[Closed] Rugby thread 2016/2017

How about "You've got 20 players on the pitch and those 5 are offside"

But they didn't; five of them hadn't been noted by the fourth official. 😀

Bringing on subs without permission? Or just rule 1 "cos I said so!"

I guess Jaco decided that the sub wearing blue with a grey bib over the top was enough for him to not be recognised as a member of the passer's team!

Still shouldnt be on the pitch, whats the betting he was calling for "his mate" to pass him the ball too?!

Rumour has it that Jamie Roberts is going with the Lions? WTF? How is his form good enough to justify that or is of confirming that Warrenball is alive and well?

Lots of gossip and guessing on the back pages today

The Times are calling it. They say Dylan Hartley will be the third successive England captain to be overlooked by the Lions, with Sam Warburton skipper and Jack Nowell in line for a surprise call-up

Further reports of only one Scotchish player on the boat.....

What times it announced? Might avoid this place for a while!!!

Nowel is hardly a shock call is it?

12:00 bst I think

Nowellsy only if he ups his game from the other week!

Would prefer Roberts to Teo. Massive experience, knows what Lions tours are all about and a real leader, would be a very good dirt tracker.
Warrenball is their best hope as its simple and the team can gel. Developing an allcourt running game would take too long to get right and the allblacks would be better at it anyway!

I just think Ford will just end up as a speed bump for the dirt trackers, Biggar would be better at that imo

Biggar's not quick enough to be a speed bump. 🙂

Was that before or after he "passed" the HIA? Hasnt played since.

The more people speculate on the team on here; the more I realise just how weak this squad is going to be. The only place we are especially strong is second row; but Whitelock and Retallick aren't exactly poor for the AB's. We do also have a potential world class 8 in BV, but again Reid isn't really going to be too worried is he? Then we get to relative merits of our back line and it just gets frightening.

Would prefer Roberts to Teo. Massive experience, knows what Lions tours are all about and a real leader, would be a very good dirt tracker.

And very predictable, offers little than a 20m run.

I realise just how weak this squad is going to be.

I'm the same!

The Lions will get dicked. The tour schedule is compressed and they're playing the best team in the world who's domestic sids are rather good too.

I think we all know its going to be 0-3

Warbs is captain

Leaked photo would seem to confirm this

Would prefer Roberts to Teo. Massive experience, knows what Lions tours are all about and a real leader, would be a very good dirt tracker.

And isn't a mercenary thug who'd rather be playing for the opposition.

Teo has insufficient experience to go on a Lions tour. Should not even be considered.

Warbs is captain

Been known for an age hasnt it. Betting was halted on it weeks ago.

JJ in

Payne
Teo

Henderson

Just irish players then??

Dan Biggar, Elliot Daly, Jonathan Davies, Owen Farrell, Leigh Halfpenny, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart Hogg, Jonathan Joseph, Conor Murray, George North, Jack Nowell, Jared Payne, Jonathan Sexton, Tommy Seymour, Ben Te'o, Anthony Watson, Rhys Webb, Liam Williams, Ben Youngs

Oh dear...

Forwards:

Rory Best (Ireland), Dan Cole (England), Taulupe Faletau (Wales), Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), Jamie George (England), Iain Henderson (Ireland), Maro Itoje (England), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), George Kruis (England), Courtney Lawes (England), Joe Marler (England), Jack McGrath (Ireland), Ross Moriarty (Wales), Sean O'Brien (Ireland), Peter O'Mahony (Ireland), Ken Owens (Wales), Kyle Sinckler (England), CJ Stander (Ireland), Justin Tipuric (Wales), Billy Vunipola (England), Mako Vunipola (England), Sam Warburton (Wales)

12 Welsh, 16 English, 11 Irish and 2 Scots - making 41 in total if I can add up. Big squad

Bit too many green machine players in there for my liking - I'd like to see it reduced by, let me see, around eleven.

No Launchbury???

I'm not sure who I'd leave out for them, but Robshaw & Haskell very unlucky not to tour.

Moriarty is lucky but he was bloody good in the six nations to be fair. He's on the up too.

