Comments on: British & Irish Lions Squad Selection: Community Selection

By: Leon

Leon — Fri, 05 May 2017 13:24:33 +0000

Was just comparing this squad to the actual one and its not far off

Missed Out:
WP Nel (Injury)
Joe Launchbury (Utter Madness)
Jonny Gray (Unlucky/Face don’t fit)
Garry Ringrose (Unlucky/Face don’t fit)

In
Kyle Sinkler 39% (Runner up, injury replacement)
Iain Henderson 41% & Courtney Lawes 39%(picked ahead of Launch 89% and Gray 63%)
Ross Moriarty 17% (squad expansion, outside bet at 12th most popular pick)
Dan Biggar 20% (squad expansion, outside bet at 5th most popular pick)
Jared Payne 6% (squad expansion, rank outsider at 11th most popular pick out of 18)
Ben Teo 23% (picked ahead of Ringrose 48%)
Tommy Seymour 35% (squad expansion, next in line)
Leigh Halfpenny 25% (squad expansion, 2nd in line after Seymour)

By: Pablito

Pablito — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 17:21:40 +0000

Its not nationalistic – its about success and winning.

I didn’t whinge when Gatland took loads of welsh players in 2013, as at that point they were a better team than England. Nor when lots of Irish and Welsh were taken in 2009.

At this point, England have a side that is one of the most successful the NH has produced (irrespective of whether they have played NZ or not). To leave integral parts of that team out of a Lions team facing its toughest challenge is just silly.

Let’s take Robshaw as an example. Is there a more successful flanker than Robshaw in contention? He captained his side to a victory against the All Blacks and has beaten every other Tier 1 side he has played against.

Sure he might not make the first team, but he and the current England team understand how to win and that will be crucial for this tour whether or not they make the Test side

By: Don P

Don P — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 15:08:00 +0000

TT
Dagg is the incumbent wing & has played well. M- Skudder has been out for a yr & wasn’t in the Canes last line up. Of course it’s a few wks yet. And then there’s Naholo too?

By: Don P

Don P — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 14:51:59 +0000

Marco
Baring injury, Ben Smith, Arron Smith & Cane will likely start for NZ.. as will Dagg, prob @ wing again. And they may have SBW on the bench?

By: Don P

Don P — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 14:44:04 +0000

Leon
To clarify ( ran out of time prev); regds Itoje, I would take him, but as a lock, not a 6. I would also take Hogg, however, he’s a defensive risk, unless in a winning team. Also, there are better wings than an out of posi Daly, for instance Seymour, who is better under the high ball than most & this qual will likely be tested on tour. Anyway, individuals are only part of a team who will play.. what style? Basically, when in possession the Lions will need to score tries (as will NZ). How & if they can do so are the ?’s. If, as people like Barnes & Jones of the S Times opine, that the Lions ought to play a set piece game & kick for territory & then presumably maul their way to victory, I suspect they’ll be in for a long tour. They ought to KEEP possession & use it effectively. This is not the so called AB’s way (whatever that is?!), it’s just common sense. Kick it away & I venture NZ will hurt them. So. getting too hung up on individuals isn’t really point here, it’s how they intend to play, as a team, to beat the AB’s that’s the issue @ stake.

By: Don P

Don P — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 14:12:26 +0000

Leon
A wind up? Personally I’d be happy to Hogg @ f/back. The AB’s will target his acknowledged flawed ‘D’ by running @ him & with bombs. You can’t afford that weakness in NZ. And aren’t you presuming the Lions will get plenty possession? Halfpenny is picked by most pundits. He CAN defend, is exp & is a sounder all rounder. Billy WAS ineffectual v Ireland & the AB’s nullified Ireland in Dublin. It was a pivotal wake up call for England & their pack who had a whole 25% possession in the 1st 1/2! BV is predictable. Do you think NZ, esp @ home, can’t do what Ireland did to him… or Itoje, although I never stated that the latter was ‘crap’ at 6? However, Itoje was ineffective & is NOT natural No.6. Faletau is a more rounded footballing No. 8, although I think this may be relative in NZ. AWJ is exp, is a known to Gatland & will, in many’s opinions, tour. Williams has played plenty @ wing & is more EXP. Daly is too inexp, e.g., carries the ball under the inside arm & is a more natural centre.

By: CC

CC — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 13:37:07 +0000

Agree with you here, I think Hogg and Williams will go as fullback with Watson able to step in therefore I think Brown won’t go.
If Teo replaces Joseph I may be a little dissapointed, if J.Davies replaces him I will be mad and if Roberts replaces Joseph I’ll……..
Launchberry will be unlucky to miss out, I have him equal with J.Gray, so ahead of Lawes, Jones and Ryan.
With Ford for me it is Russell>Ford>>>>>>>>>>>Biggar.
I like the idea of Sexton and Russell, fight fire with fire.If Gatland takes Biggar it will be fighting fire with a plentiful stream of High balls and whinging.

A quick side-note about Russell, he spent a season playing in New Zealand a few years back as part of an SRU apprentiship thing. So he has valuable experience of how rugby is played in New Zealand.

By: Jacob

Jacob — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 11:58:11 +0000

Rumour has it there is still 15 English in there, so it’s not a nationalistic thing for me necessarily – it’s style.

Looks like he will take Te’o over Joseph for example – pretty clear intention on how he wants to play.

I can understand the Brown one as long as it’s Liam Williams or Watson taken as a reserve full back. If Halfpenny goes over him then it’ll be madness.

Same with Ford. If Russell goes, I wouldn’t mind so much. He’s a seriously talented player, although a bit patchy. However if Biggar goes. Well, that’s just really poor.

By: TonyTaff

TonyTaff — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 11:50:35 +0000

The Torygraph tips T’eo to be one of the centres, perhaps it’ll be Farrell, T’eo, Henshaw and Ringrose. The Irish pair would play on Wednesdays!

By: Henno

Henno — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 11:26:49 +0000

I will concede Lock was probably the most contested area and there were always going to be player feeling rightly aggrieved. That said, AWJ is probably the most similar players likely to go to Launchbury. Comparing the two, Launch is far and away the in form player after the 6n and AI’s. Even taking into account leadership, AWJ lead his team to their worst 6n’s in a long time and made some questionable decisions, whilst Launch is captain of the premiership leading team (yes I’m ignoring his lack of Wasps game time through injury and national duty…)
I think this highlights the need for a lions coach who is not a current home nations coach, it stops them making objective decisions on best players as they’ll always have a tendency to trust in what they know.
I am getting thoroughly ahead of myself here before any squad is actually announced though…

By: Pablito

Pablito — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 10:12:24 +0000

Joseph, Ford, Brown and Robshaw – all integral parts of a team that equalled the longest winning streak in tier 1 rugby – a streak that included away test series win over Aus and a Grand Slam.

Launchbury – an able deputy in that team and a key part of the 2017 6 Nations win with 2 man of the match displays.

I cannot understand the omission of any of them.

Should the likes of Halfpenny, Biggar, Russell, Roberts, S Williams, J Davies, Ringrose, O’Mahoney be selected in front of any of those 5, then the entire selection process is flawed.

I shall await the announcement now, but if any of this is true, I fear we are going to get thumped by the Kiwis.

By: Jacob

Jacob — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 08:51:48 +0000

My guess is that he is taking the other English 3 plus AWJ, so Launchbury ended up in a shoot out with Henderson. Whilst I would have picked Launchbury, I can see the argument for Henderson particularly as a potential impact sub.