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2021 British & Irish Lions Tour
The Lions squad for 2021 prediction
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<blockquote data-quote="BPM" data-source="post: 1038453" data-attributes="member: 59968"><p>Not at all.</p><p></p><p>It's not about their heritage, it's about where they have spent their lives and their rugby education.</p><p></p><p>Mako is Tongan, (born in New Zealand IIRC) but has spent almost his entire life in Britain. He and Billy are a slightly unusual case as they were initially brought up in Wales and not England, but from a Lions POV, there is no question that they are the product of British life and British rugby.</p><p></p><p>Itoje has Nigerian parents but was born in England and has spent the entirety of his life here. Why would he not play for England or the Lions for that matter?</p><p></p><p>Duhan van der Merwe is a product of South African rugby. He is not a kid and so the Scots can take no credit for developing him. He came to Scotland purely for money and an easier route in to test rugby. As soon as he completed the residency period, he sought a move to make more money .. not to a good team where he could win things, just the highest bidder. Now we are rewarding him with a call-up in place of players who have grown up wanting to be Lions. It's embarrassing and I'm ashamed of Gatland for it.</p><p></p><p><em>*Sorry to re-open this one ... It's definitely been covered, but as it was my statement that offended Macca, I felt honour bound to respond and to apologise ... to absolutely no-one.*</em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="BPM, post: 1038453, member: 59968"] Not at all. It’s not about their heritage, it’s about where they have spent their lives and their rugby education. Mako is Tongan, (born in New Zealand IIRC) but has spent almost his entire life in Britain. He and Billy are a slightly unusual case as they were initially brought up in Wales and not England, but from a Lions POV, there is no question that they are the product of British life and British rugby. Itoje has Nigerian parents but was born in England and has spent the entirety of his life here. Why would he not play for England or the Lions for that matter? Duhan van der Merwe is a product of South African rugby. He is not a kid and so the Scots can take no credit for developing him. He came to Scotland purely for money and an easier route in to test rugby. As soon as he completed the residency period, he sought a move to make more money .. not to a good team where he could win things, just the highest bidder. Now we are rewarding him with a call-up in place of players who have grown up wanting to be Lions. It’s embarrassing and I’m ashamed of Gatland for it. [I]*Sorry to re-open this one ... It’s definitely been covered, but as it was my statement that offended Macca, I felt honour bound to respond and to apologise ... to absolutely no-one.*[/I] [/QUOTE]
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