Number 5 Lock choices for the Lions tour to Australia

Six nations is done. We are a year on since I last held one of these polls and the long term aim was to compare what we selected a year out, a month out and the final squad.

You can pick one player only as your first choice. I am going to provide two threads on Locks, so that you can decide who your pairing will be

I think I have grabbed most of the names in the hat, though my apologies if anyone you consider worthy has been forgotten, if you ask nicely then I am sure one of our excellent moderators might take the time to be kind enough to offer their much valued assistance.

The players included either showed in the Six Nations squads or have been regularly talked of as prospects on the various threads on here.


Looseheads - https://www.606v2.com/t42452-loosehead-choices-for-the-lions-tour-to-australia

Hookers - https://www.606v2.com/t42471-hooker-choices-for-the-lions-tour-to-australia

Tightheads - https://www.606v2.com/t42486-tighthead-choices-for-the-lions-tour-to-australia

Lock No. 4 - https://www.606v2.com/t42501-number-4-lock-choices-for-the-lions-tour-to-australia#1956467

Blindside Flanker - https://www.606v2.com/t42514-blindside-flanker-choices-for-the-lions-tour-to-australia

Openside Flanker - https://www.606v2.com/t42515-ospenside-flanker-choices-for-the-lions-tour-to-australia#1956975

Number 8 - https://www.606v2.com/t42518-number-eight-choices-for-the-lions-tour-to-australia#1958144

Scrumhalf - https://www.606v2.com/t42531-scrumhalf-choices-for-the-lions-tour-to-australia

Flyhalf - https://www.606v2.com/t42539-flyhalf-choices-for-the-lions-tour-to-australia#1958609

2 different threads with the same list???

In reality although I get the nouonces of 4/5 play, as Ive played both extensively I don't think there enough differences to justify selecting specialist 4's or 5's!!

These days locks can offer lineout nous as well as grunt, and I generally pick my locks as a team and never offer a special number or positional play to them.

Evans and Gray were my iniatial choices, with AWJ off the bench. But if Gray is injured then AWJ comes in and Launchbury to the bench.

I can see arguments for Hines/Hamilton as pure brute force, but they'd be wildcard options IMHO!

You didn't read the OP did you !!!

I've highlighted the reason. I thought it was the best way for you to select the two locks you want.

You pick one from each thread.

NOT THE SAME ONE TWICE...!!

I did read but you have 2 threads with the same list, why not just use one and select a combo?? 1 of these threads is desperate for failure, and at worst both threads might fizzle out because people won't want to go back and forth discussing bit part arguments.

I won't bother looking at the other one for example because Ive posted here...

destined not desperate

Well we can bump the other one if needs be.

When you select multiple votes some morons like to just pick everyone or all the players from their country whether it not they really have an opinion just to be obstinate.

And how will this stop them exactly? They just have 2 threads to do it on!!

They can only vote for one not multiple is the point.

And if they vote for Launchbury here and in the other thread?

thebluesmancometh wrote:And if they vote for Launchbury here and in the other thread?

There is a cancelling option for them to use.

To be honest there is little we can do to encourage people to take this seriously so that we can see a true reflection of train of thought on selection.

If he can get fit I think Richie Gray could really excel on this tour in this environment. Despite him not being anything spectacular in the six nations pre injury.

I though AW jones was superb for Wales and has been so for the Ospreys. As has Ian Evans.

I think Evans will be a popular choice.

Launchbury is another like Gray that I think could do very well in this environment. He is talented enough to be a starting lock.

I know Parling is highly rated by fans but I think he spends too much time throwing his weight around and not enough playing rugby.

Donnacha Ryan has been a great player all season but struggled in the six nations, not necessarily his fault that Ireland's line out was often poor.

POC has had two games back and to be fair he doesn't look fit enough to make an impression yet. Still some games to go though

Evans and Gray taking an early lead

Two threads for lock really?






You can just make the poll allow two ticks only.

I didn't think you could limit the number of selections.

This will work fine I'm sure

It's strange how posters on here don't seem to feel there's any real difference between locks, especially someone who has professed to have played extensively in both positions like "thebluesmancometh". I myself was always a No.4 and it was in the scrum where I felt most at home but I could never feel comfortable in the No5 position. I've also coached the second row for a number of years and I found this write up by Martin Bayfield to be quite useful for getting the different roles across.

"The basic role of the second row remains the same - to lock and push in the scrum, win line-out ball and secure possession from restarts.
Both second row players need to be strong, athletic and dynamic.

No 4 - Often jumps second in the line-out and is usually slightly shorter and is probably the bulkier of the pair.
Because the ball thrown to the two-jumper gets to him quicker, his is usually a more dynamic and powerful jumper, shooting forward.
He must be very quick off the mark and powerful.
There is also a difference at the scrum as well.
You either pack as the loose-head lock on the left side of the scrum, or you pack on the tight-head side, which is on the right.
The number four is more likely to be the tight-head lock.
Most of the pressure from the scrum comes through this side, you need your cornerstone on the tight-head side.
He locks out the scrum, he's the cornerstone and will usually be pretty stationary while applying a lot of the pressure.

