British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand

crispybug2

Lions fixtures 2017

June 3:- Vs Provincial Union Team
June 7:- Vs Blues
June 10:- Vs Crusaders
June 13:- Highlanders
June 17:- Moari All Blacks
June 20:- Chiefs
June 24:- 1st Test
June 27:- Hurricanes
July 1:- 2nd Test
July 3:- 3rd Test

The tour squad and captain will be announced on Wednesday.

crispybug2

It's being reported by the BBC that both Joe Launchbury and Jonathan Joseph will miss out on selection for the tour.

Launchbury is unfortunate but understandable as the competition for second row places is intense but omitting Joseph is madness especially as Gatland will apparently pick Jonathan Davies in Joseph's place, Davies was awful during the six nations and I've not heard of a big improvement in form whereas Joseph had a superb six nations and has the skills to unlock the Kiwi midfield

thestrand

crispybug2 wrote:

It's being reported by the BBC that both Joe Launchbury and Jonathan Joseph will miss out on selection for the tour.

Launchbury is unfortunate but understandable as the competition for second row places is intense but omitting Joseph is madness especially as Gatland will apparently pick Jonathan Davies in Joseph's place, Davies was awful during the six nations and I've not heard of a big improvement in form whereas Joseph had a superb six nations and has the skills to unlock the Kiwi midfield

I'm not sure. I don't agree with Davies in there at 13, but I think that everyone's been over-hyping Joseph's performances in the Six Nations. Yes he scored a hattrick of tries against a dismal Scottish Defence, but I thought through the rest of the tournament he was average at best.

If it were me I'd go a bit left-field and go for someone like Gary Ringrose or Hugh Jones. Yes they're both very young and inexperienced and it would be a bit of a risk, but I thought they shined during the tournament.

Granted this is a mute point, as Gatland prefers the powerhouses at 13.

vimfuego

thestrand wrote:

crispybug2 wrote:

It's being reported by the BBC that both Joe Launchbury and Jonathan Joseph will miss out on selection for the tour.

Launchbury is unfortunate but understandable as the competition for second row places is intense but omitting Joseph is madness especially as Gatland will apparently pick Jonathan Davies in Joseph's place, Davies was awful during the six nations and I've not heard of a big improvement in form whereas Joseph had a superb six nations and has the skills to unlock the Kiwi midfield

I'm not sure. I don't agree with Davies in there at 13, but I think that everyone's been over-hyping Joseph's performances in the Six Nations. Yes he scored a hattrick of tries against a dismal Scottish Defence, but I thought through the rest of the tournament he was average at best.

If it were me I'd go a bit left-field and go for someone like Gary Ringrose or Hugh Jones. Yes they're both very young and inexperienced and it would be a bit of a risk, but I thought they shined during the tournament.

Granted this is a mute point, as Gatland prefers Welsh players.

FTFY

FatTed

I think they will win against the Blues, but not much else.

Pross

2 days between 2nd and 3rd tests? That can't be right. If Launchbury is fully fit he'd be one of my first choice players.

secretsqirrel

Have to say I don't really get The Lions in the professional age.

They don't play at home.
They haven't got a home.
They don't play in the RWC.
They''re not in the world rankings.
I am not convinced they are any better than any of the home nations.

Just not sure what they are for anymore. Just sayin'.

FatTed

SecretSqirrel wrote:

Have to say I don't really get The Lions in the professional age.

They don't play at home.
They haven't got a home.
They don't play in the RWC.
They''re not in the world rankings.
I am not convinced they are any better than any of the home nations.

Just not sure what they are for anymore. Just sayin'.

+1

bendertherobot

Warburton to Captain.

Lots of smart money on social media about a chap called Wyn Jones touring. I confess he must have passed me by. Don't watch as much club rugby as I should.

4kicks

Think that Gatland will rely heavily on the Welsh "big names" who, like the Irish generation of Bod & Co before em, seem to shrink as the going gets tough. mind you, it was such a patchy six nations its really hard to see anyone from the other nations who made their case compellingly. Its easy to talk about the "wealth of options at 4 and 5" but without a back row and 5/8ths who are dominant its hard to see how this lions will win many.

crispybug2

SecretSqirrel wrote:

Have to say I don't really get The Lions in the professional age.

They don't play at home.
They haven't got a home.
They don't play in the RWC.
They''re not in the world rankings.
I am not convinced they are any better than any of the home nations.

Just not sure what they are for anymore. Just sayin'.

At my rugby club we've had visits from Martin Johnson, Lawrence Dallaglio, Jason Leonard and Richard Hill, all professional era players and all of whom said that representing the Lions was one of their career highlights!

