A team of those left behind...

1. Ryan Grant
2. Rory Best
3. Euan Murray
4. Joe Launchbery
5. Donacha Ryan
6. Kelly Brown
7. Chris Robshaw
8. Ryan jones
9. Danny Care
10. Dan Biggar
11. Simon Zebo
12. Matt Scott
13. billy Twelvetrees
14. Craig Gilroy
15. Mike Brown

16. Ross Ford
17. Alex Corbisero
18. Paul James
19. Nathan Hines
20. Tom Wood or Ben Morgan
21. Grieg Laidlaw
22. Charlie Hodgeson
23. Tim Visser


Is it just me or is that a really good team?

that is a pretty good side to be honest...some shocking omissions from the lions squad IMO.

It's not just you

A back row of 3 captains and exemplary leaders on the rugby pitch... It's beggars belief!

Maybe that squad will turn up in Hong Kong for the baa baas!

Lee Byrne is playing well for Clemont Av and will be the first choice 15 for them in them in the HC. Ken Owens who had an awesome season is the form welsh hooker

You'd expect it to be a good side to be fair - it's supposedly the third best side possible of all the four nations' international players. That doesn't necessarily mean there's been a Lions selection blunder.

thomh wrote:You'd expect it to be a good side to be fair - it's supposedly the third best side possible of all the four nations' international players. That doesn't necessarily mean there's been a Lions selection blunder.

No. That is just a coincidence

I didn't say there hadn't been one...

This is where O'Shea, McGeechan, Edwards and Mike Ruddock take the squad mentioned above on a "not a Lions, honestly" Tour of New Zealand

ChequeredJersey wrote:This is where O'Shea, McGeechan, Edwards and Mike Ruddock take the squad mentioned above on a "not a Lions, honestly" Tour of New Zealand

that would be so cooooll ! don't suppose that would happen tho' ?

can we ask them!!?

Scott Williams
B Davies
L Charteris
J Hook
L Williams

and that is just from Wales

gregortree wrote:

ChequeredJersey wrote:This is where O'Shea, McGeechan, Edwards and Mike Ruddock take the squad mentioned above on a "not a Lions, honestly" Tour of New Zealand

that would be so cooooll ! don't suppose that would happen tho' ?

It would be cool if they could go on a tour of the PI's and Japan and that.

I'm not a fan of the idea of a second tier Lions tour, and I don't think the players selected would feel quite the same about it. I'd be keen for them to include a warm up test against Samoa, Tonga or Fiji two weeks before the opening test of the series though. Could rotate who it was against just as they rotate Aus, SA and NZ

15 Brown/Byrne
14 Ashton/Gilroy
13 Barrit/ Hook
12 Scott/36
11 Zebo/wade/visser
10 Biggar/Madigan
9 Care/laidlaw/peel
1 James/corbs/Grant
2 Best/Ford/Owens
3 Ross/Murray/Wilson
4 Ryan/Davies/launchbury
5 Charteris/Hamilton
6 Brown/Wood/Jones
7 Robshaw/Rennie or barclay
8 Morgan/Beattie


Not many Welsh for obvious reasons but not a bad squad if we get 37 injuries during the play-offs.

15 Byrne
14 Zebo
13 L Marshall
12 Madigan
11 Visser
10 Biggar
9 Laidlaw
8 Beattie
7 Rennie/Robshaw
6 Brown (vice-captain)
5 Hines
4 Launchbury
3 E Murray
2 Best (Captain)
1 Grant

To be honest the opening post has a whole front row and back row that I had pencilled in for the tour as well as Ken Owens and maybe Paul James.

And as someone mentioned a backrow of Brown, Ryan Jones and Robshaw is a damn fine, do the real hard work sort of backrow. No show ponies just damn fine pro's. I Know Wales are always a lesser side without Ryan Jones and we always end up turning to him.

I would have had

Grant Over Vunipola
Euan Murray over Matt Stevens ( Matt Stevemns FFS)
Best & Owens over Hartley and Youngs
Ryan Jones, Brown and Robshaw over Croft, Lydiate and Heaslip.

It's not just you, Asbo, that's a strong team. However, I'm going to look at the positives and say how good it is that we have so much talent in these islands that we can field such a strong side from players who didn't make the Lions squad. We wouldn't necessarily have been able to do so in previous Lions years.

If journeyman Stevens can be picked for playing both sides of the scrum for Sarries then the form number 8 for the last two seasons Nick Easter must be gutted, shows that you don't need Int rugby to be picked and he should have toured.

I think a 'stayers' front row of Grant, Best and Murray would almost certainly take apart Jenkins, Hartley and Stevens. To have loosies like Sheridan, Grant and Corbs just sitting at home is crazy.

