I think Hogg has played fly half but only at club level and not in the last couple of years.

I really thought that Laidlaw had a good chance, especially with all the talk of not having players who weren’t available for the whole tour and only having two stand offs.

The Lions have placed emphasis on all players being available from the off, and therefore I presume would want to minimise future call ups as much as possible, which i don’t think they have at number ten.

I’ll reserve judgement until I see the test 15. Then I’ll decide whether to go out and buy an Aus shirt 😛
I wouldn’t blame the scots for feeling very hard done by considering they did considerably better than Ireland in the 6N. Gray and Stevens are really crap picks, and the first Irishman who should be nailed on above all others would be Rory Best. Can’t believe Robshaw didn’t make it, looking at his performance during the 6N; two MOM performances and often the difference between the teams it’s a bit of a disgrace IMHO.

Just realised Best didn’t make it 😯 I’d have had him ahead of all three of those that are going!

Who’s gonna be the midweek captain out of that lot then? Kiwi mentalist for me 8)

Tom B – Member
Who’s gonna be the midweek captain out of that lot then? Kiwi mentalist for me

Jings fella,the sun is barely over the yard arm.

I think some of the English front row are there for mid week angry faces. Wouldn’t want the Welsh boys injured in the run up to the tests 😀

Also, Gatland’s mentaility seems be the same as Clarkson….. POOOOWWWWEEEEEERRRRR! Aus are very agile, quick and have good rugby brains so I hope this is not the Lions undoing. Ironically the Lions can pick quite a mobile, dynamic pack capable of plenty of disruption at the breakdown but have a backline much like a back row 😯

Maitland, Hogg and 1/2p could balance this out though I suppose. Some nice options to have 😀

No Best and Matt Stevens in are very odd, I’d have Robshaw over Croft. Gray is a punt but at his best he’s a very good player, Matt Stevens at is best is still not that great. Still he’ll be happy to be dirtracker fodder I suppose. Only 2 10’s was as he predicted 3 would have left people undercooked come the first test if all were to get a chance. If one breaks they can just fly out another, Wilko might be a good option there as an experienced pro.

Cant believe Gav didnt get a call up 😉

Also, Gatland’s mentaility seems be the same as Clarkson….. POOOOWWWWEEEEEERRRRR

been saying that for ages, if in any doubt he’ll pick the biggest player possible.

So:
1/2p
Bowe
Abu Manu Samoa Hamzar
Abu Jamie Hamzar
North
Sexton
Phillips
Faletau
Warburton
Lydiate
POC
AW Jones
Adam
Hartley
Healey

Seems like a lot of selections were based on reputation rather than form to me.

so wrecker who would you have selected different, Gatland has a lot of form on deciding who his talented players are and picking them. See Gethin and Lydiate at the world cup he was also very keen on giving Gav every chance. Lydiate over Robshaw clearly isnt form based its based on who is the better player. Much as I dislike Hartley I think Englands desire to pick on form and keep people in the side meant Englands best 2 option was on the bench. Hartley’s arrows are good and he’s got power that Best and Youngs lack and like Hibbard (whose arrows are not as good) he’s a very strong scrummaging option. I think a few like Ian Evans, Stevens, Vunipola, Cuthbert will just be delighted to go and wont get the hump when not picked for the tests.

nice to see lots of Welsh but imo warburton should not be captain, BOD should have been given the job.

jamie roberts, lucky again!

nice to jonathan davies, could be star of the tour.

need to ring sky tonight sort out the sports!

I think there might be an Irish rapier instead of a bludgeon in the centres and if injury and Sale free Gray sees a chance to get in t shop window,he may realise how jammy he is to be on the plane and play to his huge potential. Are both POC and AWJ not getting a bit fragile? My one concern about that back row is that while they are best we can do on paper, I felt they weren’t a great blend in the 6n.

Roberts lucky, Robshaw robbed?

Swap Healey for Gethin and that’d be my starting 15 a_a. Can’t see myself really getting behind that team tbh.

bloody BBC wilkinson not picked is above warburton chosen as captain in the news, **** me!!

You’ve posted those vids already, but failed to mention that robshaw put in the 2nd most tackles in the 6N (behind dusautoir) which considering England won all but one game is pretty good going. Robshaw is a better 6 than he is a 7, but still better than Lydiate at either (obviously Gats disagrees). I wouldn’t have taken POC, Heaslip or Gray (obv not stevens either). Roberts is lucky that the home nations aren’t exactly brimming with talent in the centre. Wouldn’t have taken T Youngs either.

