British and Irish Lions Team based on first 2 Rounds of 6 nations and Autumn Internationals

What would your lions team if they had a game next week, based on current form not reputation..
I would suggest that Healy, Hartley, Laws, O'Mahony, Murray, Care, Brown, Billy V, Kearney could all be in the mix...

a "Lions team on form" thread ! been a while

  

You certainly wouldn't be seeing some many of the boys in red.

I love these threads. They always attract a hoard of poster who will bleat about how pointless such a thread is.

I think Sexton would be nailed on 10 and Schmidt nailed on coach. North, Burrell, and Healy would be hard to leave out too.

Oooh somebody missed 'Irish' out of the title 

Farrell to start at 10 obvs.

Cyril wrote:Oooh somebody missed 'Irish' out of the title 

Farrell to start at 10 obvs.

Farrell to start what at 10? His day when he is left at home in England? Just kidding, Im sure he will make the bench again.

BOD is first name on the timesheet.

gregortree wrote:BOD is first name on the timesheet.

Timesheet? Is it BOD o'clock again already?

gregortree wrote:BOD is first name on the timesheet.

loosehead prop?

GunsGerms wrote:

Cyril wrote:Oooh somebody missed 'Irish' out of the title 

Farrell to start at 10 obvs.

Farrell to start what at 10? His day when he is left at home in England? Just kidding, Im sure he will make the bench again.

  I want him there to wind you up with his 'place-kick face'

Cyril wrote:  I want him there to wind you up with his 'place-kick face'

Oh you know me too well. Haha

I always enjoy these threads. People complain about them but they're just an entertaining exercise in debating who the form players are in each position. No-one is suggesting this will be the same in 3 years time.

For the moment:

1. Healy. Marler has been playing well but Healy's carrying is a notch above. Neither have made a really big statement in the scrum yet.
2. Hartley. Can't argue with 20/20 in the lineout and everything else has been strong. His forced summer off seems to have done him good. The lineout chaos when replaced by Youngs, a Lions test starter, three games running shows how important he is. Best is also playing well. Hibbard and Ford are not.
3. ???
4. Lawes
5. O'Connell The two most productive locks so far. They're both lineout leaders, but not at the expense of any other aspects of play, so it wouldn't be an unbalanced partnership. Both brilliant tacklers, carriers etc as well.
6. O'Mahony. Great against Wales.
7. Robshaw. Pretty great against everyone always. Honourable mention to Fusaro, who looked handy against us on debut.
8. Vunipola. Been carrying brilliantly, and no one wants him on the opposition team-sheet. Edges Heaslip.

9. Care Unarguable so far I think.
10. Sexton Ditto.
11. North. Wales haven't given him the platform yet, but at Northampton he's been playing very well, and none of the other wingers have done enough to select them ahead of him here yet.
12. Roberts or Twelvetrees through lack of other options, though neither are setting the world alight for their clubs either. Ireland don't have a nailed on first choice right now, and Scott was poor against England.
13. Burrell. O'Driscoll wasn't one of Ireland's better players against Wales, and Burrell looks like taking to test rugby well, albeit short of one or two yards of pace.
14. Trimble. Odd that it's taken him 50-odd caps to suddenly hit form. Always liked him for Ulster but didn't seem to do it for Ireland before. Made one great run against Wales.
15. Brown. The form full back by quite a way. His Quins performances between the AIs and 6Ns weren't so good, but he's kept it up for England.

I've only really mentioned club form where there isn't a standout performer at international level so far.

5 Irish, 7.5 English, 1.5 Welsh and a missing tighthead prop.

Honestly?

A Lions thread 3 years out?

The only thing I'm prepared to predict is there won't be a lot of scots on the tour based on current form... maybe Denton.

Metal Tiger wrote:Honestly?

A Lions thread 3 years out?

The only thing I'm prepared to predict is there won't be a lot of scots on the tour based on current form... maybe Denton.

Yessssssssssssssss. Knew someone would complain. The thread assumes hypothetically that the Lions team is to be picked now.

15 Hogg
14 Cuthbert
13 Dunbar
12 Roberts
11 Lamont
10 Barry John
9 Laidlaw
8 Faletau
7 Fusaro
6 Lydiate
5 Hamilton
4 Coombs
3 Low
2 Hibbard
1 Grant

Bench cover 16-23 James Hook (damn he still cannae make the team)

Scott Johnson to be Lions coach, and Neil Jenkins to be Lions Manager.... and Water Boy..... and Lemon Carrier

Who are the British Lions?... never heard of em.

GunsGerms wrote:

Metal Tiger wrote:Honestly?

A Lions thread 3 years out?

The only thing I'm prepared to predict is there won't be a lot of scots on the tour based on current form... maybe Denton.

Yessssssssssssssss. Knew someone would complain. The thread assumes hypothetically that the Lions team is to be picked now.

Perhaps you can outline where I have complained about the thread?

Surprised... Yes.

Complaining... No.

I think the Irish are feeling a bit left out pBuk0. Something missing in your title.

Yeah, there are far too many Irish men on those British Lions Teams lists.

Treason will be the sentence for some of them.

thomh wrote:I always enjoy these threads. People complain about them but they're just an entertaining exercise in debating who the form players are in each position. No-one is suggesting this will be the same in 3 years time.