Scott and 36 would be an awesome midfield, actually. Two footballers with a step and a pass off either hand. Ah, for the old days where centres weren't just weightlifters.

yappysnap wrote:If journeyman Stevens can be picked for playing both sides of the scrum for Sarries then the form number 8 for the last two seasons Nick Easter must be gutted, shows that you don't need Int rugby to be picked and he should have toured.

Nick Easter for the Lions? That's a joke right?

Stevens is actually only 30. He can still improve. Easter is 34.

doctornickolas wrote:...

I would have had

Grant Over Vunipola
Euan Murray over Matt Stevens ( Matt Stevemns FFS)
Best & Owens over Hartley and Youngs
Ryan Jones, Brown and Robshaw over Croft, Lydiate and Heaslip.

I can at least see an argument for Vunipola being selected (very mobile and powerful in the loose), although Grant is definitely unlucky.

Murray / Ross / me ahead of Matt Stevens is a given.

Best over Hartley, but I'd keep Youngs as an impact sub. OK, his throwing can go shaky, but he is an absolute tank around the pitch.

Agree on all three of the back row changes - one of RJ, Brown or Robshaw would also be my midweek captain.

thomh wrote:I'm not a fan of the idea of a second tier Lions tour, and I don't think the players selected would feel quite the same about it. I'd be keen for them to include a warm up test against Samoa, Tonga or Fiji two weeks before the opening test of the series though. Could rotate who it was against just as they rotate Aus, SA and NZ

It was just a jest

beshocked wrote:

yappysnap wrote:If journeyman Stevens can be picked for playing both sides of the scrum for Sarries then the form number 8 for the last two seasons Nick Easter must be gutted, shows that you don't need Int rugby to be picked and he should have toured.

Nick Easter for the Lions? That's a joke right?

Stevens is actually only 30. He can still improve. Easter is 34.

Not that I think Easter should have gone or that I don't see the logic (covers both sides, v little depth across the home nations at TH, good club form until the Toulon game) that sees Stevens go, but being able to improve in the future due to "young" age is a positive in National selection. The Lions is neither a development squad nor long-term in any way. Age, as long as it isn't affecting how they play now and in 2 months time, is not an issue at all

ChequeredJersey wrote:

thomh wrote:I'm not a fan of the idea of a second tier Lions tour, and I don't think the players selected would feel quite the same about it. I'd be keen for them to include a warm up test against Samoa, Tonga or Fiji two weeks before the opening test of the series though. Could rotate who it was against just as they rotate Aus, SA and NZ

It was just a jest

I get that, but there was another follow up comment saying it would be a good idea.

ChequeredJersey wrote:

beshocked wrote:

yappysnap wrote:If journeyman Stevens can be picked for playing both sides of the scrum for Sarries then the form number 8 for the last two seasons Nick Easter must be gutted, shows that you don't need Int rugby to be picked and he should have toured.

Nick Easter for the Lions? That's a joke right?

Stevens is actually only 30. He can still improve. Easter is 34.

Not that I think Easter should have gone or that I don't see the logic (covers both sides, v little depth across the home nations at TH, good club form until the Toulon game) that sees Stevens go, but being able to improve in the future due to "young" age is a positive in National selection. The Lions is neither a development squad nor long-term in any way. Age, as long as it isn't affecting how they play now and in 2 months time, is not an issue at all

I agree chequeredjersey. Just an observation.

To be honest like most people I wouldn't have picked Stevens but it is no less silly than picking Lydiate.

At least as you say Stevens has been in good club form, can cover both sides supposedly (not sure I buy that argument personally), there aren't some real class tight heads who should definitely be there instead of him.

You could argue maybe Wilson,Ross and Murray but are they really massive absentees? Not really.

I would have probably gone for Wilson personally but Rowntree is obviously a fan of Stevens.

Easter would be competing in the far competitive backrow position. I don't believe he's better than the likes of Morgan or Vunipola even at no 8 . Plus he covers only no 8.

Some players like Heaslip,Bowe and Croft have escaped with virtually no criticism for their selection.

There are going to be injuries and therefore call ups anyway. So many of the squad have been significantly injured recently that I reckon at least 2/3/4 get injured before the first test. Especially those who are injury prone

Beshocked

I've seen plenty of criticism of Croft's inclusion, although I can at least see what he offers.

Heaslip I agree with you - his form for Ireland this year was dire. He got lucky in that Beattie and particularly Denton didn't shine in the 6Ns and Morgan has been out injured for to long to be a credible pick

Bowe's selection I'm less worried by - OK, he's only recently back from injury, but he is a proven quality performer in a relatively weak position for the Lions, plus being a winger he's less likely to get smashed and the injury recur.