Squad Selections

[Cymro]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dullonien @ Feb 12 2009, 11:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Didn't Wales only loose 1 leinout against Scotland. Oh Man, I can't remember now! I remember thinking it was better than normal (doesn't take much), but still not great. Anyone got any stats to hand?

Edit: Just found it, Wales lost 2 from 12 (alos stole 1 Scottish) not bad considering their usual tally. But still the worst (apart from Italy, who lost 5).[/b]

(iii) Scotland vs Wales

Scotland:

Line-outs: 10 (1 lost)
Scrums: 10 (7 reset, 5 collapses, 2 lost, 1 penalty)
Free-kicks: 2 (1 mark, 1 scrum)
Drop-outs: 0

Wales:

Line-outs: 12 (2 lost, 2 quick)
Scrums: 10 (2 reset, 2 collapses, 1 free kick)
Free-kicks: 0
Drop-outs: 1




http://www.rugby365.com/news/1507940.htm

 

[welsh]

1. G.Jenkins / A.Jones
2. J.Flannery / R.Ford
3. A.Sheridan / P.Vickery
4. P.O'Connell / I.Gough
5. A.W.Jones / D.O'Callaghan
6. J.Worsley / J.Thomas
7. D.Wallace / M.Williams
8. A Powell / J. Heaslip

9. M.Phillips / D.Care
10. R.O'Gara / J.Hook
11. S.Williams / L.Halfpenny
12. G.Henson / J.Roberts
13. B.O'Driscoll / M.Tait
14. P.Sackey / T.Evans
15. L.Byrne / Kearney

other that will travel * Forwards : Haskell, T.Rees, R.Jones, S.Taylor, Borthwick, Hibbard, I Gough cant think of any front rowers

* Backs : R.Flutey, S.Jones, Blair, Armitage, Shanklin, Cueto, D'Arcy, Tommy Bowe *

Uncapped Player ?? ; i would say ?????????????

 

[kicklikeaprop]

if i were thinking like woodword(thank god he has nothing to do with this tour) and i was going to take everyone avialable the tour party would be narrowed down to 3 per position
the fpllowing would be my 45 man squad


1 jenkins/ sheridan/horan
2 flannery/ ford/ rees
3 murray/ vickery/ jones
4 aw jones/ o callaghan/ kennedy
5 o connell/ gough / hines
6 jones / haskell /ferris
7 wallace / williams/ rees
8 heaslip / powell / taylor
9 philips / blair/ o leary
10 jones / o gara / cipriani
11 williams/ cueto / bowe
12 roberts / hensen / d'arcy
13o driscoll / shanklin / earls
14 halpenny / fitzgearld /strettle
15 byrne / kearney / armitage

that would leave
16 welsh
15 irish
9 english
5 scothish
i cant think of anyone obvious that i left out but no dought someone will think of some one........................................

 

[MunsterMan]

Max and Thom Evans for a start!

 

[shazbooger]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Feb 22 2009, 11:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Max and Thom Evans for a start![/b]

Thom maybe, Max hasnt done anything YET. Hopefully he will but its still very early days.

 

[gingergenius]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Logorrhea @ Feb 23 2009, 11:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Feb 22 2009, 11:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Max and Thom Evans for a start![/b]

Thom maybe, Max hasnt done anything YET. Hopefully he will but its still very early days.
[/b][/quote]

Hopefully Max doesn't do anything soon either.. England have still got to play Scotland! As for Thom, if we're taking 4 wingers then he's in my touring party. He'll be the only jock outside back fo sho

 

[MunsterMan]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Logorrhea @ Feb 23 2009, 11:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Feb 22 2009, 11:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Max and Thom Evans for a start![/b]

Thom maybe, Max hasnt done anything YET. Hopefully he will but its still very early days.
[/b][/quote]

Didn't like his try against Wales, and the way he made a fool out of Lee Byrne? I am in no way saying he should be starting but I can easily see him making a 45 man squad!

 

[An Tarbh]

surely it's not gonna be that big

 

[Cymro]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Feb 23 2009, 01:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Logorrhea @ Feb 23 2009, 11:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Feb 22 2009, 11:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Max and Thom Evans for a start![/b]

Thom maybe, Max hasnt done anything YET. Hopefully he will but its still very early days.
[/b][/quote]

Didn't like his try against Wales, and the way he made a fool out of Lee Byrne? I am in no way saying he should be starting but I can easily see him making a 45 man squad!
[/b][/quote]

35 Man Squad he is picking is Geech!

 

[MunsterMan]

I know, my original response was to Kicklikeaprop's 45 man squad.

 

[kicklikeaprop]

has it being said that its a 35 man squad that will be picked

 

[An Tarbh]

I thought he'd said something when he was given the job about taking a much smaller squad than had been to NZ, something about picking an initial squad of 60 and then whittling that down to 35, think he scrapped the plan though to name the larger squad.

 

[dullonien]

And with Gatlands influence it almost certainly will be a smallish squad. Look at Wales' squad size, much smaller compared with other nations and it seems to have worked. I think it helps with the tight knit commited aspect (which is even more improtant on a Lions tour, when four nations are coming together) and increases the competition for places to get into the squad, hopefully bringing even more out of the players. At the end of the day, what's the point of taking players who won't play, a Lions cap should be a very privalleged thing.

35 sounds about right to me, enough for two teams of 15 + 5 for the bench. It will mean some players from the main 15 sitting on the bench of mid-week games, but nothing wrong with that! I suppose it could increase to 37 so there are two teams of 15 + a full 7 for the bench. We'll have to wait and see.

Things should really start hotting up this week for Lion's squad, some players are on the last chance saloon to try and push for a spot (Henson etc.), some are starting to slip and need to up their game (Blair etc.), and some are almost home and dry (Burne, Heaslip etc.).

Should be some almighty battles on the last weekend though, I'm looking at the Wales v Irelend match in particular. Powell v Heaslip, Williams v Wallace, Roberts v O'Driscoll (possibly), Kearney v Lee Burne (mouthwatering), Alun-Wyn v O'Connell. Christ I can't wait already!

 

[An Tarbh]

the battles you mention though are for test places and while that's a great battle in itself, it'll be more interesting to see who plays their way into the squad, possibly hits the ground running in the tour games they get and manage to make their way into the test squad or even a starting place, less likely this time round but still possible.

 

[Incredible Schalk]

Im sure Wales lost alot of ball ,this it was something like 6 throws. Im not certain though.

 

[Cymro]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Incredible Schalk @ Feb 24 2009, 07:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Im sure Wales lost alot of ball ,this it was something like 6 throws. Im not certain though.[/b]

Talk some sense ...

Wales did not lose a lineout against England or a scrum!

 

[kicklikeaprop]

one quick question

is there a good enough prop available who can cover both tight and loose head from the bench or will there have to be 3 front rowers on the bench

 

[dullonien]

Gethin Jenkins can switch to tight head if needed. I'd just have a replacement loosehead on the bench and if the tighthead get's injured, move Melon on over.

 

[kicklikeaprop]

cheers .......
touch wood but what if he get injured

 

[dullonien]

Don't think any of the other props in contection can play both sides of the scrum. Eifion Roberts at Sale (I've heard he's keeping Sheridan out of the team at Sale, is this true?) can play both sides also, but he's yet to feature for Wales yet, one for next season I hope.