2017 British & Irish Lions Squad Announcement

[BobbyM]

ncurd - call it wishful thinking about having some good quality tests

 

[Groundhog]

Why are we bringing any English players at all? None of them have shown they're capable of doing it against the All Blacks! Should be a team of Irish players, Ross Moriarty and Liam Williams, ie all the people in the British Isles who've played well against the All Blacks in relevant rugby history.

 

[munstermuffin]

That's it. To be fair Gatland has pick best guys probably to do his system.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Hopefully a couple of scares in the early games will show him that warrenball won't work in NZ

If you watched Wales in NZ last tour they actually tried to play more expansive rugby that's why it was so disappointing for Howley to come in for the AI's and go back to square one again.

 

[Five Meters Out]

The lack of Scotland players picked in the 2017 Lions is a great testament to the coaching ability of Vern Cotter. He coached them to some great results (England game aside), with a team that only had 2 players rated in the top 41 in Britain and Ireland.

 

[j'nuh]

The lack of Scotland players picked in the 2017 Lions is a great testament to the coaching ability of Vern Cotter. He coached them to some great results (England game aside), with a team that only had 2 players rated in the top 41 in Britain and Ireland.

In fairness, if not for injury I reckon Huw Jones and WP Nel would be going too.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Why are we bringing any English players at all? None of them have shown they're capable of doing it against the All Blacks! Should be a team of Irish players, Ross Moriarty and Liam Williams, ie all the people in the British Isles who've played well against the All Blacks in relevant rugby history.

I agree. The last two teams to beat the ABs were Ireland and the terrible England team. So it should be half Irish and older England players like barritt and wiggelsworth, Hartley and maybe even a Haskell or two!

 

[Josht36]

I agree. The last two teams to beat the ABs were Ireland and the terrible England team. So it should be half Irish and older England players like barritt and wiggelsworth, Hartley and maybe even a Haskell or two!

To be fair, if we are going with that: Goode; Ashton, Tuilagi, Barritt, Brown; Farrell, B Youngs, T Youngs, Cole, Launchbury, Parling, Wood, Robshaw, Morgan, Joseph, Burns, Care, Vunipola, Lawes, Haskell were all involved in 2012. A lot of them were in with a shout.

 

[General Melchett]

I reckon the games against the club/provincial sides will be the most entertaining. The tests against the AB's will probably be dull affairs (not due to the AB's) with most points will come from 1/2P's boot as Gatland employs a physical defensive display without utilising any of our attacking flair. I don't expect any repeat of George North rampaging his way up the wing like he did four years ago.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I reckon the games against the club/provincial sides will be the most entertaining. The tests against the AB's will probably be dull affairs (not due to the AB's) with most points will come from 1/2P's boot as Gatland employs a physical defensive display without utilising any of our attacking flair. I don't expect any repeat of George North rampaging his way up the wing like he did four years ago.

I think most of the points will come from NZ scoring tries, if the Lions get within 7 points in any of the tests I'd be surprised.

 

[General Melchett]

I think most of the points will come from NZ scoring tries, if the Lions get within 7 points in any of the tests I'd be surprised.

I meant most of the Lions' points. The good thing about a 3-0 drubbing is that it will result in a new head coach in South Africa.

 

[MikeTheNative]

In fairness, if not for injury I reckon Huw Jones and WP Nel would be going too.

I reckon Duncan Taylor would have been in with a shout as well. I think the only Scottish player who deserves to feel aggrieved is Hamish Watson for not making it. Fraser Brown, The Greys, Laidlaw, Russel, Maitland, Dunbar, Visser, Could have been picked but the faced a lot of competition and selections could have gone either way... just they all fell the way of the Welsh because of Gatland/Howley.

 

[Caitlyn Jenner]

I think most of the points will come from NZ scoring tries, if the Lions get within 7 points in any of the tests I'd be surprised.

Good call lol. I suspect the closest games will be the ones vs the Super sides...

 

[General Melchett]

I reckon Duncan Taylor would have been in with a shout as well. I think the only Scottish player who deserves to feel aggrieved is Hamish Watson for not making it. Fraser Brown, The Greys, Laidlaw, Russel, Maitland, Dunbar, Visser, Could have been picked but the faced a lot of competition and selections could have gone either way... just they all fell the way of the Welsh because of Gatland/Howley.

Taylor is probably a Gatland type of centre - big and physical but his issue is that he was quite far down the pecking order for Scotland. Dunbar, Jones, Scott, Bennett and Horne were all seemingly ahead of him and there was no-one on the Lions coaching team to put forward his case.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Gregor Townsend turning down the backs coach role had a big part in only 2 Scottish players being selected. To not have that Scottish voice arguing for Scottish players to be included would have been significant in 50/50 marginal calls.

 

[General Melchett]

Gregor Townsend turning down the backs coach role had a big part in only 2 Scottish players being selected. To not have that Scottish voice arguing for Scottish players to be included would have been significant in 50/50 marginal calls.

You can't really blame him as he was only offered the chance of assisting Howley which is an insult considering that Townsend won the Pro12 in 2015 which is more than Howley has ever done. Townsend as head attack coach with Howley assisting would have made more sense but Gatland had one eye on maintaining his position in the Welsh dressing room. I think one or two Scots who might have been involved in the marginal calls have paid the price for this.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Townsend should only do what he thinks is best for his career, he doesn't owe the lions anything so I'm not surprised he didn't take it. Reading the ****show that is the BBC comments section is hurting my head. A comment saying that Webb shouldn't have gone is quite highly rated, do people really think that? Perhaps it's my Welsh basis but i think he's got the test 21 shirt.

 

[General Melchett]

Townsend should only do what he thinks is best for his career, he doesn't owe the lions anything so I'm not surprised he didn't take it. Reading the ****show that is the BBC comments section is hurting my head. A comment saying that Webb shouldn't have gone is quite highly rated, do people really think that? Perhaps it's my Welsh basis but i think he's got the test 21 shirt.

I think that rating is down to people disliking him as a person and his antics on the pitch. That aside, he had a decent 6N and probably deserves his place in the squad. I think most people feel that Biggar's inclusion at the expense of Russell and Ford is far more contentious.

 

[ncurd]

Townsend should only do what he thinks is best for his career, he doesn't owe the lions anything so I'm not surprised he didn't take it. Reading the ****show that is the BBC comments section is hurting my head. A comment saying that Webb shouldn't have gone is quite highly rated, do people really think that? Perhaps it's my Welsh basis but i think he's got the test 21 shirt.

Read the poltical ones if your really want to bang your head against the wall. The BBC comments section have been a ****show for 3-4 years now it why I gave up and came here.

 

[MikeTheNative]

I think that rating is down to people disliking him as a person and his antics on the pitch. That aside, he had a decent 6N and probably deserves his place in the squad. I think most people feel that Biggar's inclusion at the expense of Russell and Ford is far more contentious.

Your probably right. I wouldn't have taken Biggar but a positive is that Sam Davies will actually start 10 for Wales now.