The Lions squad for 2021 prediction

[Jakedood]

View attachment 10692

Nothing would make a saffa team less comfortable than a man who shows his vulnerable side.

Step 1) Beat up Billy in training... Tell Coetzee that Billy slabbered at his ma or something
Step 2) Win the ultimate goal of any club side, challenge cup, championing Ulster to victory with a performance of Guts & bravery that even AWJ army of supporters would be flabbergasted at
Step 3) Learn Hypnotism, and put Gats under his spell
Step 4) Gats still chooses an all Welsh team

 

[Jakedood]

Same as 4 years ago Sexton, Farrell and Biggar travel.

Sexton on form aside Ford and Russell are exactly what I want in a fly half but cleary not Gatland's cup of tea.



I'll be honest SA rustyness aside 9/10/12 are just too much of a **** show in NH currently for me to see us winning.

So I can sorta see your point about 9, except Murray is showing form again, though no FdK
I think Finn Russell has matured and is a real quality operator, with all the skills you could want
and 12, Robbie Henshaw has been playing out of his skin, again a quality operator

Was this post meant for an England thread?

 

[ncurd]

So I can sorta see your point about 9, except Murray is showing form again, though no FdK
I think Finn Russell has matured and is a real quality operator, with all the skills you could want
and 12, Robbie Henshaw has been playing out of his skin, again a quality operator

Was this post meant for an England thread?

Russell won't go, can't see Gatland taking him certainly won't be starting or even on bench.
Murray has to do it at international level.
Henshaw is definitely a good player but he'll play Farrell.

Clarify my posts 9/10/12 are a shitshow in the realms of what I can honestly see Gatland selecting for the test side.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I'll be honest SA rustyness aside 9/10/12 are just too much of a **** show in NH currently for me to see us winning.

Really? Henshaw's in unbelievable form. 12 definitely not a position that I think of as being particularly weak at the moment. Agree with 9 and 10 though.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Lions 10 & 12

 

[Jakedood]

Russell won't go, can't see Gatland taking him certainly won't be starting or even on bench.
Murray has to do it at international level.
Henshaw is definitely a good player but he'll play Farrell.

Clarify my posts 9/10/12 are a shitshow in the realms of what I can honestly see Gatland selecting for the test side.

I dunno, I think gats went Te'o for his first game in NZ, he likes a hard runner at IC. I can see what you mean, but I'll fall on my sword of hope when he announces the team. I think if Finn goes, he can put in the performances to either justify or negate his selection, but he deserves to go I think and at least have that opportunity
And Murray looked damn good v England, and has continued on since then. Back to his metronomic best
You usually see a bump in performance as well when surrounded by class, and Lions teams have that in abundance. The pack is stronger than regular internationals, and that makes a big difference

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Lions 10 & 12

Hadn't seen that photo, you can keep him.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I think Finn Russell has matured and is a real quality operator

I feel like we watched very different Six Nations campaigns,
Russell had a very average (at best) 6N, and had some real clangers - Hogg was at the heart of everything good that Scotland did

Agree with you on the vast majority of this but there's no way Gats is taking Lawrence over JD2. Would also be very surprised if VDM doesn't go; he's everything Gatland looks for in a winger.

I reckon DvdM is an almost guaranteed starter tbh - as you say, he's literally everything Gatland loves in a winger, and then throw in two Scotland coaches on the coaching staff who, obviously, rate him very highly as well

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I feel like we watched very different Six Nations campaigns,
Russell had a very average (at best) 6N, and had some real clangers - Hogg was at the heart of everything good that Scotland did

Agree very much on this. Think Russell had a couple of big failures against England that got papered over by the victory. Remember early on when Scotland had been camped on the England line for quite a while and then after a period of sustained scrum pressure Finn put a cross field kick straight into touch when there was absolutely no need for it and it allowed England right off the hook? If Scotland had lost he'd have (rightly) been under fire for that but as it is it's hardly talked about. Things like that really show IMO that he really doesn't have the patience/management needed.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Lions 10 & 12

who is that?

edit- ffs Noel Reid

edit - Not noel Reid

edit - Dan Kelly

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Dan Kelly

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

who is that?

edit- ffs Noel Reid

edit - Not noel Reid

edit - Dan Kelly

GOATed post

 

[Welsh Exile]

I think Gatland likes to have wingers that are more than just big and strong. He loves Adams but he's not the biggest winger in the world. He likes gutsy, tenacious players who are solid in defence, If they're also big and powerful then all the better

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I think Gatland likes to have wingers that are more than just big and strong. He loves Adams but he's not the biggest winger in the world. He likes gutsy, tenacious players who are solid in defence, If they're also big and powerful then all the better

Ah yes, the reasons why Cuthbert nabbed 61 Wales caps and 1 Lions Cap under Gatland were his tenacity and solidity in defence.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Ah yes, the reasons why Cuthbert nabbed 61 Wales caps and 1 Lions Cap under Gatland were his tenacity and solidity in defence.

I would say Cuthbert was quite gutsy tbh but Things aren't as black and white as that, though. You have to put it into context of the time, players available, current tactics and a whole lot of other stuff.

If he valued power above all else Jamie Roberts never would've never got frozen out and he would've brought Cuthbert back into the fold, no?

I'm pretty sure he's even played Hallam Amos on the wing. I'm not saying he doesn't value powerful players but my guess would be the wingers will be Adams and Watson and neither of them are the biggest most powerful wingers in the world but both are tenacious, dynamic and have a lot of gas

 

[Welsh Exile]

Oh yeah, and Liam Williams. He would always play him on the wing and he's all knees and elbows and the very definition of gutsy but not big and powerful but we all see things to try and fit our narrative I suppose.

 

[Welsh Exile]

It's also why Lowe won't go. Big strong and powerful but suspect defence. I wouldn't be surprised if North was fit if Van de merwe didn't go at all but he probably will but will be surprised if he starts.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

From an english perspective, no doubt really there should be fewer of our guys than last tour because some of our players are in awful form.
At the same time, there's definitely a failure of Eddie Jones and the circumstances of his 6 nations coaching setup to take account of.
Gatland has the tough job of trying to work out who should get benefit of the doubt and has done enough to rise above Englands chaos - versus those who need binning asap.

The definite binning category is pretty small tbf - Vunipola, Youngs( but that's just my opinion and all coaches seem to disagree), Daly,
Those are the only definite e.gs of players who probably would tour in better English form.
The others were already marginal calls anyway, plus a couple who have showed some bad form but you're not going to leave out of the party, such as Farrell.

The ones who really miss out due to englands bad form and are now wildcards at best would the likes of LCD, Lawes, Genge...maybe Ford but I doubt Gatland would have gone for him anyway

 

[BPM]

I wouldn't have said LCD is a wildcard at all. I fully expect him to tour.

Hooker isn't a spectacularly strong position ATM and his individual form is good.

I'd rate him ahead of Herring, Kelleher, Turner, Elias and Dee.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Don't get me wrong, I'd pick him. And maybe Gats will. But it's always harder being the second choice for a side who isn't doing well. Agree that hooker is a pretty poor position for the lions, comparatively.