Winters coming;all inclusive rugby thread.

“guaranteed starter” rule.

Not really mine, per se, but I reckon it’s pretty much essential. The captain must be an immediate pick for the test side. So, who is it?

1/2p is certainly top of pretty much everyone’s list at 15, but not a leader as I see it.
BOD is a great leader and player, but sadly I fear his season/career may be in the latter stages of Autumn….

So, on current form, I’d be looking at either Ferris or Warbs, assuming the latter can stay fit enough to at least start a game!

Can’t see warburton starting the tests.
Can’t see him finishing 80 minutes, tbh.

Hartley it is then. See, I told you.

Think outside the box. Wasn’t it ’97 when a young lock who wasn’t fist choice for his country got picked as Lions Captain?

Genuine questions for my friends in Scotland. Is Gray really one if the top two locks in GB and Ireland or is that the 2012 tokenism candidate? (J Davies aside). Very good player, sure, but top two……?

FWIW, not a wind up. Sad that thre are not more stand out Scots at the moment, even for Nicol to highlight.

I think Phillips is the closest to a certainty at the moment which just goes to show how barking Howlers is.

Fighty Spikey as captain?

*shudders*

No he’s not a captain but he’d be first name down on my teamsheet at the moment..

No he’s not a captain but he’d be first name down on my teamsheet at the moment..

Valid point.

But, the armband remains unclaimed as far as I can see.

No he’s not a captain but he’d be first name down on my teamsheet at the moment..

What about Gav?

Gav would be second name down obviously!!! In all seriousness he needs to show some sort of appetite for contact before he can be considered for Wales. Still a lovely distributer and very handy with the boot though.

Warburton not starting for Wales?

Ashton back for England. Thats 3 decent strike players in the back 3 and two hefty centres, plus Tuilagi’s crash ball threat. I have a feeling these can gel and stay on form that’d be a good bike line for the world cup, perhaps with Simpson-Daniel getting a shot at outside centre where defense isn’t so high on the agenda.

A bit shocked Ben Morgan doesn’t make the Bench though!

A back row of tips, jones and faletau will be much better…. Ryan Jones for Lions Captain?

Ryan Jones for Lions Captain?

Akshewally, a pretty good call that. Plays back row or second, very likely to be in any starting line up, and a proven captain.

He is a very underated six, played Ferris off the park last year. He will skipper the mid week team imo.

Gray is as good as any second row in the UK, Hamilton was just back from injury and it showed on Sat, Lawes has been picked for two of those Lions sides despite being out of form most of last season and broken this? I would love to see POC back, but I think the damage to his back has been affecting him since the last Lions tour as he has been a shadow of the player he once was. As of now,imo only clear pics are Ferris, Sexton and Phillips.

Ferris, combines the dog of every great back row with good hands and vision. Plus he can play every position.
Sexton, just controls a game better than other choices, including Flood, I think his head is less easily got to than Floods as well.
Phillips; concentrating on rugby he is head and shoulders above every other 9 in the uk(pun intended)Excells on a fast pitch as well as he likes an off loading game because of his height…BUT…he may be in prison by the time of the tour.

My possibles depending rather worryingly on fitness;
H/p
Bowe
Tuilagi
BOD
North
Sexton
Phillips
Forwards too hard to call,I like the idea of Sheridan as there will be space and the scrum is not going to be an area where the tests will be won or lost as it was against the Saffers. He is quite fit again and could create havoc in the loose as he carries and off-loads well…But Gethin is the far better scrum option. Cole is prop at other side with Best in the middle. Jones and Gray in the second row, Jones for me is the Welsh Simon Taylor, amazingly talented, but never quite been as good as he could have been,slams or not. Jones would need a good winning tour to be one of the greats of the modern game, and I think he would know this,I also think he would revel in being one of the older heads in what may well be a young squad.Gray is living away from home for the first time and it shows…remember moving out your parents guys? 😀 Other two places in the back row are too hard to call, but watch out for a newly repaired David Denton making a strong case, he was the best deb in the 6n last year, but has only recently been mended.

Nice picks by duckman. I’d go with Gethin/Cole/Best and stick Youngs in on the bench – he’s very destructive as a hooker and has centre-like mobility but lets see how he goes against the Aussies on Saturday.

Sheridan tore the Aussies apart when he played them and if he’s on form I think thats a good impact sub – Lawes hmm – lack of game time but a tremendious talent and potetnial as a standout player. Philips yes, with Care as an alternate.

