Rugby 6 Nations 2013

[Welshiespursboyo]

Just about sober now after Saturday's amazing result and St Pat's day yesterday [i'm 1/2 Irish too ]

Re: the Lions - I think it still has a place in today's game and I personally love it. Still get goose pumps thinking about Keet Woods talking before one of the games on the 1997 tour

Awesome!

What are we thinking about possible Lions XV?
If I was picking a team now it would be mainly Welsh players [and ive tried not to be biased] but totally stuck on 3 positions [12, 6 and 8].
12 - BOD will probably be centre but i think he's showing his age now.
6 - I hope Dan Lydiate's able to get fit before the end of the season as he would be a shoo in for 6.
8 - I dont think any if the 8's have stood out really this season and if i was Warren G I would go for Gareth Delve [but he wont!] Such a shame Parisse isn't eligible

FWIW my team would be [picked now after the 6N]
15. Leigh Halfpenny
14. Alex Cuthbert
13. Manu Tuilagi
12. ?????
11. George North
10. Jonny Sexton
9. Mike Phillips
1. Cian Healey
2. Richard Hibbard
3. Adam Jones
4. Alun Wyn Jones
5. Jim Hamilton
6.
7. Sam Warburton
8.

Any thoughts/comments/ridicule?

Pretty much agree with this.

 

[Welshiespursboyo]

Well after considering my team would be something like this:

Full Back - L Halfpenny
Wing - A Cuthbert
Centre - B O Driscoll
Centre - M Tuilagi
Wing - T Bowe if fit or if not then G North
Fly Half - O Farrell
Scrum Half - M Philiips
Loose Head Prop - Gethin Jenkins
Hooker - Richard Hibbard
Tight Head Prop - Adam Jones
Second Row - Alun Wyn Jones
Second Row - Not sure here - Ian Evans has been outstanding but I think one of the English locks here - Launchbury/Parling? or Ritchie Gray
Blind Side Flanker - Chris Robshaw
Openside Flanker - Sam Warburton or Justin Tipuric
Number 8 - Toby Faletau

I've tried to take off my daffodil coloured specs but am aware of the amount of Welsh players I've put in there...

 

[SugarRay]

Bias is ok Welshie. Your countryman Jonathan Davies has selected 12 Welsh in his lions team!!! Lol

 

[SugarRay]

Healy
Hibbard/Best
Jones/Cole
Hines
Parling/AWJ/POC ( if he can find form, arguably should start if he can, not much time though )
Robshaw/Wood/SOB
Tipuric/Warburton/Armitage
Falateu/Heaslip/Morgan
Youngs/Phillips/Care
Sexton
North
Manu
BOD
Bowe/Halfpenny
Halfpenny/Kearney/Hogg ( Halfpenny starts no matter what but if Bowe can't make it I would consider having him in the wing so Kearney could play. No real outstanding winger, bar Bowe of course )

The first names are first choice but I wouldn't think any less of the side if the following names were selected instead.

Anyone think we will see any real bolters? Freddie Burns maybe given the FH situation behind Sexton ain't exactly sparkling?
Will be interesting to see how it pans out. The predicted test team at the start of a tour never ends up being the test team come game time anyway ( injuries, form etc )
I remember Simon Shaw back in 09. Come from nowhere and stole the show when he got the call. Was immense and outplayed the tour captain no less. England were poor at the time yet ended up providing most of the side that managed to win a test somehow!!!
Example of how things change when on tour I guess.

Looking forward to it.

 

[Welshiespursboyo]

Biggar will get FH ahead of Freddie Burns in my opinion - he's had a good six nations tournament this year has Biggar

 

[SugarRay]

Yeah, smart money would be on Sexton, Farrell, Biggar touring but I just wonder.

On a side note, did anyone else notice the under 20s six nations ended in the exact reverse as the fully fledged one!? Spooky

 

[talkshowhost86]

Healy
Hibbard/Best
Jones/Cole
Hines
Parling/AWJ/POC ( if he can find form, arguably should start if he can, not much time though )
Robshaw/Wood/SOB
Tipuric/Warburton/Armitage
Falateu/Heaslip/Morgan
Youngs/Phillips/Care
Sexton
North
Manu
BOD
Bowe/Halfpenny
Halfpenny/Kearney/Hogg ( Halfpenny starts no matter what but if Bowe can't make it I would consider having him in the wing so Kearney could play. No real outstanding winger, bar Bowe of course )

The first names are first choice but I wouldn't think any less of the side if the following names were selected instead.

