Lions SA 2021

[Mikey Brown]

A lions tour of all the home nations misfits actually sounds far more interesting to me.

Or maybe it’s just England that have so many.

[switchskier]

Post autumn Lions 1st XV?

1 MakoV*
2 George
3 Sinkler*
4 Itoje
5 ? Some Irishman? Launch?
6 Faletau
7 Curry
8 BillyV
9 ? One of the Welsh players?
10 Ford, Russell or Hastings depending on how the latter two return from injury
11 May
12 Henshaw
13 Aki? (Tuilagi if he ever returns perhaps)
14 Watson
15 LWilliams? Hogg seems out of sorts

*Wrong way round? Couldn't be arsed to check.

Too many Englishmen in there perhaps - sadly I don't watch all the other teams as often as I used to.

Faletau and Billy Vunipola had recent games at the weekend but both are some distance from their peaks. I'd far rather see Willis and Doris in those slots, with Ritchie scrapping to get in.

The centres lack outstanding candidates to me. Unfortunately that means that Farrell will play there. Let's just hope we don't have to rely on his kicking.

[Dan. Dan. Dan.]

Anyone here?

Here's Owen Slot's 'potential squad', whatever that means...

Gatland’s potential squad

Full backs Stuart Hogg (Scot), Liam Williams (Wales).
Wings Josh Adams (Wales), Louis Rees-Zammit (Wales), Jonny May (Eng), Duhan van der Merwe (Scot), Anthony Watson (Eng).
Centres Jonathan Davies (Wales), Chris Harris (Scot), Henry Slade (Eng), Robbie Henshaw (Ire), Garry Ringrose (Ire), Manu Tuilagi (Eng).
Fly halves Owen Farrell (Eng), George Ford (Eng), Finn Russell (Scot).
Scrum halves Gareth Davies (Wales), Conor Murray (Ire), Tomos Williams (Wales).
Loose-head props Wyn Jones (Wales), Joe Marler (Eng), Mako Vunipola (Eng).
Tight-head props Zander Fagerson (Scot), Tadhg Furlong (Ire), Kyle Sinckler (Eng).
Hookers Luke Cowan-Dickie (Eng), Jamie George (Eng), Ken Owens (Wales).
Second rows Jonny Gray (Scot), Maro Itoje (Eng), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), Joe Launchbury (Eng), James Ryan (Ire).
Back rows Tadhg Beirne (Ire), Tom Curry (Eng), Taulupe Faletau (Wales), Josh Navidi (Wales), Jamie Ritchie (Scot), Sam Simmonds (Eng), Sam Underhill (Eng), Billy Vunipola (Eng).

Justin Tipuric is surely the most blindingly obvious emission, and there's a few English players there that surely need to show some semblance of form to be in. Ali Price is probably the sh that for me looks to be the best of a meh bunch too.

[Mikey Brown]

Seems like just as a random a collection of names as any other I’ve seen.

[Stom]

Yeah, a bit meh there.

I think one of the Scottish hookers will be there, they’ve all shown something.

[Digby]

No Ali Price is a bit, well, Gatlandish

As ever there are a number of English players in there I'd be much happier to see miss out

[switchskier]

Scrum half just seems really open in general, with no outstanding candidates. I could see Hardy pushing for a slot and even the jersey if he can come back and play like he did against England.

[Digby]

Any of them can play if they're playing against a side so undermining itself in penalties. Actually you'd almost do better slating Hardy and Biggar for their performances against England because they did so little when presented with control of the game for free, but they don't really have many options

[Puja]

Scrum half just seems really open in general, with no outstanding candidates. I could see Hardy pushing for a slot and even the jersey if he can come back and play like he did against England.

Unpopular though this might be, Ben Youngs is currently the form scrum-half in the British Isles by a reasonable distance.

Puja

[Dan. Dan. Dan.]

Scrum half just seems really open in general, with no outstanding candidates. I could see Hardy pushing for a slot and even the jersey if he can come back and play like he did against England.

Unpopular though this might be, Ben Youngs is currently the form scrum-half in the British Isles by a reasonable distance.

Puja

Odd isn't it!?!? But even in the Scotland game he was one of the better performers. Looks right at home playing fast and loose. Almost certain he'll tour, and at the moment I think he'd probably start.

[Mikey Brown]

He has been doing lots of very good stuff for the last few years. I’m not sure if we’ve just gotten used to his error rate (or persistent wobbliness/inaccuracy) or he’s actually good enough elsewhere for it not to matter anymore.

[Stom]

He has been doing lots of very good stuff for the last few years. I’m not sure if we’ve just gotten used to his error rate (or persistent wobbliness/inaccuracy) or he’s actually good enough elsewhere for it not to matter anymore.

He's not dithering. When he plays fast and doesn't dither, you can forgive the passes that go over Ford's head. Especially as Ford is very good at dealing with them having played with Youngs for nearly all his career (poor sod).

I agree he's probably the best, but it's also an area I think we're pretty understocked in general.

[paddy no 11]

Henshaw, furlong and Bernie are on the plane, don't think too many other Irish players have strong cases

[paddy no 11]

1.
2. Owens
3. Furlong
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11 Adams
12
13. Henshaw
14.LRZ
15. Williams

[Donny osmond]

I imagine there'll be quite a few welshes on the plane. I would have quite a few welshes on my plane, if I had a plane to fill with Lions test candidates.

Sent from my CPH1951 using Tapatalk

[paddy no 11]

Yeah those 6 are certs to start in my book

[Donny osmond]

Yeah those 6 are certs to start in my book

I'd say Faletau has been the outstanding 8.

Sent from my CPH1951 using Tapatalk

[switchskier]

Yeah those 6 are certs to start in my book

Williams played himself out of contention for the 15 short with that moment of idiocy tonight, or he would have of there was any consistency in how players were judged

[paddy no 11]

Poor decision alright

[Mellsblue]

South Africa it is:

https://www.lionsrugby.com/2021/03/23/l ... 2021-03-23

[morepork]

South Africa it is:

https://www.lionsrugby.com/2021/03/23/l ... 2021-03-23

Too soon man. Too soon. SA may well not be ready to deal with it, and if they aren't it will go badly. Three months out and there is still uncertainty. They should have pulled this based on public health data.

[Numbers]

1.
2. Owens
3. Furlong
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11 Adams
12
13. Henshaw
14.LRZ
15. Williams

I think I'd be inclined to play Henshaw at 12 and North at 13

[Dan. Dan. Dan.]

1.
2. Owens
3. Furlong
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11 Adams
12
13. Henshaw
14.LRZ
15. Williams

I think I'd be inclined to play Henshaw at 12 and North at 13

Seconded. Although we all know it'll be Farrell. I doubt Gatland trusts any of the 10's available to go without a second kicking option

[Galfon]

Beeb voters select (14,000 contributions):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56543449

1. W Jones
2. Owens
3. Furlong
4. Itoje
5. AW Jones
6. Beirne
7. Curry
8. Faletau
9. Murray
10. Sexton
11.Watson
12.Henshaw
13.North
14.Rees-Zammit
15. Hogg

Not unexpected; Plenty for the squad players to eye-up there as the series unfolds.

[Mikey Brown]

With a 6 nations game left still to play?