British Lions vs Australia

British Lions vs Australia

Postby gzagee » Tue Apr 30, 2013 10:37 am

Squad announced:

Backs: Leigh Halfpenny (Wales), Stuart Hogg (Scotland), Rob Kearney (Ireland),
Tommy Bowe (Ireland), Alex Cuthbert (Wales), Sean Maitland (Scotland), George North (Wales),
Jonathan Davies (Wales), Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Manu Tuilagi (England),
Owen Farrell (England), Jonathan Sexton (Ireland),
Conor Murray (Ireland), Mike Phillips (Wales), Ben Youngs (England).

Forwards: Dan Cole (England), Cian Healy (Ireland), Gethin Jenkins (Wales), Adam Jones (Wales), Matt Stevens (England), Mako Vunipola (England),
Dylan Hartley (England), Richard Hibbard (Wales), Tom Youngs (England), Ian Evans (Wales),
Richie Gray (Scotland), Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales), Paul O'Connell (Ireland), Geoff Parling (England),
Tom Croft (England), Dan Lydiate (Wales), Sean O'Brien (Ireland), Justin Tipuric (Wales), Sam Warburton (Wales)
Toby Faletau (Wales), Jamie Heaslip (Ireland).

As expected nearly half are from the Welsh Six nations championship team.
Notable absentees are Chris Robshaw, Ben Morgan ( :shock: ) and Rory Best (who is better than Hartley in my opinion)
Folks are split on whether Wilko should've been included, specially seeing as he gave Farrell a masterclass in kicking and match generalship on Sunday...

Really hope BOD gets a deserved farewell by being part of a winning Lions tour party.
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Re: British Lions vs Australia

Postby greengoonerie » Tue Apr 30, 2013 11:12 am

Cheers for that list - I see Warburton is the captain.

I expect BOD to be targetted by the Aussies early on to injure him, a la All Blacks. (scum)

You cant let players like BOD roam around a pitch down South without repercussions!!!
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Re: British Lions vs Australia

Postby Royal Gooner » Tue Apr 30, 2013 12:28 pm

greengoonerie wrote:Cheers for that list - I see Warburton is the captain.

I expect BOD to be targetted by the Aussies early on to injure him, a la All Blacks. (scum)

You cant let players like BOD roam around a pitch down South without repercussions!!!


True, they tried it last time in South Africa.


I'm a bit disappointed that Wilkinson missed out especially after his performance against Saracens. I'm not too sure the welsh heavy squad is a good idea as the welsh are well known for beating Australia, oh wait....
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Re: British Lions vs Australia

Postby greengoonerie » Tue Apr 30, 2013 12:35 pm

Royal Gooner wrote:
greengoonerie wrote:Cheers for that list - I see Warburton is the captain.

I expect BOD to be targetted by the Aussies early on to injure him, a la All Blacks. (scum)

You cant let players like BOD roam around a pitch down South without repercussions!!!


True, they tried it last time in South Africa.


I'm a bit disappointed that Wilkinson missed out especially after his performance against Saracens. I'm not too sure the welsh heavy squad is a good idea as the welsh are well known for beating Australia, oh wait....

Agreed.

I think Wilkinson still offers as much as most of the other backs from a points scoring perspective. He is certainly on fire and in form just now.

On the Welsh/Aussies bit - yep - the Welsh are no shrinking violets.

would be nice to see a cohesive Lions team wallop the Aussies.
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Re: British Lions vs Australia

Postby Yorkyblue » Tue Apr 30, 2013 9:42 pm

I don't watch Rugby Union. Just bores me and can't get into it so can't really say much.


Wilkinson said on SSN though that he didn't even want to be called up. So Surely that's a good start not to be picked?
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Re: British Lions vs Australia

Postby greengoonerie » Wed May 01, 2013 9:24 am

aha.....so he didn't want to be picked.

That might explain why he didn't get picked so!!
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Re: British Lions vs Australia

Postby Yorkyblue » Wed May 01, 2013 9:59 am

It was more along the lines of that selections should be looking at the future (and mentioned a couple of names) rather than the past. Just thought I'd clear that up cause it wasn't like Rio who can't be arsed.
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Re: British Lions vs Australia

Postby gzagee » Wed May 01, 2013 12:22 pm

Yeah, Wilko said he's just about getting his body by week to week. Gatland asked if he'd be available if an injury to one of his No.10s occurred. Wilko's response was we'll cross that bridge if we come to it....
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Re: British Lions vs Australia

Postby gzagee » Wed May 01, 2013 12:24 pm

Gatland and coaches seem to have picked players with good ball handling skills, agile and who can run on hard grounds (as will be the case Down Under). But I can't see why Matt Stevens has been picked? He's been atrocious this season. :confused2:
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Re: British Lions vs Australia

Postby Balboa » Sat Jun 01, 2013 5:59 am

These are my squad thoughts;

Squad wise I'm glad Hartley received a ban for pure lunacy as he didn't deserve to go on the tour ahead of Best and I also think that Sheridan should have been taken instead of Stevens. Other than that the squad is incredibly solid, Laidlaw might be considered unlucky not to have gone ahead of Connor and Maitland too. Maitland has been selected solely on his previous achievements down under. Simon Zebo and Tim Visser probably weren't too impressed. Ben Foden is arguably the only other player who could be considered hard done by but Hogg did have an exceptional Six Nations.

