Backline Dilemma for Gatland in the British Lions Team

[McTallshort]

Probably blasphemous to even suggest it on this forum...but has JJ's form been not so hot this 6N? For my mind he hasn't been as good as previous years. Obviously he has enough credit in the bank and will travel but should we be worried?

He's not had the same impact in attack as he has had before but we have been sluggish as a team in that area in both the games so far.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

1) Vunipola, McGarth, Marler
2) Best, George, Hartley/Ford
3) Cole, Furlong, Lee
4) Wyn Jones, Gray
5) Itoje, Kruis, Launchbury
6) Strander, SOB, Robshaw
7) Warburton, Haskell,
8) Vunipola, TF, Moriarty
9) Murray, Youngs, Webb
10) Sexton, Russell
11) Seymour, Nowell, North
12) Farrell, Henshaw,
13) Daly, Joesph, Ringrose
14) Williams, Watson,
15) Hogg, Halfpenny,

With a test team of
1) Vunipola, 2) Best, 3) Cole
4) AWJ, 5) Itoje
6) Strander, 7) Moriarty, 8) Vunipola
9) Murray, 10) Sexton
12) Farrell, 13) Daly
11) Seymour, 14) Williams, 15) Hogg

16) George, 17) McGarth, 18) Furlong
19) Kruis 20) TF
21) Webb, 22) Henshaw, 23) Nowell/Watson

Come at me brah.
(Would never happen though Roberts, Davies, Bigger, will all be in).

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

1) Vunipola, McGarth, Marler
2) Best, George, Hartley/Ford
3) Cole, Furlong, Lee
4) Wyn Jones, Gray
5) Itoje, Kruis, Launchbury
6) Strander, SOB, Robshaw
7) Warburton, Haskell,
8) Vunipola, TF, Moriarty
9) Murray, Youngs, Webb
10) Sexton, Russell
11) Seymour, Nowell, North
12) Farrell, Henshaw,
13) Daly, Joesph, Ringrose
14) Williams, Watson,
15) Hogg, Halfpenny,

With a test team of
1) Vunipola, 2) Best, 3) Cole
4) AWJ, 5) Itoje
6) Strander, 7) Moriarty, 8) Vunipola
9) Murray, 10) Sexton
12) Farrell, 13) Daly
11) Seymour, 14) Williams, 15) Hogg

16) George, 17) McGarth, 18) Furlong
19) Kruis 20) TF
21) Webb, 22) Henshaw, 23) Nowell/Watson

Come at me brah.
(Would never happen though Roberts, Davies, Bigger, will all be in).

Is that backrow a wind up? They'd secure nothing! Heaslip >>>> Moriarty too!

Also, do you spell McGarth like that because you've picked up on and joined in with @Groundhog 's and my particularly **** in joke?

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Is that backrow a wind up? They'd secure nothing! Heaslip >>>> Moriarty too!

Also, do you spell McGarth like that because you've picked up on and joined in with @Groundhog 's and my particularly **** in joke?

Heaslip is ****.

Nah that was my Dyslexia acting up and being a potato...... actually I meant to do that.....

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Heaslip is ****.

Nah that was my Dyslexia acting up and being a potato...... actually I meant to do that.....

[video]https://youtu.be/qXX-kJUQbMU[/video]

Let it go... Heaslip is the second best 8 for me, an outrageously skillful and intelligent 8.

That's disappointing in multiple ways.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

[video]https://youtu.be/qXX-kJUQbMU[/video]

Let it go... Heaslip is the second best 8 for me, an outrageously skillful and intelligent 8.

That's disappointing in multiple ways.

didn't know nigel played for norwich city

 

[McTallshort]

Has Ringrose done enough to warrant a place yet? I know you Irish lads are a bit partisan with selection but a good performance against Italy doesn't cut it for me

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

[video]https://youtu.be/qXX-kJUQbMU[/video]

Let it go... Heaslip is the second best 8 for me, an outrageously skillful and intelligent 8.

I was at that game and it was along time ago now, he isn't at that level anymore.

That's disappointing in multiple ways.

Now your starting to sound like my parents and my former Teachers and my Friends and my ex girlfriend and myself.

