Lions: Return to Oz

[cyRil]

I'd sack off Faletau for another lock right away

You poor, misguided child.

 

[dullonien]

I'd sack off Faletau for another lock right away (either Parling or A.N Other) - Denton would be good to take, especially as he plays 6 and 8, but then who do you take him over?

I don't understand your dislike for Faletau. He needs to work on his vision, because he took the ball into contact on a few occasions during the 6 nations where he should have passed, but other than that he was excellent, with an absolutely huge work-rate in both attack and defence. Denton and Morgan may be the flashy 8's, but Faletau (and Heaslip) are your grafters, that can also have a romp or two. Faletau first came to the fore with his barnstorming runs for the Dragons, and I'm expecting to see more of that again next season.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

He's simply not as good as any of the other options at 8, in my opinion.
He's got the worst hands of the lot, and has the vision of Andy Powell at times...
He's young, though, and could well improve on both of those aspects in the next year or so, but I'd have Morgan/Heaslip over him for out and out 8s.

 

[Teh Mite]

Faletau has as much reason to be a Lion as Flutey... Oh, hold on...

 

[cyRil]

He's simply not as good as any of the other options at 8, in my opinion.
He's got the worst hands of the lot, and has the vision of Andy Powell at times...
He's young, though, and could well improve on both of those aspects in the next year or so, but I'd have Morgan/Heaslip over him for out and out 8s.

Wrong. He's only not as good as Heaslip when he's on very top form.
He's a brilliant ball-carrier and tackler (obviously), he's dynamic, an able option in the line-out and can last a whole game.
He is a ****ing sensational player.
Your turn.

 

[dullonien]

He's simply not as good as any of the other options at 8, in my opinion.
He's got the worst hands of the lot, and has the vision of Andy Powell at times...
He's young, though, and could well improve on both of those aspects in the next year or so, but I'd have Morgan/Heaslip over him for out and out 8s.

He struggled with his hands in his first couple of tests, but not since really. He wasn't as prominent and destructive this 6 nations, but he was far from poor.

Morgan and Denton are only starting out in their international careers, a lot can change in a year, just look at Andy Powell, who was fantastic in his first few tests, but was found out quickly. Faletau's relatively inexperienced as well, but he's lasted two campaigns, and is still going strong.

 

[cyRil]

Ps. Grand Slam.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Ps. Grand Slam.

Balshaw won a world cup.



I'm not saying he's a bad player, he's just not as great as people go on like.
He probably will be, but at the moment I'd take Denton/Heaslip/Morgan over him.

 

[cyRil]

Faletau has as much reason to be a Lion as Flutey... Oh, hold on...

Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeexxxttt!!

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

Just to put my 50 cents worth: I love Toby.

And now I shall select my entire squad as I've been away for a week and not had a chance to fill out juvenile XVs for a while. Going for 38, same as last time.


Props: Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones, Alex Corbisiero, Dan Cole
Hookers: Ross Ford, Rory Best, Matthew Rees
Locks: Richie Gray, Alun Wyn Jones, Luke Charteris, Paul O'Connell
Flankers: Sam Warburton (captain), Dan Lydiate, Stephen Ferris, Tom Croft, Ross Rennie
Number 8: Toby Faletau, Sean O'Brien, Ben Morgan, Dave Denton
Scrum-Half: Mike Phillips, Conor Murray, Mike Blair
Fly-Half: Rhys Priestland, Owen Farrell, Jonathan Sexton
Centres: Jamie Roberts, Manu Tuilagi, Jonathan Davies, Brian O'Driscoll
Wings: George North, Alex Cuthbert, Tommy Bowe, Tim Visser
Full Backs: Leigh Halfpenny, Rob Kearney, Ben Foden, Stuart Hogg

Not sure I need 4 Fullbacks, but Halfpenny and Hogg will be covering wing and centre respectively, with Tommy Bowe, Owen Farrel and George North also there to provide additional options at 12 & 13. Not 100% sold on Rennie or Cuthbert as Lions to be honest, but they seem to be the best options available.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Just to put my 50 cents worth: I love Toby.

And now I shall select my entire squad as I've been away for a week and not had a chance to fill out juvenile XVs for a while. Going for 38, same as last time.