So, predicted teams for the first test anyone? We had a £10 a man competition down the pub where we predicted ours before the squad announcement. Here's mine;

1. Vunipola - 4. AWynJones - 6. Tipuric - 8. Heaslip
2. Hibbard - 5. Gray - 7. Warburton
3. Adam Jones

9. Phillips - 12. Roberts - 14. Bowe - 15. Halfpenny
10. Wilkinson - 13. O'Driscoll - 11. North

(My predicted team had Sheridan instead of Vunipola, Youngs instead of Phillips)

Jonny Wilkinson has to go at some point and I think his mind can be changed, Owain Farrell is a ticking timebomb and this tour could potentially ruin his career. It's too much, too soon for somebody who has choked in the two biggest club games of his career to date. Not just that but Sexton is hardly going to rip up any trees on the tour either, steady but doesn't catch the imagination.

With respect to the blinkered comment regarding Wales form v Australia, look at the side who lost by just two points to them in December. Wales were without Adam Jones (Quite possibly the best player in his position in the World), Richard Hibbard (One of the best hookers in Europe at the minute and a real unsung hero), Alun Wyn Jones and Ian Evans, Dan Lydiate or Justin Tipuric (Went on in the Six Nations to be a revelation) and last but not least George North. I won't mention what happened when we were able to name a full strength team against England in that decisive Six Nations finale.

By the way, hello all. And I think that Lions -14 @ Evens and Sean Maitland 10/1 with PaddyPower are two very good value for money bets.
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Re: British Lions vs Australia

Postby Balboa » Sat Jun 01, 2013 6:18 am

Lions Fantasy Competition for those interested; http://espnscrum.fantasyleague.com/Team.aspx

Could set a Mini-League up?
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Re: British Lions vs Australia

Postby gzagee » Sat Jun 01, 2013 9:39 am

Do you mean Alex Goode, because Foden didn't feature in the six nations. Goode had a tidy six nations and can double up as a no.10 and a centre.
Like you I'm relieved Hartley isn't going and Best belatedly taking his place. Best should've been in the original squad anyhow.
It'll be interesting to see how Farrell copes, if he starts I'm sure the Aussies will target him. Personally I'd start with Sexton. He's seasoned, experienced and played in many big games. And his kicking game is up to scratch.
I'm interested to see who gets the job in inside/outside centre.
There's a stellar cast list for those positions. You'd expect a fit BOD to start but then, do you put man mountain Jamie Roberts or human wrecking ball Manu Tuilagi beside him? Davies will be on bench duty.
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Re: British Lions vs Australia

Postby Balboa » Sat Jun 01, 2013 12:00 pm

No mate wasn't on about Goode, the wonderful Six Nations was in reference to Hogg. Just think Foden had proved his fitness, like Lydiate, by the end of the campaign and is the best counter attacking 15 in Britain. Not just that, but overall he's an outstanding player.

I think he'll be looking to start Roberts, naturally has experience of playing with BOD and I Tuilagi is another who could be targeted as a player easy to wind up. Also I think he'll be a far more effective 'impact player' than Jamie Roberts. Some quarters can see both man mountains starting in the middle but it's not for me. We're already going to lack any form of creativity at 10.

As for Jonathan Davies, I hope he doesn't feature in a test. The weakest link, along with outside half, in the Welsh national backline by a country mile. The only reason he gets the sort of plaudits he does is because of the quality around him. Personally I think he's incredibly overrated and limited as a player.

And so inside 7 minutes of his first Lions appearance, Farrell had a kick charged down... takes a left hook to the head, retaliated and was thrown to the floor like a schoolyard runt! If he goes into the tests as first choice, we're literally doomed. Still can't quite believe he went out there.
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Re: British Lions vs Australia

Postby ivan itchybum » Sat Jun 01, 2013 1:37 pm

It's not the British Lions, it's the Lions or the British and Irish lions... :)
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Re: British Lions vs Australia

Postby Balboa » Sat Jun 01, 2013 4:30 pm

ivan itchybum wrote:It's not the British Lions, it's the Lions or the British and Irish lions... :)


Or Wales (and a few others) ;)
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