For the moment:

1. Healy. Marler has been playing well but Healy's carrying is a notch above. Neither have made a really big statement in the scrum yet.
2. Hartley. Can't argue with 20/20 in the lineout and everything else has been strong. His forced summer off seems to have done him good. The lineout chaos when replaced by Youngs, a Lions test starter, three games running shows how important he is. Best is also playing well. Hibbard and Ford are not.
3. ???
4. Lawes
5. O'Connell The two most productive locks so far. They're both lineout leaders, but not at the expense of any other aspects of play, so it wouldn't be an unbalanced partnership. Both brilliant tacklers, carriers etc as well.
6. O'Mahony. Great against Wales.
7. Robshaw. Pretty great against everyone always. Honourable mention to Fusaro, who looked handy against us on debut.
8. Vunipola. Been carrying brilliantly, and no one wants him on the opposition team-sheet. Edges Heaslip.

9. Care Unarguable so far I think.
10. Sexton Ditto.
11. North. Wales haven't given him the platform yet, but at Northampton he's been playing very well, and none of the other wingers have done enough to select them ahead of him here yet.
12. Roberts or Twelvetrees through lack of other options, though neither are setting the world alight for their clubs either. Ireland don't have a nailed on first choice right now, and Scott was poor against England.
13. Burrell. O'Driscoll wasn't one of Ireland's better players against Wales, and Burrell looks like taking to test rugby well, albeit short of one or two yards of pace.
14. Trimble. Odd that it's taken him 50-odd caps to suddenly hit form. Always liked him for Ulster but didn't seem to do it for Ireland before. Made one great run against Wales.
15. Brown. The form full back by quite a way. His Quins performances between the AIs and 6Ns weren't so good, but he's kept it up for England.

I've only really mentioned club form where there isn't a standout performer at international level so far.

5 Irish, 7.5 English, 1.5 Welsh and a missing tighthead prop.

I would pick almost the same team...

1- Healey
2- Hartley
3- Cole/ Ross / Jones.. none have impressed
4- Laws
5- AWJ
6- O'Mahony
7- Robshaw
8- Billy V
9- Care
10- Sexton
11- North
12- Jamie Roberts
13- Burrell
14- Trimble
15 - Brown

7- English 4- Irish 3 - Welsh  ... plus any of the tight heads..  only 5 of the team played in the lions tests last summer..

I don't get the Brown love. He hasn't been that good.

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:I think the Irish are feeling a bit left out pBuk0. Something missing in your title.

 

GunsGerms wrote:I don't get the Brown love. He hasn't been that good.

He got Man of the Match over the weekend, even with a bad cold. Gets my vote

He first felt poorly on the train journey up to Edinburgh and he said: "I think I caught a bug through the air-con when travelling up here. I didn't sleep too well on Friday night and I have a really sore throat now.

"I've had the shakes and you know when you're ill you are sensitive to every little knock and the cold. It wasn't ideal but you have to do what you can do.

"I dosed up on paracetamol and all the things you are allowed to take. But the throat is definitely really sore now.

http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12504/9158462/six-nations-mike-brown-says-murrayfield-pitch-unfit-for-internationals

GunsGerms wrote:I don't get the Brown love. He hasn't been that good.

When he plays you guys you will, don't worry.


It's not an absolute rule, but generally when the rest of the rugby world (sensible people, not journalists) thinks one thing and you another, you are the one who is mistaken

Sorry I just wanted to put "Brown love" into a sentence. Seriously though he isn't that good. He is lauded for his attacking prowess but two trys in over 20 tests isn't particularly potent. Id take Kearney over him any day.

GunsGerms wrote:Sorry I just wanted to put "Brown love" into a sentence. Seriously though he isn't that good. He is lauded for his attacking prowess but two trys in over 20 tests isn't particularly potent. Id take Kearney over him any day.

But 2 tries in 2 tests is quite good, no?

ChequeredJersey wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:Sorry I just wanted to put "Brown love" into a sentence. Seriously though he isn't that good. He is lauded for his attacking prowess but two trys in over 20 tests isn't particularly potent. Id take Kearney over him any day.

But 2 tries in 2 tests is quite good, no?

Yes it is. Bet he wont score v Ireland though.

Yes he will sportsman bet. If he does, you will admit on a thread that you were wrong, Brown is not overrated and is an exceptionally good FB. If he does not (statistically far more likely so the bet is in your favour), I will post a thread saying I was wrong, Brown is not as good as I think he is and Kearney is a better player. Deal?

As we've already seen last year, form has nothing to do with selection - it's all to do with who the coach's favourites are.

If Lancaster is coach then there is bound to be at least 12 Englishmen starting.

dont put lancaster in the same boat as gatland.

gatball just about scraped it vs australia (with a decent 10 in sexton) but would get ANNIHILATED by SA or NZ.

i think SL would pick the best players for the job. He doesnt seem to have a rigid strategy yet, apart from subbing all the best players on 60mins   

quinsforever wrote:dont put lancaster in the same boat as gatland.

gatball just about scraped it vs australia (with a decent 10 in sexton) but would get ANNIHILATED by SA or NZ.

i think SL would pick the best players for the job. He doesnt seem to have a rigid strategy yet, apart from subbing all the best players on 60mins   

Yeah, but asLionscoach he'd have decent subs...

Much as I hate to admit it, Gatland probably had the right idea in picking a core team who were familiar with each other and supplementing it with players who added something more. I just feel that he took too many out-of-form or just-back-from-injury Welshmen, and focused on players from the other nations who could play in the Welsh way, rather than add a different angle. It's very telling that it took the addition of Corbs and SOB - not at all Gatland style players - to secure a convincing win. Oh, and a NH ref.