Props: Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones, Alex Corbisiero, Dan Cole
Hookers: Ross Ford, Rory Best, Matthew Rees
Locks: Richie Gray, Alun Wyn Jones, Luke Charteris, Paul O'Connell
Flankers: Sam Warburton (captain), Dan Lydiate, Stephen Ferris, Tom Croft, Ross Rennie
Number 8: Toby Faletau, Sean O'Brien, Ben Morgan, Dave Denton
Scrum-Half: Mike Phillips, Conor Murray, Mike Blair
Fly-Half: Rhys Priestland, Owen Farrell, Jonathan Sexton
Centres: Jamie Roberts, Manu Tuilagi, Jonathan Davies, Brian O'Driscoll
Wings: George North, Alex Cuthbert, Tommy Bowe, Tim Visser
Full Backs: Leigh Halfpenny, Rob Kearney, Ben Foden, Stuart Hogg

Not sure I need 4 Fullbacks, but Halfpenny and Hogg will be covering wing and centre respectively, with Tommy Bowe, Owen Farrel and George North also there to provide additional options at 12 & 13. Not 100% sold on Rennie or Cuthbert as Lions to be honest, but they seem to be the best options available.

Watchout Dunc, BG8 will be after you because you did the Gethin Jenkins > Cian Healy

 

[Draggs]

Ken Owens for Matthew Rees.
Ian Evans certainly a tourist with his form.
Tim Visser hasn't even been capped yet.

 

[j-dawg]

Someone please explain to me what happend to O'Brien this 6 nations. Did his on field character die along with his blue scrum hat? A year ago he was sensational.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Someone please explain to me what happend to O'Brien this 6 nations. Did his on field character die along with his blue scrum hat? A year ago he was sensational.

He's playing at 7, as a 7, rather than at/as 6 or 8, so he's in the breakdown more, rather than making the big runs/hits.
I still much prefer him at 6 or 8 (his big charge vs Cardiff was when he moved to 6 after Jennings came on) but he's becoming a decent 7 now (as decent as any other 6/8 that's shoehorned in at 7, anyhow).

I'm not sold on the idea of Cuthbert on the Lions tour either - He had a decent 6N but it's been exaggerated due to his try in the France game, and his Blues form is no great shakes.
He's like a less-good North, and with North already there then you can get a different type of winger involved on the other wing.

Would take Trimble or Earls over him, at the moment.
Hopefully England get Sharples a decent amount of game time, and see if Strettle can keep improving (and Ashton gets shot out of a catapult to make way for Sharples).

Edit: I'd take Visser, without a doubt. The man's Alec Guinness, you can't deny it.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Tim Visser hasn't even been capped yet.

Doesn't need to be capped to be selected.

 

[psychic duck]

I'm not sold on the idea of Cuthbert on the Lions tour either - He had a decent 6N but it's been exaggerated due to his try in the France game, and his Blues form is no great shakes.
He's like a less-good North, and with North already there then you can get a different type of winger involved on the other wing.

Would take Trimble or Earls over him, at the moment.
Hopefully England get Sharples a decent amount of game time, and see if Strettle can keep improving (and Ashton gets shot out of a catapult to make way for Sharples).

Cuthbert is more like a version Malzieu, probably not yet as good

North is a slightly different type of player, as in he has much more skills, he is much more agile and can side step, and good hands and offload, skills which Cuthbert lacks at the moment, Cuthbert basically is just a big fast guy who runs straight and is a good finisher, but North has more weapons of attack, also I think teams focusing on North may have given Cuthbert more space in the 6N

I agree there are quite a few more rounded wingers who I would take ahead of Cuthbert

 

[Teh Mite]

If Visser tours in cheering the ****ing Oussies.

 

[psychic duck]

If Visser tours in cheering the ****ing Oussies.

so were you cheering the Boks last time because Flutey toured?

 

[dullonien]

If Visser tours in cheering the ****ing Oussies.

Maybe, but there's no denying he's a try scoring machine.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Much like Fionn Carr before him. And Tom Varndell. And Matt Banahan. We don't have a clue as to whether he's any use until he plays internationally.

Doesn't matter anyway. I'm with Mite on this one, he shouldn't tour.