Has Ringrose done enough to warrant a place yet? I know you Irish lads are a bit partisan with selection but a good performance against Italy doesn't cut it for me

I ain't Irish but Ringrose is a talent and prob fits in with a Henshaw/Farrell 12 than the likes of Davies IMO.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Has Ringrose done enough to warrant a place yet? I know you Irish lads are a bit partisan with selection but a good performance against Italy doesn't cut it for me

Two English posters picked him, no Irish have...

I was at that game and it was along time ago now, he isn't at that level anymore.



Now your starting to sound like my parents and my former Teachers and my Friends and my ex girlfriend and myself.

I think he's at least as good as he was in '09. He's a very different and unfashionable type of 8 but he's still very strong in contact while his passing, leadership and rugby IQ are better than any other available player. I think Gatland would be missing a trick not bringing him, he allows him to pick a completely different type of backrow if bosh bosh bosh plus a groundhog doesn't work, which it never has for him against a SH side.

Wasn't making a joke bro, dyslexia is ****! Why lie about having an ex? You're on TRF, we've never been less than 4m from a female.

 

[McTallshort]

[video]https://youtu.be/qXX-kJUQbMU[/video]

Let it go... Heaslip is the second best 8 for me, an outrageously skillful and intelligent 8.

That's disappointing in multiple ways.

If you want to that far back why not bring in Tom Croft

 

[big ginger 8]

I was at that game and it was along time ago now, he isn't at that level anymore.



Now your starting to sound like my parents and my former Teachers and my Friends and my ex girlfriend and myself.



I ain't Irish but Ringrose is a talent and prob fits in with a Henshaw/Farrell 12 than the likes of Davies IMO.

Yeah that world player of the year 2016 nomination he got really show's how much he's regressed...

If you have a chance to pick Wolverine, you pick Wolverine.

The other two main 8 options are very talented so obviously it's a definite possibility that he doesn't tour at all but I feel too many are writing him off completely as people are wont to do (even, or especially many Irish people). He's had two incredible performances against NZ within the last year, started 5 of the last 6 Lions tests and has a lot of prior experience with Gatland. He could surprise a lot of people.

I don't think Ringrose is quite worthy of a selection yet but he is right on edge. Certainly his last 4 games this 6N are as good an audition platform as any.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

God you guys are sensitive about old man Heaslip.

Just giving my penny's worth.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

God you guys are sensitive about old man Heaslip.

Just giving my penny's worth.

You did straight up called him ****!

The Irish Lions I'd pick if I were Gatland would be McGarth, Best, Furlong, SOB, Stander, Heaslip, Murray, Sexton (Jackson if injured), Henshaw and Payne... Clearly shows where we struggle...

 

[McTallshort]

God you guys are sensitive about old man Heaslip.

Just giving my penny's worth.

Come on Tigs it's a Lions year. You should know by now at such a time as this you have to describe any Irish player who has a semi decent game as "world class" and a Lions test "shoe in" people are still picking Zebo on the strength a hitch kick he did a few years ago

 

[big ginger 8]

God you guys are sensitive about old man Heaslip.

Just giving my penny's worth.

Probably because despite being one of Ireland's best ever and most successful players he's had an incredibly divisive career with people from all sides giving nonsense opinion (not saying yours is) and saying he should be dropped for James Coughlan or Roger Wilson.

Makes us a bit jumpier than we usually would be.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Come on Tigs it's a Lions year. You should know by now at such a time as this you have to describe any Irish player who has a semi decent game as "world class" and a Lions test "shoe in" people are still picking Zebo on the strength a hitch kick he did a few years ago

Do you become more popular in Lions years when your joke becomes slightly more relevant?

 

[McTallshort]

Oops truth upsets some

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

You did straight up called him ****!
.

Those **** could of been anything.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Oops truth upsets some

You'd have to post something true to back up that hypothesis bud... Nothing here backs up what you say!

 

[McTallshort]

Come on you have to admit how partisan you Irish lads are when it comes to Lions selection. It's not as bad on here as it was on the old BBC 606 forum but you can still lack some objectivity when Lions selection is discussed.