The Lions squad for 2021 prediction

[Welsh Exile]

38% is our biggest slice of the pie and that was in 2013 but understandable seeing as we won the GS in 2012 and the 6N in 2013

 

[Welsh Exile]

Ah here's another one I forgot (brain goes to complete fudge remembering 4 years ago)

Dylan Hartley, England captain didn't tour which was also compounded by Rory Best captaining the mid week side instead of being Grorge's replacement (Owens wasn't even bought on in the match the Lions won).

Why did he start George?

George is a good example actually. Clearly favoured by Gatland over Owens in 2017 and could be again. Either way George will tour.

 

[ncurd]

Why did he start George?

George is a good example actually. Clearly favoured by Gatland over Owens in 2017 and could be again. Either way George will tour.

*sigh* Look its not a question of why George was picked over Owens but why was Owens picked over Best and Hartley.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

To be fair I want some mad decisions just to see how to players react on tour,

Last time we had players revolting against the attack coach and coaching themselves because they had no faith in him, and players refusing to play with/be subbed off for the Geography players - that's going to be hard to top

Between all that, and relying on a red card and one of the biggest refereeing bottle jobs in recent history not to lose the last tour it's mad that he has this gig.

He's proven to be quite bitter in the past* and could get away with not picking Sexton and Farrell who never backed him up against SOB. You'd love to see the **** storm.

Even though I'm no fan of his I rate Gatland pretty highly but it'd more as a Jack Charlton type, he set up a good but not world beating Welsh side to be incredibly hard to beat and overachieved as a result. When given an abundance of world class talent as Lions HC he's done the bare minimum without being a hindrance like Woodward in 05.

I don't think he has much capacity to be biased this time around, he'd have to go out of his way to pick a Welsh player who doesn't deserve to be in the conversation and I don't see any Irish or English who really deserve to go that he'll leave out. Ringrose won't go, he's been the best 13 of the four nations since the last tour and probably should have gone on that one ahead of Payne but even as his biggest fan I don't think he absolutely deserves it, he's been poor in 2021, I'm sure I could think of a few similar English examples if I could stop thinking about Garry.

*was the cause of all the bad feeling Ireland and Wales have now which has been unfortunate

 

[ncurd]

2017 England rugby union tour of Argentina - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

2017 Ireland rugby union tour of Japan - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

This probably helps with people remembering some omissions, I think the Irish were pretty upset about Ringrose not being a bolter. Something reminds me about Mike Brown not going.

 

[Jakedood]

I'm sure I could think of a few similar English examples if I could stop thinking about Garry.

His holy sexiness

 

[Dean Cooperfield-West]

I have, and this forum makes Wales online seem pretty objective. Lol.

Have Wales ever played a match where their individual player ratings given beforehand don't add up to be higher than the team they're against?

"The players ratings before Wales vs XXXX"
"The areas Wales can beat XXXX"
"Our experts predict the exact score"

Conclusion is always a narrow Wales victory.

 

[klitarris]

Because the English, Welsh, Irish and Scottish can't handle that players they think are the best in the world are ignored by someone who disagrees and thinks other players are as good or better.

FTFY

 

[Welsh Exile]

I remember Mike Brown crying that he never got selected and whinged about how unfair it was. Was amusing.

 

[ncurd]

Between all that, and relying on a red card and one of the biggest refereeing bottle jobs in recent history not to lose the last tour it's mad that he has this gig.

Doesn't he have it more of virtue of no one else wanting the job?

 

[Welsh Exile]

FTFY

No doubt. I can only speak for myself or go on what I see on here, though.

If Tipuric doesn't tour tomorrow then I can have a good moan about how Gatland treats Welsh players unfairly I suppose.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Have Wales ever played a match where their individual player ratings given beforehand don't add up to be higher than the team they're against?

"The players ratings before Wales vs XXXX"
"The areas Wales can beat XXXX"
"Our experts predict the exact score"

Conclusion is always a narrow Wales victory.

I don't understand what you're getting at here. When you say Wales, do you mean the Wales Online pre match player ratings thing?

 

[Jakedood]

I remember Mike Brown crying that he never got selected and whinged about how unfair it was. Was amusing.

