The Lions squad for 2021 prediction

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

also free flight back to SA

 

[Groundhog]

If you haven't played in a week due to European fixtures you're technically retired.

 

[Welsh Exile]

If you haven't played in a week due to European fixtures you're technically retired.

If Gats is picking players like Care for the bants it's all semantics anyway.

 

[BPM]

That's not a reason to pick a player who hasn't played international rugby for even longer than 2 years. If anything f it's reason to avoid him like the plague. If he goes over Price (or any other SH playing regular international rugby recently) it's a joke, imo, and he's probably only going as a wind up to Eddie Jones much like Simmonds.

It was 2018. You're making out like it was last century.

How did you feel when Lydiate got a recall for the 6N?

 

[Welsh Exile]

It was 2018. You're making out like it was last century.

How did you feel when Lydiate got a recall for the 6N?

It'll almost be 3 years that he hasn't played international rugby. That's an age imo.

I was very wary of it but that's a false equivalence. We're talking the Lions here not Wales who have one of the smallest player pools out there.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Not until the end of the season (i.e. after the Lions tour)

He's still contracted with Munster until the end of June (per his retirement message)

Ah. Thanx, missed the part where he said at the end of the season. Maybe he can be the Lions' tour guide??

 

[Welsh Exile]

Also, what happened to Lydiate? Injured after 5 mins.

 

[Jakedood]

I think it

Also, what happened to Lydiate? Injured after 5 mins.

s slightly different in positions like SH vs the forward pack, slightly different intensity, and speed of thought and legs has never been Danny's issue. If his decision making is good, he'd be a good SH, he's not dog shite, but you'd hope players like Price would get in ahead, as they're very similar for my mind.
Care also, idk if he's gotten better, but box kicking was never his forte

 

[Welsh Exile]

I think it

s slightly different in positions like SH vs the forward pack, slightly different intensity, and speed of thought and legs has never been Danny's issue. If his decision making is good, he'd be a good SH, he's not dog shite, but you'd hope players like Price would get in ahead, as they're very similar for my mind.
Care also, idk if he's gotten better, but box kicking was never his forte

This is it. I'm not digging him out (well I kinda am) but I don't mind him. Was a decent International scrum half back in the day and he could probably do a job as a midweek scrum half but no way does he deserve to be ahead of Davies, Williams, Price or even Hardy. Youngs doesn't sound so bad at all now and I admit, would've been a shoo-in.

Imagine we pick up an early injury to our main 9 early in the tour and we're going into the first test with Care in the match day 23. Christ.

 

[ncurd]

Whilst if Care does go it will be bad for those guys I honestly look at scrummy situation and think of it half a dozen of one and half a dozen of the other. Don't think there is much separation between them in all honesty.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I really don't understand the outrage over (potentially) naming Care
If it were a forward I'd be more understanding of it as the physicality at test level is a step up
Are people worried about the pressure? He's got 80 odd caps
He's also the only the 9 who has regular experience playing against the starting Springboks 9

No ones claiming he should be right in as starter, but he's arguably the form 9 in the premiership (I'd say Spencer is, but it's close) and is a vastly experienced player.
I'd be more worried about Youngs in the Lions than Care - but people were far more accepting of that despite him being poor at international level for a while now

It's insanely slim pickings at 9 atm, is Care really a worse 3rd choice than the scrapings from the bottom of the 6N scrumhalf barrel?

Lions should be the best players, not just "Oh, well he's ****....but he did play in the Six Nations so go on then"

 

[TRF_heineken]

View attachment 10785


I really don't understand the outrage over (potentially) naming Care
If it were a forward I'd be more understanding of it as the physicality at test level is a step up
Are people worried about the pressure? He's got 80 odd caps
He's also the only the 9 who has regular experience playing against the starting Springboks 9

No ones claiming he should be right in as starter, but he's arguably the form 9 in the premiership (I'd say Spencer is, but it's close) and is a vastly experienced player.
I'd be more worried about Youngs in the Lions than Care - but people were far more accepting of that despite him being poor at international level for a while now

It's insanely slim pickings at 9 atm, is Care really a worse 3rd choice than the scrapings from the bottom of the 6N scrumhalf barrel?

Ah who Cares anyway...

 

[Welsh Exile]

Whilst if Care does go it will be bad for those guys I honestly look at scrummy situation and think of it half a dozen of one and half a dozen of the other. Don't think there is much separation between them in all honesty.

You mean apart from one hasn't played international rugby for 3 years and all the others have. That's a pretty big separation.

 

[Jakedood]

You mean apart from one hasn't played international rugby for 3 years and all the others have. That's a pretty big separation.

The other argument might be, if he was Scottish or Welsh he'd still be playing

 

[Welsh Exile]

View attachment 10785


I really don't understand the outrage over (potentially) naming Care
If it were a forward I'd be more understanding of it as the physicality at test level is a step up
Are people worried about the pressure? He's got 80 odd caps
He's also the only the 9 who has regular experience playing against the starting Springboks 9

No ones claiming he should be right in as starter, but he's arguably the form 9 in the premiership (I'd say Spencer is, but it's close) and is a vastly experienced player.
I'd be more worried about Youngs in the Lions than Care - but people were far more accepting of that despite him being poor at international level for a while now

It's insanely slim pickings at 9 atm, is Care really a worse 3rd choice than the scrapings from the bottom of the 6N scrumhalf barrel?

Lions should be the best players, not just "Oh, well he's ****....but he did play in the Six Nations so go on then"

Hardy played great in that England game. For me, that is huge compared to a guy who hasn't played international rugby in 3 years. It's a **** take if you ask me but I suppose I should wait until he's named before I burn this place down.

 

[ncurd]

You mean apart from one hasn't played international rugby for 3 years and all the others have. That's a pretty big separation.

I mean their all rubbish as far as I'm concerned as Olyy said. None give me a backs chubby like Faf or DuPont.

Its literally something I can't be arsed to get het up about. If he were replacing a good player I might.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Care was never even that good anyway.

Ok deep breaths.

 

[Welsh Exile]

I mean their all rubbish as far as I'm concerned as Olyy said. None give me a backs chubby like Faf or DuPont.

Its literally something I can't be arsed to get het up about. If he were replacing a good player I might.

Fair enough.

The only benefit I can think of Care is that he'll be really happy to be 3rd choice midweek bench player.

 

[ncurd]

Care was never even that good anyway.

Ok deep breaths.

He was like Youngs, whoever wasn't starting was the better player. He's had some great games for England and some appalling ones.

 

[Dean Cooperfield-West]

Care is a dark horse. Take him, start him in a mid week and you'll have pundits calling for him to start a test. You don't realise how good he is until you see him playing in the same game as a more popular option who can be the backup.