Bless can we see all the toys out of the pram from the englanders not just Tom B. Wrecker Lydiate is a much better 6 than Robshaw. You need to open your other eye!!

roberts had a good game against england, but he’s not consistent, as above he’s been lucky as thin on the ground with choice.,

hook should have gone aswell.

it’s all good anyway, lets all enjoy it people! thank **** for sky+

It’s not entirely unexpected. The welsh national manager picks mainly welsh players shocker. We all remember welsh dummys being spat when CW was in charge; he did the same thing which, from memory didn’t end well…..

Wrecker Lydiate is a much better 6 than Robshaw.

Our opinions won’t change so there is really no point squabbling.

No toys out of the pram here a_a….I disagree that Lydiate is better than Robshaw-they are both excellent players. Given the Welsh dominance, they were always going to have a lot of players in the squad…..I’m amazed at how many Irish there are though given that they are were awful in the 6n’s….and their most consistent player wasn’t even picked!!

sky are doing sport half price £10.50 for 3 months, log on then go to sky chat and haggle for it.

CW was in charge

and didnt he do a great job of managing the Lions.

I thought Robshaw got damaged recently.

The boys that are going will have played a lot of rugby this year, I hope they get a decent rest before next season starts

I’m amazed at how many Irish there are though given that they are were awful in the 6n’s….and their most consistent player wasn’t even picked!!

Tom a lot of the Irish selected were not available for all or large parts of the 6N. I feel for Rory Best but his throwing is just not good enough for a test hooker. Although that suffered due to POC’s absence in the 6N.

and didnt he do a great job of managing the Lions.

Neither has Gatland yet!

35 points for me, any better than that. I even got all the back row selections right. Woo Hoo me!

25pts and an Edinburgh Season ticket…why do i follow rugby clearly know nothing about it

his throwing is just not good enough for a test hooker.

And it’s still better than Tom Youngs!

Thats possibly true. Rory suffered because Ryan was calling the lineouts in POCs absence and that really didn’t go well.

http://www.espnscrum.com/lions-tour-2013/rugby/story/181705.html

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/warren-gatland-reveals-jonny-wilkinson-3308341

St Jonny was apparently offered a spot. Turned it down due to Toulon stuffs and worries over injury. Invitation left open though!

I doubt anyone could handle a Lions tour as badly as CW did. Wrecker I am suprised at you not being able to see that.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=c2gy0sfFOFA[/video]

Excited.
but could be more.
As aa says, a very “Gatland” selection. Predictable.
But it’s a bit worrying when your most nimble back is the 34 yr old , four tour vet.
Distinct lack of plan B, or any other creativity in the backs.

It’s gonna be Welsh-style bosh, bosh , bosh – and how long’s that losing streak against the Oz now. Maybe he’s hoping to surprise them with the “Can’t possibly try that trick again, routine”?

For me, the worst exclusions are ones like Zebo or Madigan or even Care for that bit of spark that might be needed to change a game. The only creativity, apart from BOD of course, is in the back up 15s Hogg and Kearney.
But he’s already said 1/2pee’s his test-kicker, hence only needs 2 10s, so that’s borked too .

At least there’s a couple of forwards who can carry. Wasn’t Tip’s Wales most creative back this year?

He knows what he likes and he likes what he knows. But 15 welsh?
He must be trying to avoid injury withdrawals from the players involved in end of season finals.

Will Greenwood’s take on it

The Irish will be cross no Best, The Scots no Brown, The English no Wilkinson or Robshaw, The Welsh that the entire 37 man party isn’t Welsh

All those snippets above indicate to me is the Lions approached Wilko to see if he was available for selection from day 1 of Tour, not that he would have necessarily been picked. Or was he somehow any different to the other players, knowing he was going to be picked before the anouncement?

Best, robshaw and grant should go everyone else,fine. Just glad the other big Scottish 2nd row isn’t going got to be the worst player in 6 nations.

Wrecker I am suprised at you not being able to see that.

Whoa. Checkfire!
I haven’t said any different, CW showed how badly it could be done but there’s no saying that it can’t be replicated. Certainly, CW has higher coaching credentials than gats so spectacular failure isn’t impossible.

Appreciate I’m late to the party – how did Tom Youngs and Matt Stevens get in?

Blimey….

Relishing Parling and O’connel as pair though, O’connells passion will rub off on parling in a positive way I feel.

Moreover, Telfer was the worst lions coach in recent memory.

mefty – Member
Will Greenwood’s take on it

The Irish will be cross no Best, The Scots no Brown, The English no Wilkinson or Robshaw, AA that the entire 37 man party isn’t Welsh

FTFY 😉