Obviously its a year out and half the players availible now are going to be injured, but I was thinking of what sort of Lions side I'd cobble together based solely on performances down under - its actually not a bad side despite the whitewashes
1. Cian Healy - proven roo basher and player of the tour for Ireland IMO
2. Ross Ford - not an overabundance of standout performers here
3. Adam Jones - marginally over the Cole, strength here either way
4. Richie Gray
5. Geoff Parling - winning the airial battle will be essential next year, as Wales just proved - a little uneasy about the lack of a heavyweight grafter at tighthead lock, but perhaps this will be less of an issue in Australia than it would be in NZ or SA
6. Tom Johnstone - I was a bit underwhemed with the Welsh loosies to be fair - presumably Ferris will fill this spot when he returns
7. Ross Rennie - put the weather to one side, still the only bloke to neutralize Pocock
8. Jamie Heaslip - second test massive, purpose built for sucking in Aussie loosies too
9. Danny Care - problem area
10. Sexton - proved his chops
11. George North
12. ?? on the basis of the SA Lions tour, Jamie Roberts - although the Aussies shut him down in the world cup quite effectivly. No standouts in the last month
13. Manu Tuilangi - realisticly it'll be an all Welsh midfeild, but Manu proved himself a novel threat in SA.
14. Alex Cuthbert
15. Rob Kearney - solid.
Midfield looks to be a proper issue now that BOD is past it at the top level, so perhaps it is fortunate that Australia are struggling in this area as well - overall though, I would have thought that these guys would be favourites to take out the series, depending of course on how exposed the famous lack of Wallibie depth gets as the series goes on.
Everyone loves these threads secretly...
Thsi team has me worried, precisely because it does generally reflect form, but that I think if this team played the Wallabies it would lose. We're reliant on a rsurgence of form in lots of positions to stop that happening.
Lots of if's and but's in the front five. I'd be very tempted to slot in Dan Cole at tighthead owing to the fact that he has both a great scrummaging game(2nd best scrummaging tighthead after Adam in my opinion) but he's also damm good in the loose.
Locks: Don't forget that injuries aside Paul O connel could still make the tour as a preferred lock. All 4 of the Welshies deserve to be in contention, with no one of them standing above the rest but all getting pretty close. I really hope Courtney Lawes can stay fit and string some games together because in form I think hes a huge asset around the field.
parling is great but by next year I'd sortof hope that someone else will have risen above....
Grays definitely thereabouts.
I'm really not convinced by the back-row. There were few standouts at 7 during the tours, and the 6's shoe-horned into 7 did no worse than the actual 7's, all things considered. I think Robshaw was as good as anyone at 7 on the tour, but I don't want people to think I'm being one eyed in picking him! Therefore I'd suggest having him at 6 instead where I again wasn't blown away by the performances. That leaves me unsure about 7 - 3 wins from 3 tells a misleading story for Scotland and Rennie if we're honest with ourselves, whilst Warburton wasn't himself/did not perform as expected. I would argue that Sean O'brien is the least effective 7 of the 6.5s, although I know me saying this will probably lead to enforced disappearance at the hands of the Leinster mob
. We're not going to have much luck over there unless Warburton steps up or we find a new 7. We also really need Ferris to stay injury free.
8: We have lots of potential here. If Morgan finds form he could be our 8 by the lions tour. Faletau has to work really hard at his game and his weaknesses if he's to make it in there. At present its Denton or Heaslip. Heaslip has the experience and I'd go with him here. I do feel though that Morgan could be quite some player by this time next year.
Half-backs, completely agree. I don't think 9 is necessarily problem position at all. Care on current form is only behind Genia and on a level with Aaron Smith in terms of the best 9's around. We now just need another guy to stick their hand up as an impact player for the bench. Even not rating him, Philips could have this impact value through his size. Otherwise, I feel stupid saying it but, Dickson? Yep, I feeel really stupid now.
10: Sexton is head and bloody shoulders abvoe the rest. We need Ford and Hook to bolt to form in order to back-up/offer some vague challenge.
11: North: yes.
12: Unless we discover another 12 who can step up to international level Jamie Roberts is absolutely guaranteeed to start at 12, and rightly so. Anthony Allen would have to absolutely bolt to have a chance, and Tuilagi would have to work out how to play 12. McFadden would have to improve his Ireland performances a great deal too.
13: BOD ain't past it, heretic! He missed a fair few tackles on tour but that's ok as its the all-blacks. I'd have him at 13 still. Manu has all the talent he needs to find his way into the starting 15 by next year, but this is dependent both on form and on England actually fworking out how to use him. At present he'd likely find hismelf behind Davies at 13 as well.
Cuthbert at 14? Rather not to be honest. I'd like it if Tommy Bowe came back fit and in form, then he'd have my vote.
As regards 15 after the tours, I'd say its Halfpenny a shade ahead of Foden, which could easily reverse if form changes.
