2013 British and Irish Lions

[Maverick1987]

Winners and Losers from the weekend:

Winners:
Gethin Jenkins (best game for a year)
Richie Hibbard (best game in a Wales shirt)
Adam Jones (munched Italian scrum)
Leigh Halfpenny (good under high ball, and good goal kicking)
Jim Hamilton (man of the match vs Ireland)
Ryan Grant (underrated prop)
Manu Tuilagi (won the battle between him and Bastareaud)
Chris Robshaw (good leadership, tremendous work rate)
Luke Marshall (made some nice breaks early on)
Cian Healy (missed out on that Irish mess)

Losers:
Ronan O'Gara (that kick)
Paddy Jackson (missed kicks)
Jamie Roberts (did nothing apart from drop the ball once)
Ruaridh Jackson (crap kicks with about 20 metres distance kept giving ball back to Ireland)
Rob Kearney (not at his best)
Jamie Heaslip (lacked leadership)
Chris Ashton (defence)
Courtney Lawes (missed as many tackles as he made)
Joe Marler (scrum was better when he was off)
Tom Court (didn't show his Ulster form)
Alex Cuthbert (may have scored a try, but still a complete donkey)

Agree with all of this . Think wood should be in the winners too was awesome yesterday .

 

[Joseph14]

Wood was mom.

 

[Maverick1987]

Wood should have been mom but to be fair robshaw was brilliant aswell

 

[TommyV]

Hogg's attacking instincts have been superb and hopefully he tours and gets a chance in some of the warm-up games, but Halfpenny is still a class apart for me. Aside from his superb goalkicking (and yes, it does matter even with accomplished 10's, nobody has the range he has and he's arguably more consistent and handles the pressure too), he's so solid under a highball, a rock defensively and just so reliable. I can't think of the last time he really had a bad game. Even in the midst of them run of losses it was always 'well on a positive note, Halfpenny played well'.

 

[dullonien]

It's not as if Halfpenny isn't a strong attacking player either. He's still learning in regards to hitting nice angles from deep in attack, but he's perfectly capable of counter attacking and scoring try's, after all he was a very good winger before moving to fullback.

 

[munstermuffin]

Will be hammered for saying this been Irish but I think BOD will be lucky to make test team and a fully fit Tuilagi/Roberts combo seems like the 1 to me. Halfpenny will be 15 with a battle for the wings. Sexton at 10 and maybe Care at 9

 

[Feicarsinn]

Will be hammered for saying this been Irish but I think BOD will be lucky to make test team and a fully fit Tuilagi/Roberts combo seems like the 1 to me. Halfpenny will be 15 with a battle for the wings. Sexton at 10 and maybe Care at 9

To be honest I think this is one of the worse midfield options being bandied about at the moment. They're way too similar. I'm fine with having a big guy in midfield, but you need variance. Neither of them is much of a distributor, so you're not going to get your outside backs into play. Neither has an incredible step either, so if the Aussies close down the space we'd be up **** creek.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

To be honest I think this is one of the worse midfield options being bandied about at the moment. They're way too similar. I'm fine with having a big guy in midfield, but you need variance. Neither of them is much of a distributor, so you're not going to get your outside backs into play. Neither has an incredible step either, so if the Aussies close down the space we'd be up **** creek.

Added to the fact Roberts hasn't had a good game this six nations.

 

[munstermuffin]

To be honest I think this is one of the worse midfield options being bandied about at the moment. They're way too similar. I'm fine with having a big guy in midfield, but you need variance. Neither of them is much of a distributor, so you're not going to get your outside backs into play. Neither has an incredible step either, so if the Aussies close down the space we'd be up **** creek.

I just was looking at style Gatland likes and they fit bill. Hence why I hesitant in saying Care as I don't want to say Phillips and wingers I think will be more bulk than skill. I'd agree I'd have BOD simply for leadership as apart from him experience is very VERY shallow but just trying to study how Gatland has picked with Wasps, Wales etc

 

[Aedaphon]

I just was looking at style Gatland likes and they fit bill. Hence why I hesitant in saying Care as I don't want to say Phillips and wingers I think will be more bulk than skill. I'd agree I'd have BOD simply for leadership as apart from him experience is very VERY shallow but just trying to study how Gatland has picked with Wasps, Wales etc

Gatland likes to play a very carrying based game, but even he still has a distributor/pace man at 13 (Jonathan Davies). If anything a Roberts/BoD combination could come about, but off Six Nations form Roberts hasn't been anything too special.