I think the Lions are still relevant in the professional era

lostboysaint

4kicks wrote:

Think that Gatland will rely heavily on the Welsh "big names" who, lost to Scotland, won less than 50%of their games in the six nations on their route to 5th place in the 6 nations.

Corrected for accuracy.

narbs

Got to love the boiling piss of the English rugby follower even before a ball is kicked.

Luckily, they can all point at the last tour of NZ, with its plane full of English players and coaching mastermind SCW, and reminisce about what a success that proved.

4kicks

double post

4kicks

narbs wrote:

Got to love the boiling wee-wee of the English rugby follower even before a ball is kicked.

Luckily, they can all point at the last tour of NZ, with its plane full of English players and coaching mastermind SCW, and reminisce about what a success that proved.

No idea what the first part of your post meant?? However, the part of your post I did understand I agree with, indeed, the English based lions tour to NZ was a complete failure, I still find it somewhat curious how fast and how far Woodwards team fell. But, OTOH, choosing Welsh players who know what its like to beat New Zealand means youd have to reselect JPR, Phil Bennett and Gareth Edwards, wouldn't you? Not sure they could get out of their media commitments?

kingstongraham

narbs wrote:

Got to love the boiling wee-wee of the English rugby follower even before a ball is kicked.

Luckily, they can all point at the last tour of NZ, with its plane full of English players and coaching mastermind SCW, and reminisce about what a success that proved.

What's causing issues? Apart from Roberts, the only contentious decisions seem to be because there's a few good options and someone misses out.

crispybug2

narbs wrote:

Got to love the boiling wee-wee of the English rugby follower even before a ball is kicked.

Luckily, they can all point at the last tour of NZ, with its plane full of English players and coaching mastermind SCW, and reminisce about what a success that proved.

I think that the Scottish supporters will be justifiably annoyed if, as is being reported, the Welsh have 10/11 players on tour and the Scots have 2!!

RichN95.

lostboysaint wrote:

4kicks wrote:

Think that Gatland will rely heavily on the Welsh "big names" who, lost to Scotland, won less than 50%of their games in the six nations on their route to 5th place in the 6 nations.

Corrected for accuracy.

There won't be many Welsh in the starting XV though - AWJones, North & Warburton. Possibly Williams.

4kicks

wtf...Johnathan Joseph??

bendertherobot

What's wrong with Joseph?

4kicks

crispybug2 wrote:

It's being reported by the BBC that both Joe Launchbury and Jonathan Joseph will miss out on selection for the tour.

crispybug2

No Jamie Roberts..........TFFT!!!

vimfuego

+1


Dan Biggar though.....................

bendertherobot

It's actually a pretty good squad and, for a change, does reward players who've put a good shift in and not (just)(only) on past performance. Very pleased for Ross Moriarty.

bompington

team

---

points

---

lions

---

points/lion
England

---

19

---

16

---

1.19
Ireland

---

14

---

11

---

1.27
Scotland

---

14

---

2

---

7.00
Wales

---

10

---

12

---

0.83

crispybug2

vimfuego wrote:

+1


Dan Biggar though.....................

No idea what Biggar brings to the team, he's one dimensional at best, he will be a dirtracker only whereas Finn Russell has a spark about him and he is good enough to threaten Johnny Sexton and Owen Farrell's places!

milton50

Think Gatland might make the same mistake as Woodward did in 2005, i.e. picking players he has a good relationship with despite them being past their best.

It's not a terrible squad but there are some decisions clearly not based on form.

On the positive side, if we pull this off then it will be one of the greatest sporting team achievements ever.

narbs

Finn Russell is very unlucky, both Jonathans and Biggar are very lucky. Other than that it's a pretty uncontentious squad.

Apart from the omission of Henson, natch.

Dorset_Boy

Owens over Hartley is questionable
No Jonny Gray, No Launchberry, but an ailing an Alun Wyn Jones and Courtney Lawes instead?
Dan (gobby shite) Biggar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not even the 5th best 10 in the home nations, and wouldn't make the squad of any other home nation
Halfpenny - has had no form for 3 years
Jonathan Davies - no form for 2 years
North - no form (and I don't count two tries than any winger his size would score) and serious questions about his long term heath
11 Welsh players, a team which can't score tries even if they have 2 more backs than the opposition, can't beat any southern hemisphere teams, came 5th in the 6 nations, were hammered in NZ last summerand only 2 Scots? Seriously?

For those questioning Joseph, he is the best defender in the NH at 13 and can create something from nothing.

bendertherobot

Narbs, you sage.

Pross

Even as a Welshman through and through I'm struggling to understand how he managed to find 12 Welsh players he felt deserve to go. If I were a Scot (perish the thought!), I'd be livid. Typical Gatland, it worked 4 years ago so keep trying it.