Anyone think we will see any real bolters? Freddie Burns maybe given the FH situation behind Sexton ain't exactly sparkling?
Will be interesting to see how it pans out. The predicted test team at the start of a tour never ends up being the test team come game time anyway ( injuries, form etc )
I remember Simon Shaw back in 09. Come from nowhere and stole the show when he got the call. Was immense and outplayed the tour captain no less. England were poor at the time yet ended up providing most of the side that managed to win a test somehow!!!
Example of how things change when on tour I guess.

Looking forward to it.

I think that squad/list of options is a bit more realistic than some of our Welsh brethren are suggesting.

As I said earlier in this thread, Wales were excellent against England but it was still the only game they really played well in during the six nations and the squad can't be picked on one game alone. My concern with the Welsh team is that they only seemed to really get up to their best for England and their complete change in attitude and performance on Saturday, although impressive, does call into question whether they'll all do it for the Lions.

As winners of the tournament it would make sense for them to have the largest number of players in the squad, but I don't think it should be the majority that some seem to be expecting.

 

[Welshiespursboyo]

I don't think it's any more realistic. I think I had a pretty go and fair suggestion at the squad. If we are to go on form and talent then quite rightly, the squad should be majority Welsh

Will be interesting to see.

 

[talkshowhost86]

I don't think it's any more realistic. I think I had a pretty go and fair suggestion at the squad. If we are to go on form and talent then quite rightly, the squad should be majority Welsh

Will be interesting to see.

If you count one game back in terms of form then yes, but hopefully Gatland looks further than that.

 

[NP4_Yid]

I think that squad/list of options is a bit more realistic than some of our Welsh brethren are suggesting.

As I said earlier in this thread, Wales were excellent against England but it was still the only game they really played well in during the six nations and the squad can't be picked on one game alone. My concern with the Welsh team is that they only seemed to really get up to their best for England and their complete change in attitude and performance on Saturday, although impressive, does call into question whether they'll all do it for the Lions.

As winners of the tournament it would make sense for them to have the largest number of players in the squad, but I don't think it should be the majority that some seem to be expecting.

I suppose its only natural for us all to lean towards our own players because they are the ones that we are more familiar with, hence we know their strengths and there's a tendency to think more highly of them. Then when those players have just won the 6 Nations its even more difficult not to pick them!

However a balanced mix is always the best for a Lions squad - too much bias usually ends in disaster (as Henry in 2001 and Woodward in 2005 found out) - and as Sugar Ray said a few players always seem to come from nowhere.

As for captain the legendary Ian McGeechan is recommending Warburton.

 

[talkshowhost86]

I suppose its only natural for us all to lean towards our own players because they are the ones that we are more familiar with, hence we know their strengths and there's a tendency to think more highly of them. Then when those players have just won the 6 Nations its even more difficult not to pick them!

However a balanced mix is always the best for a Lions squad - too much bias usually ends in disaster (as Henry in 2001 and Woodward in 2005 found out) - and as Sugar Ray said a few players always seem to come from nowhere.

As for captain the legendary Ian McGeechan is recommending Warburton.

Yes I think a good mix where possible is definitely for the best.

As for the captaincy, my only issue with any of the Welsh candidates is that none of them have had a consistent run of captaining recently. Obviously that isn't the be-all and end-all but that's where I think Robshaw may have the advantage.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Yes I think a good mix where possible is definitely for the best.

As for the captaincy, my only issue with any of the Welsh candidates is that none of them have had a consistent run of captaining recently. Obviously that isn't the be-all and end-all but that's where I think Robshaw may have the advantage.

Having said this I don't see Gatland going with Robshaw as captain. I can't see him going with anyone other than a Welsh.

 

[SugarRay]

Woodward got it wrong in 05 but to be fair he could have taken an all time lions select and they would have lost. That was quite possibly the finest side the lons have ever or will ever face. They didn't have a prayer in that series!