[img] ?1443958219&w=630&h=420[/img]

Is the squad going to be trimmed or are they taking that many because they know the chiefs and hurricanes will be going out with strict instructions to injure any players the ab's think might get into the test team:).

the chiefs and hurricanes will be going out with strict instructions to injure any players the ab's think might get into the test team:)

Any Irish centres they can spear tackle?

Oh, yeah, there is one.
[img] [/img]

😉

@wrecker

I do. owens is shit.

You've just proved you don't understand it then.

If Ken Owens isn't in the lions squad, apart from injury, a tenner to the charity of your choice. Care to reciprocate?

shame wrecker didn't take me up on this.

Henson on standby then?

Odds at ladbrokes
Kiwi whitewash evens
Lions whitewash 20-1

Might go and waste a tenner for a laugh and gloating rights in case of a a major fluke

Henson on standby then

Along with Aled Jones, Catherine Jenkins, John hartson, the only gay in the village, Puff the magic dragon, and Alex Cuthbert.

you jumped the shark with Alex Cuthbert

If that's the best selection of available players then wow

If that's the best selection of available players then wow

Who should have been picked and which players would you leave behind for them?

Will start with the scots Tommy Seymour good choice (ok not strictly a Scott)
He has form against NZ and he has scored a try against them ?

So who would you have rather than Seymour?

England , launchbury ,maybe hask
And the best line out operator is staying at home with Hartley .
Joseph would be staying at home good but .
Edit##iPads going nuts sorry

So you'd pick Launchbury or Hask ahead of Seymour? I'm confused.

Launchbury is an unfortunate victim of the amount of good locks in the UK at the moment.

I don't see why you need Seymour when you have the other wingers, Haskel's good in one direction, Ribshaw isn't match/international fit.

When looking at that team a third time there is a good blend of experience, youth and form to be fair.

Why hasn't he picked Jonny?

I don't see why you need Seymour when you have the other wingers

Which ones should go ahead of him?

Launchbury fine player though he is, is not a first choice lock for England. If Kruis and Robshaw were fit he would have not been a six natio s starter. That said I'd have him ahead of Henderson.

Haskel isnt as good as POM or Warburton, could have gone with him over Moriarty I suppose but he is a clossal bell end so maybe best left at home. Moriarty will be happy to be on tour and dirt track would The Hask?

Why hasn't he picked Jonny?

Should have pick BOD and Henson just to drop BOD in favour of Gav to troll the irishers again 🙂

Moriarty was extremely effective in the NZ/Wal series in the summer - hence his inclusion.

Launchbury is a tad unlucky but, as pointed out, who would have been left out instead?

Is the squad going to be trimmed or are they taking that many because

Actually, on the previous 3 tours they took 43/44 IIRC so this is a smaller party.

Te'o (and his armguard) going shows the dearth of quality 12s. I also feel they should have taken another 10 unless Gats sees Farrell purely as a 10 and doesn't plan to use him at 12.

NOt too bad a squad. Halfpenny has done little to earn his place. Payne is fortunate too.

Moriarty was extremely effective in the NZ/Wal series in the summer - hence his inclusion.

Was pretty bloody good v England too something that The Scottish players werent.

Was pretty bloody good v England too

So good that Howley hauled him off after 50mins..... 😆

Payne is fortunate too.

I'd put money on him being Farrell's choice.

Howleys a ****ing idiot. For all the complaints about the players, its that **** nugget as attack coach we should all be worried about!!

Which ones should go ahead of him?

My intimation is that the Lions don't need another winger above those picked. Pick a 7 instead.

going shows the dearth of quality 12s. I

Don't dismiss Daly's ability in the centres, should the need arise.

My intimation is that the Lions don't need another winger above those picked. Pick a 7 instead.

[i]the chiefs and hurricanes will be going out with strict instructions to injure any players the ab's think might get into the test team[/i]

Probably a joke, but none of the NZ teams are going to be worried enough to bother with any of that. Can't wait to see how the Lions cope with Barrett... guy is phenomenal.

Two scots. Really?....

I hope the Lions get pumped.

Can't wait to see how the Lions cope with Barrett

Beauden?

or Jordie?

Two scots. Really?....