No5- Their basic roles is the same as the number four - to secure possession and, as with all the forwards, to tackle tight in to the set-piece and the breakdowns.
At the line-out, the taller second row (usually wearing the five shirt) tends to be the number four-jumper.
A ball thrown to him has got further to travel and is obviously in the air longer than it would be if it was aimed at the two-jumper.
So the four-jumper has to deal with more variations in the air - you can either go forward, straight up or backwards.
But with the way the game has changed, players regularly shift around positions as the line-out is thrown.
The days of jumping in your one position are over.
There's a lot of movement, a lot of deception and a lot of dynamism and that's very different.
In the scrum, the taller second row may be the loose head lock, which is on the left side of the scrum.
The loose-head tends to move more - he's only bound in on one side, so his left hand is loose, while the tight-head is tightly bound in and pretty stationary.

For me AWJ and Ian Evans fit those roles perfectly, which is why they are the Lions partnership I'd like to see.

Thanks for the post. I am sure there are many who will find it very informative, as you say, there are a great number of posters that don't really know the roles of each player.

Last Years poll results

https://www.606v2.com/t26916-lock-choices-of-the-home-nations?highlight=TiHooker+Choices+of+the+Home+Nations

From the other Thread

AW Jones 30% [ 8 ]
Richie Gray 26% [ 7 ]
Joe Launchbury 11% [ 3 ]
Geoff Parling 11% [ 3 ]
Nathan Hines 7% [ 2 ]
Courtney Lawes 4% [ 1 ]
Donnacha Ryan 4% [ 1 ]
Paul O'Connell 4% [ 1 ]
Ian Evans 3% [ 1 ]
Donnacha O'Callaghan 0%
Mick McCarthy 0%
Jim Hamilton 0%
Ali Kellock 0%
Andrew Coombs 0%

Over all the four top voted locks look like this

AW Jones 30% [ 8 ]
Ian Evans 29% [ 8 ]
Richie Gray 26% [ 7 ]
Geoff Parling 19% [ 5 ]

AWJ

Geoff Parling made a big impression

The Pack so far is looking like this


Cian Healy 41% 27
Rory Best 47% 28
Adam Jones 61% 30
Geoff Parling 15.4% 17
AW Jones 15.4% 17
Kelly Brown 28% 12
Justin Tipuric 43% 13
John Beattie 39% 12

SYNOPSIS OF THE POLL SO FAR...

Forwards

Cian Healy 41% 31
Rory Best 49% 37
Adam Jones 62% 36
Richie Gray 16% 22
Geoff Parling 14% 23
Chris Robshaw 27% 16
Justin Tipuric 44% 22
John Beattie 37% 22 (Toby Faletau 1 vote short)

Backs

Ben Youngs 54% 27
Jonny Sexton 44% 18
Jamie Roberts is tied with Billy Twelvetrees 31% 4
Manu Tuilagi 50% 7 (Brian O'Driscoll is 1 vote short)

Parling looks to be the popular choice

The poll is open until a week before the squad is announced, there is still a decent amount of rugby to be played and peoples thoughts and views may change. As it stands currently these are the Squad choices by the mob that contributes to 606V2.

I dont know the make up or how many he really will pick so i am just running with top three options...


Loosehead Prop 89 votes so far

Cian Healy 39
Ryan Grant 20
Gethin Jenkins 15


Hooker 92 votes so far

Rory Best 45
Richard Hibbard 21
Tom Youngs 11


Tighthead 74 votes so far

Adam Jones 47
Dan Cole 19
Euan Murray 4

Locks 144 votes so far over the two polls so averaging 72 Votes

Geoff Parling 29
Richie Gray 29
AWJ 21
Ian Evans 20


Blindeside Flankers 78 votes so far

Chris Robshaw 19
Kelly Brown 18
Sean O'Brien 17


Openside Flankers 74 votes so far

Justin Tipuric 33
Sam Warburton 14
Chris Robshaw 13 (leading the Blindside option)
Ross Rennie 8 (Next best after Robshaw)


Number Eight 73 votes so far

Toby Faletau 28
John Beattie 26
Ben Morgan 10


Scrumhalf 73 votes so far

Ben Youngs 38
Mike Phillips 20
Greig Laidlaw 10


Flyhalf 59 votes so far

Jonny Sexton 30
Owen Farrell 13
Dan Biggar 6


Inside Centre 53 votes so far

Billy Twelvetrees 11
Jonathan Davies 13 (Also 3rd in the outside centre Poll)
Matt Scott 11
Jamie Roberts & Luke Marshall 7 (If we were to consider JD2 at outside)


Outside Centre

Brian O'Driscoll 22
Manu Tuilagi 22
Jonathan Davies 9


Right Winger 44 Votes so far

Sean Maitland 22
Alex Cuthbert 11
Christian Wade 7


Left Winger 45 votes so far

George North 21
Tim Visser 8
Simon Zebo 5


Fullback 59 votes so far

Stuart Hogg 25
Leigh Halfpenny 22
Rob Keaney 7

Another weekend done and dusted. The squad to be announced after the next...!