Interested to see if Tuilagi could actually handle playing at 12. Both Tuilagi and BoD have been in fantastic this competition and I'd take Tuilagi over Roberts any day if he can handle the defensive role of an inside centre (i.e. not rush out the line to annihilate Barnes/Quade/[insert Aussie here])

 

[dullonien]

We've also got to remember that Gatland's preference always was Henson at 12. He's also played Hook heavily at centre during his time with Wales. So he's not just all about the bosh, it just happened that during Henson's time out, the best options we had available were Roberts and now Davies. Beck has only burst onto the scenes over the past year or so.

Edit. Don't kill me Irish fans, but tbh, I don't think BOD has been that great this 6 nations, apart from a couple of lovely touches against Wales in the opening 40min that is. He was decidedly poor against England, and didn't really get into the game against Scotland despite Ireland's dominance of possession and territory in that game.

The stand out centres thus far have been the English trio, as well as a good attacking display from Marshall. Roberts has been anonymous, Davies is improving, but was still shocking against Ireland, and the Scottish centres have been a bit meh.

Did I mention that Gatland's a big fan of Henson...............

 

[Draggs]

Gatland is seemingly a big fan of Henson. He will select him whenever fit.
Henson-Tuilagi... Oh lord jesus it's a fire.

 

[Aedaphon]

Gatland is seemingly a big fan of Henson. He will select him whenever fit.
Henson-Tuilagi... Oh lord jesus it's a fire.

Speaking of which, how has Henson been playing? At least if he's on form a Lions pick might have some justification...

 

[Thingimubob]

Speaking of which, how has Henson been playing? At least if he's on form a Lions pick might have some justification...

He got man of the match in his first game back for a few months the other day vs Sale. No idea how he played this weekend, but he has had some very nice touches and has been controlling fairly well from no.10, from the little I've seen anyway. However, either way I'd be very very surprised if he's anywhere near the Lions team. It's touch and go if he'll even be selected for the Welsh tour to Japan, which is certainly where I'd prefer him to be.
On the other hand, like Draggs said, Gatland does certainly like Henson a lot, and an on form Henson coupled with Tuilagi does sound pretty epic...

 

[munstermuffin]

Just on issue where people think BOD will move to 12. This could be disaster and he might be failure there. He's a class act 13 but the difference is huge and to go 12 for lions as starting block is too big a risk. Henson may be 12 if Gatland does bring him but has Barritt a hope ?????

 

[Zed]

Just on issue where people think BOD will move to 12. This could be disaster and he might be failure there. He's a class act 13 but the difference is huge and to go 12 for lions as starting block is too big a risk. Henson may be 12 if Gatland does bring him but has Barritt a hope ?????

They are very different positions, but BOD has the skillset to play 12, not all 13s do, but he does. That said unless he really pulls something out of the bag in the next 2 games, I can't see him being the no 1 contender for either the 12 or 13 shirt. Tuilagi is starting, I don't think that's really debatable? I haven't seen any other centres in the 6N do anything of note. Then it comes down to whether or not you want to put MT at inside or outside centre. Personally he's much more dangerous at 13. He's wasted at 12. At 12 I'd have either Barrit or the welsh bloke.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Very Harsh analysis of O'Driscoll I think. He's the best defender at thirteen in the six nations and would have had 2 tries vs Scotland had in not been for Keith Earls brainfarts, Tuilagi looked good against France but he was opposite Bastreaud who is one of the worst centres to play internationally ever. O'Driscoll won't have too strenuous a season now either. He'll play two sub par internationals and only Rabo and Amlin games. Any team that has Brian O'Driscoll at their disposal, especially against Australia is mad not to usehim.

 

[Peat]

While O'Driscoll hasn't looked great, he hasn't looked too bad either, and does have a good excuse called "I am being surrounded by utter shat". I'd take him, and you pick the team out there. Not quite so sure about him as a captain as I was though.

 

[Patchey]

Henson? Really?

 

[mstar]

Very Harsh analysis of O'Driscoll I think. He's the best defender at thirteen in the six nations and would have had 2 tries vs Scotland had in not been for Keith Earls brainfarts.

I would probably say best defensive centre is Barrit (ok not a 13). And i wouldn't be surprised if he is picked for the squad. You need grafters in a side and who else as a centre is better defensively then Barrit in the 6N? He runs the defence for England and England not exactly bad defensively are they?

I think gatland will take the risk and take him.