2017 British & Irish Lions Squad Announcement

[Thingimubob]

You might be right Gats is the master at playing the media at it's own game. Although I almost want him to call up Cuthburt just for the anger from everyone.

Heh. I too would find it hilarious if he picked Cuthbert for the lols. Have a feeling he's crocked either way after the game earlier today (didn't play too shabbily though, credit where credits due and all that)

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Who the hell is Kristian Dacey and how smooth is his pale little face?

Hey! You stay away from our Dacey! Damn creepy Pepes...

Tbf he's quality in my eyes (hey, he's a Cardiff boy, I'm bound to think that) and probably would do a pretty decent job if he did end up in the squad, on the bench for the mid-week team or something. However, he is still a young promising player who's only just had his first start for Wales, so shouldn't really be the next in line for the Lions.

I mean if he progresses like I'm hoping, and challenges Ken for the Wales 2 jersey in the coming seasons then who knows, he might be chucking his hat into the ring in 4 years time - but right now? No.

Hill isn't getting called up. Not with Gray in the area, let alone picking the guy who should've been in the squad anyway, Launchbury.

That said, anyone remember the reaction when Wade got called up last time? Don't think he's played a huge amount for England when they flew him to Aus, so was a little left field, can't remember any fuss though? Not that it mattered that much, him and most of the others called up around the same time (Twelvetrees, Barritt, etc.) never got a look in to the test squad anyway - I doubt whoever is selected here will either, barring injury crisis.

 

[Bluemoon]

Holy crap. Cory Hill, he's not even in my top three or four second rows in Wales. And as much as I'm a fan of Dacey, also shouldn't be there.

Really disappointed with those two selections, midweek standbys or not.

 

[Chief Pete]

Eddie Jones saying that players picked should be on merit and not Geography, I reckon he's seen that list and ****** himself laughing....

 

[Chief Pete]

If that's the 4 name's being mentioned and they are the position's he want's covering I'd swap Hill for Jonny Gray, Dacey for Ross Ford and WP Nel for francis along with G Davies and Finn Russell...

 

[GoTheNaki]

Eddie Jones saying that players picked should be on merit and not Geography, I reckon he's seen that list and ****** himself laughing....

Hes not wrong tho. But then the home nations have a ***** n moan about it... Whats Gatland meant to do? If he did his job he gets slatted for it, right?

Boohoo, didnt pick enough Irish players... Boohoo, didnt pick enough English players... Boohoo, didnt pick the strongest team, why? See above.

If Sexton has a crap game, it shouldve been Farrell, if Farrell has a crap game, it shouldve been Sexton. And this is what the media up there does, as well as the fans.

 

[Chief Pete]

Hes not wrong tho. But then the home nations have a ***** n moan about it... Whats Gatland meant to do? If he did his job he gets slatted for it, right?

Boohoo, didnt pick enough Irish players... Boohoo, didnt pick enough English players... Boohoo, didnt pick the strongest team, why? See above.

If Sexton has a crap game, it shouldve been Farrell, if Farrell has a crap game, it shouldve been Sexton. And this is what the media up there does, as well as the fans.

Personally for the duration of a lion's tour I'm not interested in a player's nationality, if the best team is 15 Irish then great, if it's 15 welsh then so be it, if we don't play well I put it down to the quality of opposition on this particular tour...

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Hes not wrong tho. But then the home nations have a ***** n moan about it... Whats Gatland meant to do? If he did his job he gets slatted for it, right?

Boohoo, didnt pick enough Irish players... Boohoo, didnt pick enough English players... Boohoo, didnt pick the strongest team, why? See above.

If Sexton has a crap game, it shouldve been Farrell, if Farrell has a crap game, it shouldve been Sexton. And this is what the media up there does, as well as the fans.

What have Wales or the Welsh players done to deserve now making up the largest contingent of the squad and half the coaching staff? We heard endless *****ing about 2005 but at least that selection included players that had won a world cup only 2 years earlier. Wales have achieved absolutely nothing since 2013, in fact they are largely used as an example of a team that has stagnated.

 

[Chief Pete]

What have Wales or the Welsh players done to deserve now making up the largest contingent of the squad and half the coaching staff? We heard endless *****ing about 2005 but at least that selection included players that had won a world cup only 2 years earlier. Wales have achieved absolutely nothing since 2013, in fact they are largely used as an example of a team that has stagnated.

What I don't get is, if the plan all along was to ring fence the test 23 and seperate them has as been stated then why not take the 4-6 extra players at the start of the tour, seeing as your going to take them eventually anyway...

 

[NickBD]

Hes not wrong tho. But then the home nations have a ***** n moan about it... Whats Gatland meant to do? If he did his job he gets slatted for it, right?

Boohoo, didnt pick enough Irish players... Boohoo, didnt pick enough English players... Boohoo, didnt pick the strongest team, why? See above.

If Sexton has a crap game, it shouldve been Farrell, if Farrell has a crap game, it shouldve been Sexton. And this is what the media up there does, as well as the fans.

Pick the best available players from the start? Don't wait till halfway through the tour when you've known the schedule for a while now. It's not like he's bringing replacements for injures, only injured player is Hogg and funny enough no 15 is being called up. Picking all Welsh back ups during the middle of the tour over superior players isn't exactly great management.

 

[The Jones Boy]

Seriously, if Jake Ball, or Alex Cuthbert get the call I'll be fecking furious.

That made me laugh out loud.
Poor old Cuthbert has had a drop in form so vast it can be seen from the moon.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Jake Ball is injured so he won't be called up...... Cory Hill on the other hand.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Now officially called up Dacy, Gareth Davies, Francis and Hill. What a joke really, Gareth Davies and Dacy are ok players I'm not too bothered about them playing a mid week game, there are better options though. But Hill and Francis two completely bang average players might get Lions caps. Hill will have a lion cap but Launchbury won't, un******* believable.

 

[Josht36]

It has now been confirmed on the Lions social media. The Lions shirt should be earnt. The excuse that Wales are in NZ is not good enough for me.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Other than Davies WTF are those selections.

Wonder if Gatland wanted the Wesh games organised for this exact reason?

 

[Jakedood]

This is disgusting from Gatland. He's shown zero understanding of just what the Lions shirt means to people. To calk yourself a Lion, in any respect, is a huge honour, and to grant it because wales are closer is absolute bull. Gareth Davies and Finn Russell, fair enough. Then a bunch of players he's probably not started 5+ times for wales?
If he's so worried about acclimatizing then why didnt he name the replacements at the start of the week and let them catch up to speed?
I've just lost all remaining respect for the man, and this sort of Shiite is starting to really ruin the lions

 

[MikeTheNative]

Dacy isn't too bad, probably shouldn't be Lion though. Hill and Francis though are two completely average players who I don't really want playing for Wales let alone the Lions.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

3 of the last 4 lions tours have really undermined the concept of being a lion.

2005 Woodward calling up everyone and his grandmother
2013 Gatland calling up Wade, Barritt and Twelvetrees
2017 Gatland calling up Dacy Hill and Francis

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Daly?

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Disappointing the Welsh quartet called up by Gatland. Launchbury, Ford, Johnny Grey, WP Nel must be seriously ****** off, as they had greater claims to be picked. It devalues the shirt.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Genuinely fuming at these selections. Davies is the only player there that deserves a call-up. Who even is Kristian Dacey? I hadn't heard of him before now. Selecting Hill over the Grays and Launchbury is appalling.

The bias is just infuriating now. A lot of players can feel very hard done by.