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2013 British and Irish Lions

Well Gatland, surprised me with a few calls there...

15 Welsh, 10 English, 9 Irish, 3 Scottish
 
Patchey said:
Gethin Jenkins and no Wilkinson? So much for no French based players who may be in the Top 14 Final...
Click to expand...

To be fair to Jenkins he would just be watching Sheridan play anyway...

---

Generally decent squad. Though:

Why Heaslip over Morgan?
Why Maitland? Did he do anything in the Six Nations after the first ten minutes against England? Plus it's all a bit Flutey-ey...
Stevens is a bit odd, but has been alright for Saracens. Can't say I'd put him above Ross or Murray. Perhaps it's his famed ability to collapse at both loose-head and tight-head.
Lack of depth at fly-half.
No real footballing inside-centre. BOD could do it, but I think it's a long shot to think he'll be fit the whole tour.
Wade and Launchbury should be in there, in my view.
Warburton as captain. I just don't buy his "success" in the views of Gatland. I hope to be proved wrong, and would happily eat my words.

Still looks strong, and they're in with a good shout of winning the tour. Looks like it's direct running for the backs.
 
Last edited:
Crapspray said:
To be fair to Jenkins he would just be watching Sheridan play anyway...

---

Generally decent squad. Though:

Why Heaslip over Morgan?
Why Maitland? Did he do anything in the Six Nations after the first ten minutes against England? Plus it's all a bit Flutey-ey...
Stevens is a bit odd, but has been alright for Saracens. Can't say I'd put him above Ross or Murray. Perhaps it's his famed ability to collapse at both loose-head and tight-head.
Lack of depth at fly-half.
No real footballing inside-centre. BOD could do it, but I think it's a long shot to think he'll be fit the whole tour.
Wade and Launchbury should be in there, in my view.
Warburton as captain. I just don't buy his "success" in the views of Gatland. I hope to be proved wrong, and would happily eat my words.

Still looks strong, and they're in with a good shout of winning the tour. Looks like it's direct running for the backs.
Click to expand...


True but it is the ignoring of the principle that gets me. In the same way that I'm more than happy for England not to select French based players as long as they don't only select some and not others I was hoping Gatland would stick to him guns and stay clear of Top 14 Finalists or pick any that were good enough not just some of them. As it is Jenkins is going to have to rock up late a miss a large chunk of the Lions preparation to play in a position that is much better supplied than 10.

Agree with you on Wade and Launchbury. Their non-selection will no doubt be good for England but thats not the point.

The situation at Fly-Half is, I presume, Sexton starting in the test team and Farrell in midweek with the other on the bench. This can only end well...
 
I would've rather had Best > Hartley. But other than that its around what I was guessing was gonna happen to be fair. Oh and Lydiate I was a bit suprised at seeming the lack of game time recently.

Fly halves as well not to keen on Farrell, Sexton is gonna be the test #10 as it stands though.
 
Meh, it's all pretty much personal preference after the first 23 or so. Gatland's pick a lot of strong ball carriers - hardly surprisng. Were I to pick the test side tomorrow it'd be:

15) Halfpenny
14) Bowe
13) O'Driscoll
12) Roberts
11) North
10) Sexton
9) Youngs
8) Heaslip
7) Tipuric
6) Lydiate
5) O'Connell
4) Jones
3) Jones
2) Err, Hartley
1) Healy

16) Jenkins, 17) Hibbard, 18) Cole, 19) Parling, 20) O'Brien, 21) Philips, 22) Farrell, 23) Hogg
 
Feicarsinn said:
Meh, it's all pretty much personal preference after the first 23 or so. Gatland's pick a lot of strong ball carriers - hardly surprisng. Were I to pick the test side tomorrow it'd be:

15) Halfpenny
14) Bowe
13) O'Driscoll
12) Roberts
11) North
10) Sexton
9) Youngs
8) Heaslip
7) Tipuric
6) Lydiate
5) O'Connell
4) Jones
3) Jones
2) Err, Hartley
1) Healy

16) Jenkins, 17) Hibbard, 18) Cole, 19) Parling, 20) O'Brien, 21) Philips, 22) Farrell, 23) Hogg
Click to expand...

Pretty much spot on although I think Tipuric will lose out to Warbuton because hes the captain.
 
okay my 2 cents not worth much would rather have Visser than maitland but maitland adds versattility.

Faz wouldn't have but i guess would be a good midweek player.

Stevens and jenkins should have sheridan in but oh well.

Vunipola i stuck with like him but his fitness against the aussies on hard ground will be tested.
Would have launchbury over Gray.
Tom croft surpiseed but he been on fire agianst toulon and Saints and on the hard would be lethal with ball in hand also adds a very good line out option.

But still the starting 15 + bench will be strong and i will watch all the games and support them none the less.

Does anyone know if there are 2 props and a hooker on the bench, or just 1 and a hooker.
 
Not happy with that squad to be honest. Jenkins > Sheridan? Heaslip > Morgan? Murray > Care? Gray > Launchbury?
 
Out of that squad Feicarsinn I'd go with Hibbard > Hartley. Then as Lynam has said Warburton > Tipuric due to being captain with Tipuric on the bench.
 
lynam1104 said:
I wonder who gets the call up id Sexton/Farrel get injured.
Click to expand...

Laidlaw? Hook?

Was surpsrised Laidlaw didn't make the starting squad considering his ability to play nine as well.


If Australia don't point Hooper and/or Smith at Sexton in the first test with insturctions to break him I'd be surprised.
 
Patchey said:
True but it is the ignoring of the principle that gets me. In the same way that I'm more than happy for England not to select French based players as long as they don't only select some and not others I was hoping Gatland would stick to him guns and stay clear of Top 14 Finalists or pick any that were good enough not just some of them. As it is Jenkins is going to have to rock up late a miss a large chunk of the Lions preparation to play in a position that is much better supplied than 10.
Click to expand...

Hear, hear. One can only hope he negotiated Jenkins being released early from Toulon, given that he was unlikely to be playing. I still would rather he negotiated over Sheridan... but perhaps Toulon would only give away their second-best Home Nations loose-head.

Patchey said:
Agree with you on Wade and Launchbury. Their non-selection will no doubt be good for England but thats not the point.
Click to expand...

Yep, I'm partly glad Wade hasn't gone -just so he can hopefully kick Ashton out of the England set-up for good- but as you said, that's not the point of the selection. The fairy tale would have been him side-stepping in 5 yards of space to score in the opening minutes of the first test. Alas.
 
Feicarsinn said:
Meh, it's all pretty much personal preference after the first 23 or so. Gatland's pick a lot of strong ball carriers - hardly surprisng. Were I to pick the test side tomorrow it'd be:

15) Halfpenny
14) Bowe
13) O'Driscoll
12) Roberts
11) North
10) Sexton
9) Youngs
8) Heaslip
7) Tipuric
6) Lydiate
5) O'Connell
4) Jones
3) Jones
2) Err, Hartley
1) Healy

16) Jenkins, 17) Hibbard, 18) Cole, 19) Parling, 20) O'Brien, 21) Philips, 22) Farrell, 23) Hogg
Click to expand...

Agree with that would have youngs instead of Hartley.

But Jones starting at TH to crush the scrum than have Cole come on when the game loosens up will be lethal.
 

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