2013 British and Irish Lions

[psychic duck]

You don't pick wingers on defence.

If they are good enough on attack it compensates.

People are slagging off Ashton at the minute because his attack isn't being good enough to compensate.

But Zebo and Visser aren't getting so much criticism as on current form both are making up for their frailties with their attack. Cuthbert is actually a better tackler than any of those names actually, not a great defender, but there are worse.

 

[big ginger 8]

You don't pick wingers on defence.

If they are good enough on attack it compensates.

People are slagging off Ashton at the minute because his attack isn't being good enough to compensate.

But Zebo and Visser aren't getting so much criticism as on current form both are making up for their frailties with their attack. Cuthbert is actually a better tackler than any of those names actually, not a great defender, but there are worse.

Depends on the coach some do and it's a great bonus.

Let it be known I trust none of these players defense.

 

[Draggs]

Zebo is the baby Jesus, seemingly.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Zebo is the baby Jesus, seemingly.

 

[Draggs]

Nice work Olyy.

 

[Aedaphon]

Depends on the coach some do and it's a great bonus.

Let it be known I trust none of these players defense.

Some are certainly more competent than others, from what I remember Lee Jones hits like a train (could be complete imagination). Selection all depends on the kind of game we want to bring down under. With the pool of players available to the Lions it would be easy to bring a fantastically creative, quick and skilled backline but it would come at the cost of defence.

Personally I think a winger who's reliable in defence is worth a little loss of attacking flair, but if we can get both in one player that's all the better.

 

[big ginger 8]

Zebo is the baby Jesus, seemingly.

Damn Irish hype machine.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I can't remember who was doing all those hybrid players but imagine how much of a donkey Zebowe would make Cuthbert look.

 

[Jbobo]

You actually went and looked for that post.

I still don't rate Cuthbert at all - however after this 6N I'd have him over Ashton. Both of their defensive work is laughable.

Actually it just so happened that yours was the post i disagreed with the most. Plus, i wanted to check if you were okay

As others have said, their defensive qualities are not the finest but the job of wingers is primarily to score tries and that's something i haven't seen Ashton do for a long time, whilst Cuthbert is doing so consistently for club and country. The truth is that Ashton couldn't tackle a fishing rod, whilst Cuthbert isn't great, he is incomparable to him at the moment. I have no doubt Ashton has the talent to be a good international winger as he has shown in the past, but a good winger doesn't usually become an anonymous liability for 18 months at a time.

Ideally i'd pair North and either Cuthbert/Bowe to start and have one of them on the bench, Visser or Zebo in reserve and Ashton in McDonalds.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Actually it just so happened that yours was the post i disagreed with the most. Plus, i wanted to check if you were okay

As others have said, their defensive qualities are not the finest but the job of wingers is primarily to score tries and that's something i haven't seen Ashton do for a long time, whilst Cuthbert is doing so consistently for club and country. The truth is that Ashton couldn't tackle a fishing rod, whilst Cuthbert isn't great, he is incomparable to him at the moment. I have no doubt Ashton has the talent to be a good international winger as he has shown in the past, but a good winger doesn't usually become an anonymous liability for 18 months at a time.

Ideally i'd pair North and either Cuthbert/Bowe to start and have one of them on the bench, Visser or Zebo in reserve and Ashton in McDonalds.

I agree with the wings chosen but for me if Bowe is match fit he starts, he's the best wingers the lions have by a good bit. I wouldn'thave any wingers on the bench for me it'd be Kearney or Tuilagi.

 

[Peat]

Right, debate over, Richard Hill has spoken and none may question the word of god



I'm willing to bet this was made a month or so ago...

 

[SelimNiai]

6 weeks ago I hear. Funny, he was wrong even then. What a spanner.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

6 weeks ago I hear. Funny, he was wrong even then. What a spanner.

Are you Richard Hill?
No?
Then pipe down.

 

[SelimNiai]

Are you Richard Hill?
No?
Then pipe down.

Nope, I am not Richard "Most overrated 6 to play for the Lions as Colin Charvis forever shall rule that position" Hill

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Meh, Hill may have been past his prime by the 2005 Lions, he was still part of the Holy Trinity, one of the best backrows to be seen in the game.

 

[SelimNiai]

Meh, Hill may have been past his prime by the 2005 Lions, he was still part of the Holy Trinity, one of the best backrows to be seen in the game.

I really want to disagree with that but I can't.

Dammit

 

[Peat]

I really want to disagree with that but I can't.

Dammit

THE POWER OF THE TRINITY COMPELS YOU!

Such a flanker's back row too :lol:

 

[dullonien]

His selection of Launchbury and Gray in the second row invalidates his team. No problems with Launchbury or an on-form Gray (which he hasn't been for a while), but the two together would make a god awful partnership with no-one to do the grunt work. Poorly balanced back-row as well (which I've got justification in saying after the Wales-England game ).

Considering when he picked it, the backs are ok, although I think Halfpenny has been in better form than Kearney for a long while now.

 

[Peat]

His selection of Launchbury and Gray in the second row invalidates his team. No problems with Launchbury or an on-form Gray (which he hasn't been for a while), but the two together would make a god awful partnership with no-one to do the grunt work. Poorly balanced back-row as well (which I've got justification in saying after the Wales-England game ).

Considering when he picked it, the backs are ok, although I think Halfpenny has been in better form than Kearney for a long while now.

Define grunt work?

And that back-row isn't really comparable to the English back-row in that game; if anything, it's closer to the Irish back-row in the first game Robshaw would do the dirty work, joined by O'Brien if necessary but more likely pushing wide to carry at midfield/make turnovers, with Heaslip free to seagull a little and play the linking role.

 

[big ginger 8]

Like the look of that backline with Bowe for Zebo tbh. Tight fives fairly off but yeah backrows grand...