B&I Lions 2017
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It's a good looking squad and it's good that the Joseph out, Roberts in "leak" was bullshit. I think they'll go well, and if they get good team harmony, then they are a good shout at knocking us over.
The selection of Payne / Te'o etc ... Look, I'll say it. It just seems wrong to me. Having some NZ born / raised players there just isn't right in my view. Sure, following the eligiblity rules for countries, but this is the Lions. It should, in my view, have a "State Of Origin" selection policy around it.
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@antipodean yea that's all true, but that seems like the hard way to go about it. Gatland must be hoping his plan will work better with a few better players to implement it, and a talented bench to live with us in the last 20.
Farrell's defensive pattern looks a bit shit to be honest. If England weren't pathological about kicking away all their ball there seemed to be holes everywhere.
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@mariner4life said in B&I Lions 2017:
@antipodean yea that's all true, but that seems like the hard way to go about it. Gatland must be hoping his plan will work better with a few better players to implement it, and a talented bench to live with us in the last 20.
Yeah, the problem for Wales over the last decade has been not enough English and Irish players...
Farrell's defensive pattern looks a bit shit to be honest.
That's because it's much easier to come up with a defensive system that permits you to have basically everyone standing in a line.
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@antipodean aye?
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@Number-10 said in B&I Lions 2017:
Speaking of rankings, I presume as the B&I Lions do not have a ranking, and are not a country, then the AB's will not lose or gain any ranking points for any wins or losses in the series?
I'm pretty sure you're right.
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Planet Rugby's Lions 2017: Left at home XV
The reasons for their selections are in the article:
15 Mike Brown (Harlequins/England)
14 Simon Zebo (Munster/Ireland)
13 Garry Ringrose (Leinster/Ireland)
12 Scott Williams (Scarlets/Wales)
11 Sean Maitland (Saracens/Scotland)
10 Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland)
9 Greig Laidlaw (Gloucester/Scotland)
8 Jamie Heaslip (Leinster/Ireland)
7 Hamish Watson (Edinburgh/Scotland)
6 Chris Robshaw (Harlequins/England)
5 Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland)
4 Joe Launchbury (Wasps/England)
3 Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland)
2 Dylan Hartley (Northampton/England)
1 Cian Healy (Leinster/Ireland) -
@Stargazer tbh I'd only consider three of them to be hard done by. In order; Gray (who was a defensive rock for Scotland), Hartley (who starts and captains his country as well as being the best hooker in England/ Wales/ Scotland/ Ireland) and Laidlaw.
I think someone else mentioned it, but Launchbury isn't as good as his England locks, certainly not better than Kruis.
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A well-known leader reacts to Gatland's selection
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Ok I think its a strong squad but it seems to me that I'm hearing the same old stuff that was said prior to 2005 from the Lions/UK media. No stone unturned, this is the strongest and biggest squad, power game, the strength and depth is fantastic and training is going to be so competitive to get in the test side that its just going to be brutal. I see no real creative spark in this squad or the coaching team
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@MN5 said in B&I Lions 2017:
I wouldn't mind if someone could give me a logical answer as to why one country ranked 5th provides just two players and another ranked 8th provides twelve.
Now i know how Highlanders fans felt in 2015 when none of their forwards became ABs
Scotland may well have beaten Wales, but they were destroyed by England who were then dispatched the following match by Ireland.
When it came to the crunch, Scotland folded like a deckchair.
Not what's needed on a NZ tour -
How competitive are the wam-up games likely to be? Will the sides go all out to win, or will coaches and players save themselves for Super Rugby?
I assume the All Blacks squad will be missing from the wam-up games, with the possible exception of the Maori?
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@Disgusted-of-TW said in B&I Lions 2017:
You could probably make a case for Laidlaw as 3rd SH and a possible midweek captain, but he does not present a running threat, unlike the three guys chosen.
If fit, I would have taken him. Goalkicking too.
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@SimonAdd_2 the first two super rugby opposition, the Blues and Crusaders, will be full strength including All Blacks.
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@Stargazer said in B&I Lions 2017:
Planet Rugby's Lions 2017: Left at home XV
The reasons for their selections are in the article:
15 Mike Brown (Harlequins/England)
14 Simon Zebo (Munster/Ireland)
13 Garry Ringrose (Leinster/Ireland)
12 Scott Williams (Scarlets/Wales)
11 Sean Maitland (Saracens/Scotland)
10 Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland)
9 Greig Laidlaw (Gloucester/Scotland)
8 Jamie Heaslip (Leinster/Ireland)
7 Hamish Watson (Edinburgh/Scotland)
6 Chris Robshaw (Harlequins/England)
5 Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland)
4 Joe Launchbury (Wasps/England)
3 Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland)
2 Dylan Hartley (Northampton/England)
1 Cian Healy (Leinster/Ireland)Would get pumped by the mid-week team.
Let alone the Test team.
Let alone the ABs
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@KiwiMurph said in B&I Lions 2017:
@SimonAdd_2 the first two super rugby opposition, the Blues and Crusaders, will be full strength including All Blacks.
Seriously? Very tasty. Assume one of them is a midweek game too? Potential upset right off the bat.
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Goddam I hope we smash the Lions, mainly just to see Gatland crack the biggest shits about this thing and that. That pumped up little giblet.
Who do people see as their ideal test XV in the side ?
From where I sit, for the BIL to have any chance, they'll need:- their best XV to make it to the first test in one piece
- that the best XV in Gatlands head, actually are the best XV, and are allowed to settle and develop combinations. I can't see any room for subterfuge in selections
How in the hell both the BIL and AB's make it to the first test with all their starters is beyond me. I'm sure we'll lose a couple of starters from the Blues or Crusaders - I'd be really dubious about Kieran Read playing that game...
