Lions tour of SA - thoughts & speculation

[The_Puke]

@tipptops*

Johnny Wilkinson will start at out half for the British Lions.

indeed and he won’t, if only tipptops, if only…

[treaty_exile]

@tipptops*

Johnny Wilkinson will start at out half for the British Lions.

if he has any sense he’ll tell the lions to sod off and give him a break. and martin johnson too by the looks of it.
i see he’s due his latest comeback in the next few weeks with newcastle.

[Mac]

Puke, no John Hayes?

[caoimhaoin]

@larryduff

would Like To See Best Make The Squad Though He Hasn’t Been His Usual Self In Last Couple Of Matches. If He Is In The Squad Think He Could Do Well On Tour. paddy Wallace and Hook Could Offer Something Different At 12.

I’m breaking my hole laughing at you here, and the lads give me a hard time for being so defensive of Cork lads. Thats outrageous.

[The_Puke]

@Mac

Puke, no John Hayes?

No to be honest, would like to see him travel but reckon that McGeechan will go for Sheridan and Murrey as his tight heads…

[The_Dublin_Bay_Prawn]

O’Driscoll or O’Connell for the armband lads?

Surely BOD on current form?

[theLockes]

[quote=“The Puke”]Had a discussion about the Lions squad with a friend of mine earlier today, think we reckoned that McGeechan will be something like this(36 man squad, 19 forwards and 17 backs)…

Forwards:
Front row:
Sheridan
Vickery
Horan
Murray
Jenkins
Flannery
Ford
Rees

Second Row:
O Connell
O Callaghan
Wyn Jones
Gough
Kenndy/Hines

Back Row:
Wallace
Williams
R.Jones
Ferris
Haskell/Worsley
Powell

Backs:
Scrum halves:
Phillips
Blair
O Leary/Peel

Outhalves:Jones
O Gara
Cipriani

Wings:
S. Williams
Bowe
Halfpenney
Sackey

Centres:
Flutey
O Driscoll
Shanklin
Roberts

Fullback:
Byrne
Kearney
Armitage[/quote]

No Hayes, no Fitzgerald. I would have these two guys on the plane and pushing for a start in the test team.

[treaty_exile]

@The Puke

No to be honest, would like to see him travel but reckon that McGeechan will go for Sheridan and Murrey as his tight heads…

surely you mean Sheridan as loosehead?

[The_Puke]

@treaty_exile

surely you mean Sheridan as loosehead?

Sorry my mistake, Vickery and Murrey are nailed on for the tight head spots, Sheridan will get loose head, Jenkins can play either side so chances are another loose head will be brought, reckon Horan could get it

[The_Puke]

@Locke

No Hayes, no Fitzgerald. I would have these two guys on the plane and pushing for a start in the test team.

That isn’t the squad I would pick locke, it is the squad I think McGeechan will pick…Hence a good numner of Wasps lads on it…Sackey ahead of Luke would be one call I can see Geech making

[dancarter]

[quote=“The Puke”]Had a discussion about the Lions squad with a friend of mine earlier today, think we reckoned that McGeechan will be something like this(36 man squad, 19 forwards and 17 backs)…

Forwards:
Front row:
Sheridan
Vickery
Horan
Murray
Jenkins
Flannery
Ford
Rees

Second Row:
O Connell
O Callaghan
Wyn Jones
Gough
Kenndy/Hines

Back Row:
Wallace
Williams
R.Jones
Ferris
Haskell/Worsley
Powell

Backs:
Scrum halves:
Phillips
Blair
O Leary/Peel

Outhalves:Jones
O Gara
Cipriani

Wings:
S. Williams
Bowe
Halfpenney
Sackey

Centres:
Flutey
O Driscoll
Shanklin
Roberts

Fullback:
Byrne
Kearney
Armitage[/quote]

No Patterson Puke?

Cant see Armitage/Sackey/O’Leary/Worsely going from your list above. Hook is nailed on as cover for 10-15 I think, particulalry taking the Galtand/Edwards situation into account.

Fitzgerald has a right chance, I will be very disapointed if Hayes doesnt make it, on form he is best tight head available. had a stinker the last time but he has two HEC medals won since then and is far and away a better playes. They might bring an extra prop and leave a back at home on account of the liklihood of there scrummaging being targetted all tour and not just in the tests.

Hope TT is right, a fit Jonny Wilkinson would be our best option by a country mile. Doubt it will happen though

[The_Puke]

@dancarter

Cant see Armitage/Sackey/O’Leary/Worsely going from your list above. Hook is nailed on as cover for 10-15 I think, particulalry taking the Galtand/Edwards situation into account.

Fitzgerald has a right chance, I will be very disapointed if Hayes doesnt make it, on form he is best tight head available. had a stinker the last time but he has two HEC medals won since then and is far and away a better playes. They might bring an extra prop and leave a back at home on account of the liklihood of there scrummaging being targetted all tour and not just in the tests.

Reckon O Leary mightn’t make it as well, Peel will probably get the nod ahead of him, although he has a bit of versatility on his side. One of the wasps back row pair Worsley or Haskell will make it, more than likely Haskell, same way the wasps bias will get Sackey in…Hook won’t be far off but like I said earlier I cannot see 4 welsh half backs travlling and Cipriani will be taken…Hayes desrves his spot but I don’t think he is the kind of prop that McGeechan will want in South Africa…

[Bandage]

Puke’s being badly shown up here not knowing the difference between tighthead and loosehead prop.

One of the points I was discussing with a fellow avid rugby footballer supporter the other day was how I think they (fooking hell, I nearly said ‘we’) should go for variety across the positions.

For example, what’s the point of picking a physical scrum half like O’Leary when you’ve already got a better physical one in Phillips? So go for something different and a bit of variety and bring Peel.

[HangBlaa]

Some food for thought lads, but every touring party throws up a few surprises. This year i reckon the following are all in with a shout of getting a spin to SA.

Possible Lions Wildcards:

Eoin Reddan
Leo Cullen
Shane Jennings
Keith Earls

Max Evans
Thom Evans

Nick Abendenan
Ben Foden

Leigh Halfpenny

[Mac]

Would agree with Halfpenny for definite HB. There’ll usually be one or two slots that go for a player with multiple uses. Having a winger who’s an excellent goal kicker is always useful. Plus, he is a very decent winger as well.

[Bandage]

Halfpenny should be excluded on the basis of the way he spells his first name.

[myboyblue]

Do the Lions bring an uncapped player or is that only the Bah Bahs?

[The_Puke]

@myboyblue

Do the Lions bring an uncapped player or is that only the Bah Bahs?

They do but it doesn’t happen too often, think Will Greenwood was the last uncapped player to tour with the lions in 1997

[dancarter]

[quote=“HangBlaa”]Some food for thought lads, but every touring party throws up a few surprises. This year i reckon the following are all in with a shout of getting a spin to SA.

Possible Lions Wildcards:

Eoin Reddan
Leo Cullen
Shane Jennings
Keith Earls

Max Evans
Thom Evans

Nick Abendenan
Ben Foden

Leigh Halfpenny[/quote]

Of those I think I have a better chance of touring than jennings, who is IMHO not even HEC standard.

Good shout on the evans brothers, might get in as a policitcal shout to the scots who wont have many more numbers travelling.

One more name that hasnt been mentioned, Simon Taylor. Covers 2nd rown/back row, previosu tourist as well.

[myboyblue]

The goys on the Rugby Club last night named out a few who they thought might travel. Fucked if I could remember any of them now mind you.