AWJ captain

He would/will be a fantastic captain, but is he still better on the pitch than Henderson and Beirne? Itoje will start, that makes it a real fight for him. I picked Henderson as lock in front of him,because I want the Lions to run the legs off them but I could see AWJ doing 50 mins. I like a bit of a fairy story in my lions squad (Tom Smith, Bentley,Greenwood) so seeing him lead out the team wouldn’t be the end of the world….Unless that test is at altitude.

Backs: Josh Adams, Bundee Aki, Dan Biggar, Elliot Daly, Gareth Davies, Owen Farrell, Chris Harris, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart Hogg, Conor Murray, Ali Price, Louis Rees-Zammit, Finn Russell, Duhan van der Merwe, Anthony Watson, Liam Williams.

No Sexton.

Forwards: Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Luke Cowan Dickie, Tom Curry, Zander Fagerson, Taulupe Faletau, Tadhg Furlong, Jamie George, Iain Henderson, Jonny Hill, Maro Itoje, Alun Wyn Jones, Wyn Jones, Courtney Lawes, Ken Owens, Andrew Porter, Sam Simmonds, Rory Sutherland, Justin Tipuric, Mako Vunipola, Hamish Watson.

No Billy Vunipola

No Navidi : (

Surprised Navidi isn’t in there. I thought he absolutely immense throughout the 6 nations

Daly and Jonny Hill are a shock to me, neither having great international experiences of late.

Looks like Gatland wants to move SA around a bit.

Which back row player in the squad is he better than; Conan maybe? Hill is a surprise pick for me, as are Lawes and Fagerson. I would have had May instead of Durham, but can see why he picked him. And Daily hasn’t been great but can play a couple of positions, as can Lawes.

Yep, you have Henderson, AWJ, Itoje, Lawes as locks, I’d have had Navidi in for Hill.

Bit of a statement that Simmons is in, I thinks it’s great he’s been rewarded and I hope he make EJ look a bit less smug by making the most of it.

I think Simmonds is the best 8 in England,but he has a lot of competition in Faletau and Beirne( who is also a lock) for a test spot. But again, those are 3 totally different number 8’s. He has picked a clever squad with lots of different skills sets in the guys that play the same position.

Pretty happy from the scots point of view. Ickle jonny misses out but thats such a competitive area. I would have him instead of hill and I would have ford rather than Farrell but apart from that?

Farrell can play in two positions, 36 man squad. 13 of the squad have international experience in more than one position. £75k with a 10k bonus each for a series win, that would soothe being a dirt tracker.

And Daily hasn’t been great but can play a couple of positions, as can Lawes.

This seems to be the key. I am expecting a lock like Lawes, Itoje or Bierne at 6 hence Navidi missing out.

Hill is a shock.

Earlier in the year I said I wouldn’t pick May in the starting 15 and was roundly shouted down by Englanders.
Gatland is going to play ultra conservative I reckon, he hasn’t the game time to bed in much in the way of “creativity”. Expect Hogg at 15 with Loopy, plus one on wing to dominate in the air, Harris and Henshaw in midfield with Biggar or Farrel at 10, Russell to bench so we can play high risk catch up if needed and as I said a massive pack with a lock at 6.

Farrell can play in two positions

sort of. Barely competent ten. less than that at 12

Agree 6 will be a Beirne style player. Matches SA a bit so they don’t get steamrolled.
Also looks like he’s taken enough locks and br, and flexible backs, to give the option of a 6-2 split bench.

A midfield of Biggar, Farrell, Harris and it doesn’t matter who is in the back 3 – they are getting no ball!

Henshaw has a good chance to start and is better at 13 than twelve. Always plays there when Aki is in the side, back to their Connacht days.
I’d back Russell, Aki, henshaw over that tj midfield.

sort of. Barely competent ten. less than that at 12

and you accuse me if being one eyed!

In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king

The person I am really pleased for is Aldi Price. He has really worked at his game over the last couple of years and had a superb and mature 6N. Watson gets his recognition as well.

Now its all about how Gatland wants to play and who performs on tour.

Bigger, Acki, Henshaw, Watson, Williams and Hogg. Thats a pretty robust back line with some flyers too.

Farrell on the bench to cover 10/12.

Back row then could be Curry, Faletau and Beirne. That would make Faletau the lightest forward at 16 stone. Bring Watson on at half time and tell him Vemullen has been sexting his other half and thinks Watson is too wee to do anything about it.

That would make Faletau the lightest forward at 16 stone

He’d still be the best rugby player amongst them!!

I take it back, googled and he is 17 and a half stone.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/HouseofRugby/permalink/919012611994597/

The Daly comment made me chuckle.

Brown raging against the dying of the light then! Red card for stamping on Tommy Taylor’s face.

Just seen the Brown red card, he just confirmed my impression of him, what a dick.

With reduced suspension for good biscuits he’ll be back for last game against Newcastle. (Browns 1st red card!)

he’ll be back for last game against Newcastle

I am one of the few people that likes/support Brown, but I think if you cannot control your temper to that point, there is not a place for you on the pitch.

12 weeks reduced to 6 because its his first ever red card.

That’s weird. Why isn’t the punishment based on the action only. Hate the “he’s usually such a nice chap, have a biscuit” defence.

According to what I read on twitter (which no I can’t find) they committee were unanimous that it was not deliberate, but was still reckless and against the rules. Hence the mitigation.

The bold but is quite hard to believe. I guess that they had more angles than the 1 angle I have seen.

That’s weird. Why isn’t the punishment based on the action only. Hate the “he’s usually such a nice chap, have a biscuit” defence.

Really? So if someone is a serial offender they shouldn’t been treated differently to someone who hasn’t had a red in 400 odd games.

Is the tour party going to be vaccinated?

It’s how our legal system works.

It’s how our legal system works.

The legal system differentiates between guilty and sentence.
No history is allowed to be considered when weighing up if someone is innocent or guilty, but the history is taken into account when sentencing.
As far as I know, citing works on the same process, although it is difficult to ignore history when the commissioners obviously know who the various parties are.

It’s a horrible mismash. Not allowed to plead your case/innocence, if you don’t accept guilt the ban is longer. Accept guilt and good previous counts. There doesn’t seem to be a cumulative points process that would lead to a massively extended ban.

‘‘McRae has an exemplary rugby record and has never been sent off or sin binned. The Committee gave full weight to his record and his contrition”

This was the O’Gara beating at the hands of Duncan McRae which led to a 7 week ban but it’s fine because he’s usually a nice chap.

That McRae incident was assault, pure and simple. So bad that if I remember his teammate dragged him off O’Gara.

They were all a bit smirky when talking to the ref, glad he got his red.

Have there ever been criminal prosecutions due to on pitch violence?