A lot of top teams seem to be treating prop as a 60 minute position now, and making a non-injury change around the hour every game. I can see the Lions doing that next summer with Sheridan, but there’s plenty of quality at 1&3 to choose from whoever goes.
I’m not so sure at hooker, there’s a lot of support for Best but personally still not convinced. Curious why Ford’s being ignored, particularly with his record in oz 🙂
Strangely, although I’m not sure who’s in front for hooker, if Gatland knows who he wants then I wouldn’t be surprised if he captains him too. Best, Ford, Hartley all do it regularly.
Youngs looked good, but that K57 description applies to Strauss too who had a decent debut, either would be a bit more of a gamble but imo more exciting too. Handy to have a flanker-style hooker as an extra bit of speed to the breakdown against pocock too.

Not sure I’d go for two “youngsters” at lock too, so it’s one of Lawes or Gray, and Gray’s ahead for me. If POC goes I wouldn’t expect 3x80mins anyway, but D Ryan’s a good like for like replacement, in good form too.

No way should Ford be involved in lions talk! He’s way too slow just like the rest of the Scotchland front row 🙂 Hartley at 2 for me.

Ford it pains me to say has gone backwards for the last 12 months, miles away from the Lions now.

FIX THIS DAMNED GLITCH, FFS!

Fair enough. Was just wondering why even the Scots don’t seem to put him forward at the moment.

bump

Serious – FIX IT!

Serious – FIX IT!

ooohhhh what you going to do about it 😉

Would have problems supporting a Lions side if it was captained by gouger, biter Hartley

ooohhhh what you going to do about it

I’ve spent the morning drinking coffee. I have a very full bladder, and I’m sure there are shoes at STW-Towers…

Hartley – Nasty. Don’t want him in the side, let alone as captain!

How about an evil xv? Scrapes with the law(rugby and other) and media.

15
14 Chris Ashton
13 Mike Tindall
12 Gavin Henson
11
10 Danny Care
9 David bishop
8 Mongo
7 Callum Clark
6 Delon Armitage
5 Trevor Brennan
4 Jim Hamilton
3
2 Dylan Harley
1

Few more places up for grabs….

d armitage can fill 11 or 15 for them.
The other gaps just go to prove that props are always innocent

edit. just spotted you got him in at 6?
wrong one. steffon’s the flanker, and he’s been cleared now. More likely to be 7 in the “good guys” team.

The other gaps just go to prove that props are always innocent

🙂

Who was the Leicester prop who could punch a bit? Somebody White, he had a very short fuse 😀

No room for Danny Grewcock?

julian?

anyway, needs more northampton.

Thats him, cheers Loum

Ooooh McCrae the one who wailed on ROG he could be the 15

Thats it Steffon, however he has an assault conviction, previous for abusing Saints tea lady and the Glaws fans and doping control..so he stays.

Thought long and hard about second row…however Hamilton was in an approved school and Brennan battered a couple of his own fans, so a bit more hardcore than ripping up a headguard.

Good call Pigface, not only did mcRae beat up ROG, he then had the cheek to finish his career in the UK. Just the sort of player we want.

And can’t have somebody called Julian in the team.

The Claw Clohessy at prop – always good for a ruck around Limerick

Wales team: 8 changes

Leigh Halfpenny; Alex Cuthbert, Ashley Beck, Jamie Roberts, George North; Dan Biggar, Mike Phillips; Paul James, Richard Hibbard, Aaron Jarvis, Bradley Davies, Ian Evans, Ryan Jones (Capt), Justin Tipuric, Toby Faletau.

Replacements: Ken Owens, Gethin Jenkins, Scott Andrews, Luke Charteris, Sam Warburton, Tavis Knoyle, Rhys Priestland, Scott Williams.

Interesting…..what has Priestland ever brought to the table? For a ten he is a very average goal kicker, and i’ve never seen him do too much with ball in hand?

Interesting…..what has Priestland ever brought to the table? For a ten he is a very average goal kicker, and i’ve never seen him do too much with ball in hand?

did you watch the last six nations and world cup. Priestland is a good ten big boot, eye for a gap and passes well. He is just completely out of form. . Much stronger welsh team and stronger bench too.

Much stronger welsh team and stronger bench too.

Agreed. Biggar’s been doing well in Ospreylia, and 4 through 8 is my current pick of the bunch as well. Having Girafferis and Warbs on the bench is a great move, I reckon.