I hope the Lions get pumped.

I know....I know.....

I was surprised there were that many too..... 😆

shame wrecker didn't take me up on this.

It was always going to be so.

The best Scots players are in positions with an embarrassment of riches. The Gray brothers, Maitland, Watson, Dunbar and Bennett. I wouldn't take Russell - not that he is not good enough but that he doesn't play in the way Gatland likes and without familiar players around he would be much less effective anyway

Watsons the one who can feel really aggrieved as he was the best 7 in the 6 nations *lights fuse and retires*

in agree with your last para tj. we should take a 7 who's good on the floor.

TJ - I think there is actually a very high level of players this time around. Watson, Robshaw, Launchbury, Gray x2 would all have done the tour proud, but I can also see why others have been selected in their place. There is not much daylight between any of the home nations players this year. You could pick a pretty respectful Lions team from the names left at home.

Should be good for Scotland for the next six nations 🙂

You could pick a pretty respectful Lions team from the names left at home.

Maitland
Wade
Ringrose
S Williams
Zebo
Russell
Care
Heaslip
Watson
Robshaw
Launcbury
J Gray
Francis
Hartley
Healy

thats a good team that is

[i]Beauden?[/i]

Yep. Jordie's not quite up there yet - they'll meet him in the Hurricaines game though.

It'll be an Anyone But Lions year for me, I reckon.

we should take a 7 who's good on the floor.

Ignoring the fact that Warburton is in the squad, given the interpretation of rucks currently favoured by most refs to vastly reduce jackels I'm notcsure its as important as winning the gainline. England seem to have done ok with no real 7 or ground hog!!
Fkr all the talk of Wales trying to be more attacking their biggest change this season was in defence. The chop and jackel has gone, replaced with double tackles driving the players back.
A few of the welsh players like wrecker says are lucky 1/2p, Davies, AWJ other could have easily been swapped with say Brown, Ringrose and Launchbury but those 3 welsh players are all massively experienced test lions already and Gatland obviously feels he can rely on them and its his cock on the block.
The dirt trackers will need solid experienced players who will give it their all. Would Brown or Zebo or Ringrose, maybe or maybe not.

I'd not have picked Davies and I'd have taken Launchbury but I expect Gatland has a plan and its a better squad than SCW put together!!

I expect Gatland has a plan and its a better squad than SCW put together!!

Sir Clive (Gawd bless 'im) put together a great squad - it was just two years out of date.

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

England squad for Argentina:

Forwards: Will Collier (Harlequins), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs), Ben Curry (Sale Sharks), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby), Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers), Dylan Hartley (captain, Northampton Saints), James Haskell (Wasps), Paul Hill (Northampton Saints), Nathan Hughes (Wasps), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Matt Mullan (Wasps), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Sam Underhill (Ospreys/Bath Rugby), Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints)

Backs: Mike Brown (vice-captain, Harlequins), Danny Care (vice captain, Harlequins), Joe Cokanasiga (London Irish), Nathan Earle (Saracens), George Ford (vice captain, Bath Rugby), Piers Francis (Auckland Blues/Northampton Saints), Sam James (Sale Sharks), Alex Lozowski (Saracens), Harry Mallinder (Northampton Saints), Joe Marchant (Harlequins), Jack Maunder (Exeter Chiefs), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Denny Solomona (Sale Sharks)

Everyones favourite hobbit is in. Be good to see how he goes. Hasnt reached last seasons heights this year due to injuries but he's a bloody monster.

tcsure its as important as winning the gainline. England seem to have done ok with no real 7 or ground hog!!

But they havent played the Ab's who are good there, and they lost out to Aus in that position albeit winning the game. The Lions will focus on clearing out and preventing quick ball.

I see this being 50 minutes of bosh, then m vunipola / george / sinkler / tipuric / faletau / fast backs coming off the bench

(Obviously not all of them)

Maybe.....

At which point the AB's take off their possibly tired fast boys and bring on another set of them...and hammer us even more. Dunno why folk are thinking we are going to blow them away up front playing Gatlandball. Assuming that we are going to be imposing the pattern of the game on a team as clever and used to each other as that is a fair leap of faith.