Bit harsh to delight in others disappointment dont you think? He's a passionate man who's dreamed of playing for the Lions, and was playing pretty damn well tbf to him. He's a quality rugby player

I don't understand what you're getting at here. When you say Wales, do you mean the Wales Online pre match player ratings thing?

Yeah having mentioned the bias of this forum vs Wales online, i think thats exactly what he means

 

[Umaga's Witness]

Prediction (injuries pending, but if sexton and tuilagi are semi available I'm picking they are carried, so I've picked three 10s, 4 midfielders, plus Farrell)

and yeah I picked aki, because teo

jones marler sutherland
Owens George Cowan-dickie
Furlong sinkler porter
Ryan Wyn Jones
Itoje henderson
Curry navidi beirne
Watson underhill
Faletau stander
Davies Murray price
Russell sexton biggar
Adams Rees-zammit
Henshaw farrell
Tuilagi aki ringrose
Watson
Hogg williams

if sexton or tuilagi doesn't go I'm picking may goes. If neither sexton nor tuilagi goes in picking may and Jonathan Davies

ps sorry to interrupt the repetitive debate about the merits of debate. Please do debate that that is what is happening here

 

[Dean Cooperfield-West]

I don't understand what you're getting at here. When you say Wales, do you mean the Wales Online pre match player ratings thing?

That's exactly what I mean.

What losses are you expecting for the Autumn? I'm think you're looking at...

Losing to NZ by 27
Losing to Australia by 14
Losing to RSA by 4

 

[Welsh Exile]

Bit harsh to delight in others disappointment dont you think? He's a passionate man who's dreamed of playing for the Lions, and was playing pretty damn well tbf to him. He's a quality rugby player



Yeah having mentioned the bias of this forum vs Wales online, i think thats exactly what he means

Yeah, but it's Mike Brown. Quality isn't the word I'd use to describe him but a decent club man and good international I suppose. Not lions quality for me but each to their own.

So he's comparing journalists for a crap publication who are paid to put biased views out there. Literally that's what they're paid to do. I'd suggest that's a bit different. But yeah, I agree, there isn't much in it between this place and the journalists at Wales Online.

 

[klitarris]

No doubt. I can only speak for myself or go on what I see on here, though.

If Tipuric doesn't tour tomorrow then I can have a good moan about how Gatland treats Welsh players unfairly I suppose.

We're all as bad as each other from what i see. Maybe as there are more English on here it gets skewed that way.

 

[Welsh Exile]

That's exactly what I mean.

What losses are you expecting for the Autumn? I'm think you're looking at...

Losing to NZ by 27
Losing to Australia by 14
Losing to RSA by 4

Oh right, ok then.

Cool, well considering you don't know the difference between a lock and a back rower I'll take your opinion with a pinch of salt.

 

[Welsh Exile]

We're all as bad as each other from what i see. Maybe as there are more English on here it gets skewed that way.

Yeah, could be. Not that you'll get the zealots on here admitting that they're very similar to the WOL crew though. They're above all that.

 

[Groundhog]

I really don't anticipate being all that upset by selections from an Irish POV at 12:46:34 tomorrow or whatever ultra specific time they're announcing. I think most of the players we expect to go are reasonably nailed on and we have to be realistic that some of our players we'd have expected to tour last year or Pre WC aren't playing at their best. I think we'll have Henshaw, Furlong, Murray, Hendy, Beirne, Sexy, Stander and probably Porter travelling, with outside bets for Ringrose, who I'd be happy not to travel as he's had a really up down injury dotted season and I think some time resting is much needed. Really dark horses for Ireland? Kelleher probably the only one. Zebo and Cooney if you post on boards.ie and hate yourself? I don't think many of the 'dark horses' reported to have got letters will be initially selected if we're honest. Stand by dirt trackers more likely. AWJ will be tour captain, which I don't love as I don't have him nailed on to start, but I ultimately don't really care that much.

With that said I am deeply hoping its controversial enough that this forum turns into complete chaos with personal insults, attacks on national identity and just general parochialism galore from people with three hour old accounts. Lets make this forum great again!