Nah, not even close, this
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On the whole a strong team based on current form but there’s a few like Alun Wyn Jones and Rory Best that I doubt will be around in 2017. Something along the following lines.
Stuart Hogg (Scotland)
Anthony Watson (England)
Jonathan Joseph (England)
Jamie Roberts (Wales)
Tommy Seymour (Scotland)
Finn Russell (Scotland)
Rhys Webb (Wales)
Jack McGrath (Ireland)
Dylan Hartley (England)
Samson Lee (Wales)
Johnnie Gray (Scotland)
Courtney Lawes (England)
Peter O’Mahony (Ireland)
Taulupe Faletau (Wales)
Sam Warburton (Wales)
British and Irish Lions manager John Spencer has revealed that only a head coach able to take a year-long sabbatical will be considered to lead the 2017 tour to New Zealand.
The successful candidate and his assistants will be appointed by the board towards the end of the summer upon completion of the home nations’ visits to the southern hemisphere in June.
Spencer, speaking at the announcement of Standard Life as the Lions’ principal partner, insists fortunes over the next six months will be pivotal to the decision.
“We have always had a totally open mind about the appointment and still have. We have one Six Nations and a summer tour to go and a lot can happen,” Spencer said.
"We look at the form of coaches in the same way as the players are examined. There is a long time to go yet.
"We could well look outside the Six Nations, but I haven’t heard of any proposals for that at the moment.
“We would expect them to give 100 per cent of their time to the Lions. That would be the best preparation and we are looking for best principles.”
Wales head coach Warren Gatland was at the helm for the triumphant 2013 tour to Australia, but Spencer refuses to view the Kiwi as the favourite.
“I couldn’t say if Warren is in a strong position. We have to keep an open mind until the last minute and look at teams in the Six Nations and summer tours,” Gatland said.
"He has obviously been very successful. As far as the New Zealand tour is concerned it is a blank sheet. Everyone has to have a first tour.
“If you get into the lions culture and values you can understand it pretty well from scratch.”
Recently-appointed England head coach Eddie Jones is an outsider, according to Spencer.
“I think it would be unusual for a coach who has just come in to be suddenly considered for the Lions,” he said.
“I’m not sure (Rugby Football Union chief executive) Ian Ritchie would talk to me very favourably if we suddenly asked him for a 12-month sabbatical after a couple of months in office. But anything can happen.”
Eddie O’Sullivan or Declan Kidney the obvious choices so
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Axel foley should be available.
Dylan Hartley lay down a real marker for the British Lions captaincy at Murrayfield today.
TryHard 4.0
With just over 13 months to go now until the squad is named, the build up can finally begin in earnest.
Revised Test team as of 19/3/16:
15 - S.W. Hogg (Scotland)
14 - A.K.C. Watson (England)
13 - J.B.A. Joseph - (England)
12 - R. Henshaw (Ireland)
11 - G.P. North (Wales)
10 - J.J. Sexton (Ireland)
9 - D.S. Care (England)
1 - J.C. McGrath (Ireland)
2 - D.M. Hartley (England)
3 - W.P. Nel (Scotland)
4 - O.M. Itoje (England)
5 - A.W. Jones (Wales) ©
6 - D.J. Lydiate (Wales)
7 - S.K. Warburton (Wales)
8 - V.M.L. Vunipola (England)
#brothers
The doyen of rugby writers Stephen Jones selected a touring 37 for New Zealand in the Sunday Times yesterday. Neither Jonathan Sexton or Conor Murray made his squad. In fairness, based on current form its hard to argue with that.
What a fat opinionated prick he is.
We should invite him to join here so.
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Its less than a year away now and some real pointers throughout an outstanding series of June internationals. Revised test team as of 26 June 2016.
15 - S.W. Hogg (Scotland)
14 - A.K.C. Watson (England)
13 - J.B.A. Joseph - (England)
12 - R. Henshaw (Ireland)
11 - G.P. North (Wales)
10 - D.R. Biggar (Wales)
9 - R. Webb (Wales)
1 - J.C. McGrath (Ireland)
2 - D.M. Hartley (England) (captain)
3 - W.P. Nel (Scotland)
4 - O.M. Itoje (England)
5 - A.W. Jones (Wales)
6 - W.I. Henderson (Ireland)
7 - J.A.W. Haskell (England)
8 - T.T. Faletau (Wales)
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Having a fucking laugh? [quote=“GeoffreyBoycott, post:96, topic:17708”]
5 - A.W. Jones (Wales)
[/quote]
Are you sitting in your own filth?
This will be some series . The excitement really starting now . All the usual pre tour events will soon be coming now : Shirt launch , Sky marketing , Stephen Jones’ changing teams over the Six Nations. The six nations games themselves. Then the big squad announcement , that morning the palpable tension from Lands End to John O Groats & from Mizen to Malin. The joy and the disappointment and the column inches . The legion of conspiracy theories on the message boards.
Of course there will always be the twist with an injury , a suspension and god knows what .
Roll on June 2017.
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What’s the significance of this ? Who else was gonna be made coach ?
Who else want it id say. Lions is a busted flush. Gatland taking a punt that a winning series might leap frog him to top of queue of potential all black coaches.
They will be bet 3-0
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Garland seems like a bit of a prick. Would they not have given the job to Eddie O Sullivan or Deccie Kidney?
I was in New Zealand in 05. Just happened to be there but followed the tour for a while in our small have style camper van. Good fun to be fair. If I w as a kiwi I’d probably love rugby.