2017 British & Irish Lions Squad Announcement

[Nubiwan]

There's no doubt in my mind that this has been planned from day one and was always on the cards. Just when the 'Shane Williams just happened to be on a plane on his way to Australia' couldnt' be topped. This really does take the biscuit. Hill over Jonny Gray is insane.

Gray played against OZ and looked massive. Young and fit. AWJ looks ready for the knacker yard.

 

[General Melchett]

With today's game in the bag so early I wonder why Gatland decided not to use any of the called up replacements. Even giving the likes of Gareth Davies and Finn Russell ten minutes wouldn't have done any harm. Wonder if he was aware of the stick he was getting in the media and just decided to keep them out of the limelight.

 

[ncurd]

Wonder if he was aware of the stick he was getting in the media and just decided to keep them out of the limelight.

It just raises the question further if geography (ie jet lag) was the excuse and these players aren't used in the test (they won't). How exactly was it problem now?

 

[valley commando]

Please justify Hill over Launchbury.


EJ said in the press it would take 13hrs for England players to get from where they are to NZ, they could be in training on Sunday.

Cory Hill once played for Ponty (well more than once actually 56 times, I think it was the great Billy Boston that just played for us the once) Thats justification enough for me.
Dacey played for us 39 times, Christians brother Gavin also played 257 times as a centre.
Before you nutters start having a pop this content was written with tongue in cheek, the stats are however truth.

 

[valley commando]

Gray played against OZ and looked massive. Young and fit. AWJ looks ready for the knacker yard.

These add on players are really not much more than 'training partners', the way the tour locks are playing, Hill nor Grey would get a test jersey, therefore and as they are only 'training partners' any *****ing is irrelevant.

 

[General Melchett]

These add on players are really not much more than 'training partners', the way the tour locks are playing, Hill nor Grey would get a test jersey, therefore and as they are only 'training partners' any *****ing is irrelevant.

I'm sure Finn Russell will be delighted having flown to NZ just to be a training partner/bench warmer instead of lining up for Scotland against Fiji this weekend. He probably wishes he declined the call.

I'm sure I saw Richard Hibbard participating in the warm ups earlier. Garland should just have called up Mike Phillips, Stephen Jones and a few others if that was the intention.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Corbisiero was called up towards the end of the Aus tour, ended up starting the 3rd test and scoring a try.

The best players deserve a chance to prove themselves. Calling up players who aren't good enough just to hold tackle pads is a self fulfilling prophecy

 

[Chief Pete]

Corbisiero was called up towards the end of the Aus tour, ended up starting the 3rd test and scoring a try.

The best players deserve a chance to prove themselves. Calling up players who aren't good enough just to hold tackle pads is a self fulfilling prophecy

He was a beast in the 3rd test if I remember rightly...

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Corbisiero was called up towards the end of the Aus tour, ended up starting the 3rd test and scoring a try.

The best players deserve a chance to prove themselves. Calling up players who aren't good enough just to hold tackle pads is a self fulfilling prophecy

He was called up to replace Cian Healy, who rolled his ankle in the first game. Corbs started the first test, was injured and did not play the second test, before recovering in time for the third one.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Ah, I thought he was called up after the first test for some reason!

I stand by what I said though, you want everyone there pushing for the chance of a test place, you don't need dead wood there just to make up the numbers.