Webb Ford Earls



It feels wrong leaving out Healy, but I really haven't been overly impressed with him recently. In fairness, neither did Corbisiero but I like him as a player. Hopefully he'll be in top form next year. Hooker was tough to pick too, no real standouts. I'm a big fan of Watson too.

The only really biased pick was Earls at 23, I'd probably have selected Hogg otherwise.

sydthebeat wrote: »

Not exactly having lions teams suggested to fill you with confidence against the kiwis.

Hopefully some new names will come to the fore in the next 2 years.

Well once you put coached by Joe Schmidt after those it should be a good confidence boost.

Podge_irl wrote: »

POC will have retired before the next lions tour. Even if he hasn't he'll be two years from his last international game. Not gonna happen.

AWJ, Lawes, Launchbury, Henderson etc. we won't be short of top options.

Ford v sexton will be an interesting battle. If Schmidt actually is coach I can't see sexton not being the starting 10 but Ford is a super player.

One of them is a good defender, the other is a bad one; Ford's as natural a ball in hand fly-half as you'll ever see but I doubt that'll be much of a battle providing Sexton is fit and in form because the gulf in defence is that big. Biggar and Russell will provide more of a battle imo, as could Slade if he develops right.

Fireball07 wrote: »

I didn't watch much Premiership last season, that's fair enough. I suppose it was a bit hypocritical of me to drop Healy for lack of form and put in someone who was also injured. There isn't many other LHs of a high standard outside of those though, McGrath was probably the best of the lot really. I wouldn't be the biggest fan of Mako. Hopefully Healy can find his best form again, if he reaches it, he should be a shoo-in.

It looks like Corbs might have lost weight; given he's been struggling with a knee injury, that would make some sense. If he has and it's not temporary, that might eventually be the end of his elite career, as he doesn't seem to have the same power. I'm of the wait and see variety there.

Mako Vunipola's scrummaging has improved markedly in the AP. If he can sustain that and bring it to international level, I think he's a big candidate for the next Lions tour. Not just literally.

Lot of competition for full-back spot, Brown wasn't quite at his best during the 6N. Still a class act though. But with Halfpenny, Kearney, Hogg all there too, he'd need to be at the top of his game. (Liam Williams, Nick Abendanon, Delon Armitage outside bets?)

Good player, but I prefer Watson tbh.

Bendy simply makes too many errors for a game of that magnitude. At this date, the only way I see a full-back other than Halfpenny is:

a) He's injured
b) He's playing wing

There's a scurrilous internet rumour to the effect that the England management don't really rate Anthony Watson. Whether the originator was talking balls or not can't be determined, but I'm repeating it largely because I share the view; he's a fantastic athlete with a lot to learn about rugby. Give me Nowell any day, who's a very good athlete with a very good rugby brain.

Tbh I wouldn't have either in Lions contention today, or any England back three player for that matter. Actually, short of the scrum-half of the day, Joseph and a behaving Tuilagi, I don't really see England backs in contention for a Lions tour as things stand (although I'd probably be sadly wrong).

total former wrote: »

I don't think Halfpenny will feature at all. Take his goal kicking out of the equation and he's barely in the top 5 in his position.

Ah I'd disagree with that. He's a brilliant attacking full back and is solid in placement and in the air, very clever attacker and lovely distributor. Depending on the game plan he's better than Kearney in some regards.

Brown has took a bit of a step backwards. If the squad was being picked tomorrow I think the full backs traveling would be halfpenny Kearney and Hogg.

total former wrote: »

It is very arguable that he is the best goal-kicker in international rugby, but that only becomes relevant if he's significantly better than the alternative goal-kickers in the team.

I'd say both he and Sexton are 85% kickers, whatever difference there is (either way) is minimal and certainly not remotely enough to say Halfpenny must be in the team.

If I said Greg Laidlaw should be in the next Lions tour for his goal-kicking, you'd (rightly) tell me I was mental...

Assuming this site is right, http://rugby.statbunker.com/, then you're half-right - Halfpenny is an 85pc goal kicker. Sexton is a 79pc goal kicker. That's a significant margin in my eyes.

And Laidlaw's goalkicking would be of interest to me in picking the next tour and I've seen plenty advance claims for him based on it.

That's a stronger argument for his inclusion, and he's definitely very solid in defence. I just think Liam Williams will be breathing down his neck for Wales very soon, particularly if Gatland departs after the RWC, Brown will hopefully regain form and Hogg just has so much ability.

Liam Williams seems to be far more of a problem for Cuthbert as things stand.