01? Well from memory and watching it fairly recently, the lions really should have won that series. Couple of decisions went against them and losing Hill was massive. Looking at the selection that year it wasn't all that bad really. Henry lost the Welsh boys after that though didnt he? England were probably one of the best 2 or 3 teams in the world at that point though so the squad was always going to favour their players.
Worth noting that Aussie side back then wasn't better than the Lions but still managed to eek it out. Looking at Aussies back row this year, even without Pocock who is THE master at 7 now, the Lions will do well to match them let alone dominate. The pack will be where the Lions will target. That and a bit of Gatland crash bang wallop I guess. The Aussies have more creativity and a better back line. Very good chance they will get smashed upfront though. Mind you, the Oz pack went more than ok in the autumn just gone against the Brits, so who knows?

 

[Arnoldtoo]

I've seen a couple of suggested Lions teams with 12 Welsh players out of the 15, and I have to say if that is what happens I probably won't be watching, and certainly wouldn't be cheering them on. I would find space for representatives of all home nations and an absolute maximum of 9 from any one.

I like Welshie's team quite a lot, with the above in mind though. I'd think about Andrew Sheridan as a possibility - dunno how he's playing at the moment, but the last time I saw him against Australia there were bits of green and gold littering the pitch by the end.

And Robshaw would be captain. I've changed my mind from BOD, though he's still be in the team.

 

[felmani26]

I think selecting Warburton as captain would be a bad move - if he finds it detrimental and uncomfortable for Wales then why should potentially leading the Lions be any different?!

Would personally go with O'Driscoll or Robshaw.

 

[talkshowhost86]

I've seen a couple of suggested Lions teams with 12 Welsh players out of the 15, and I have to say if that is what happens I probably won't be watching, and certainly wouldn't be cheering them on. I would find space for representatives of all home nations and an absolute maximum of 9 from any one.

I like Welshie's team quite a lot, with the above in mind though. I'd think about Andrew Sheridan as a possibility - dunno how he's playing at the moment, but the last time I saw him against Australia there were bits of green and gold littering the pitch by the end.

And Robshaw would be captain. I've changed my mind from BOD, though he's still be in the team.

Which Scot gets the nod in your team? Jim Hamilton for pure scariness?

 

[NP4_Yid]

Woodward got it wrong in 05 but to be fair he could have taken an all time lions select and they would have lost. That was quite possibly the finest side the lons have ever or will ever face. They didn't have a prayer in that series!

I don't doubt they were up against an awesome side at the top of their game but he did get it badly wrong, both playing and backroom staff

01? Well from memory and watching it fairly recently, the lions really should have won that series. Couple of decisions went against them and losing Hill was massive. Looking at the selection that year it wasn't all that bad really. Henry lost the Welsh boys after that though didnt he? England were probably one of the best 2 or 3 teams in the world at that point though so the squad was always going to favour their players.

Fair enough, I can't be right every time From memory didn't Dawson and Healey cause problems with their newspaper columns on that tour?

 

[NP4_Yid]

Which Scot gets the nod in your team? Jim Hamilton for pure scariness?

Kelly Brown for scary eyebrows!

 

[NP4_Yid]

I think selecting Warburton as captain would be a bad move - if he finds it detrimental and uncomfortable for Wales then why should potentially leading the Lions be any different?!

Would personally go with O'Driscoll or Robshaw.

I think it was more about where his playing standard was at that particular moment - he proved himself in the last two games so you would think the confidence would be back.

I don't have a strong view on Lions captain, could be any one of the aforementioned. The one issue is that the Lions captain has to be assured of his place and I don't think any of those three are right now.

 

[mpickard2087]

Wales and England have had an equally good tournament in the grand scheme of things, and have done considerably better than the others. This suggests that on form they would make up a large number of the squad.

Depends how many Irish players get selected on reputation. I'd suspect though we will get quite a large contingent. I hope this silly stuff about O'Driscoll being captain has finished though. He had one good half of rugby. The rest of the time has been spent sticking a few more bandages on him hoping it holds him together. Personally I don't know if I would even take him on the tour.

I don't think many Scots should go. Contrary to what a lot of people said I wasn't that impressed with them. They faced an Italy who had run themselves out in beating France and fluked it against Ireland. They gave 100% but basically just defended the whole time and gave away a shitload of penalties. They do have some good players but I don't know how many deserve consideration for Lions. Hogg yes and possibly the others in the back three because of the lack of options at wing, maybe Laidlaw for his goalkicking option, Gray if he is fit. The rest I'm not sure.

Also, it might be taken into consideration that Wales seem to find it impossible to beat Australia, based on the god knows how many games they have had recently. Who knows if this will be taken into consideration.