Lions 2017: It begins... with a fixture list

First topic message reminder :

Friends, the day we've dreaded and anticipated has arrived. The Lions 2017 build-up has officially begun. Don't cringe or dread this moment, stand up to it like an impending wave, run head-long into this moment while shouting "I will not be a-feared!"

We have a fixture list, and it's a doozie:


In between the tests, the buildup matches, the hype, the songs, the slow-motion Sky trailers with the Inception soundtrack piped in, and Finn Russell using the stuffed lion to knock over George Ford's Lego pirate ship, one fixture stands out:
27 June 2017 - WestPac Stadium, Wellington - B&I Lions v Hurricanes.

Oh yes, a combined Glasgow Warriors and Bath side against the mighty 'Canes - that is the Cordon Bleu recipe for awesome attacking rugby, right there.

This thread isn't about predictions or squads, captains or bolters, let's just revel in the moment and talk about how great this is all going to be. Roll on 2017!

funnyExiledScot wrote:I find it impossible not to get excited by the Lions, and the prospect of forging new and exciting combinations from the constituent nations. There are already some great debates to be had:

2. Hooker - answers on a postcard?? Best? George? Webber? McInally if you're really feeling bold with your predictions. Still legs in Hibbard?

3. Tighthead - Cole strikes me as a front runner but a more experienced Marty Moore could come into it, and same with Samson Lee. How about Willem Nel, Scotland's "new" tighthead, who relishes running ball in hand.

6. Tackle monkey - Lydiate or POM, or maybe even Robshaw if he switches by then.

7. Openside - surely a direct contest between Warburton (will he captain again?) or SOB.

8. No. 8 - Vunipola, Morgan, Falatau, Strauss (another "new" Scot), Murphy, Heaslip - ton of options.

12. Inside centre - only Wales have a settled 12 (Roberts), with raging debates among England fans over their man at 12, and some mild disagreements between us Scots and the Irish.

15. Full back - Wales, Ireland and England all have settled players here, but what odds on an Anthony Watson or a Stuart Hogg coming into the mix to shake things up. The Lions will not win with a conservative game plan, and some thrust from the back will be very much required.

Very good FES old socks.

I know that I shouldn't and it's too early and nobody cares yet and it's all a pile of poop and the old Lions that was what tours were really all about bah humbug etc, but I would absolutely love to see something like this (the number denotes the age of the player at the time of the tour):

01 Healy (30) (Ireland)
02 Best (34) (Ireland)
03 Wilson (32) (England)
04 J. Gray (23) (Scotland)
05 Launchbury (26) (England)
06 Strauss (30) (Scotland)
07 O'Brien (30) (Ireland)
08 B. Vunipola (24) (England)

09 Murray (28) (Ireland)
10 Sexton (32) (Ireland)
11 North (25) (Wales)
12 Williams (27) (Wales)/Henshaw (26) (Ireland)
13 Tuilagi (26) (England)
14 Trimble (31) (Ireland)
15 Halfpenny (28) (Wales)

16 Corbisiero (29) (England)
17 Cronin (30) (Ireland)
18 Cole (30) (England)
19 Lawes (28) (England)
20 Robshaw (31) (England)
21 Webb (28) (Wales)
22 Ford (25) (England)
23 Brown (31) (England)

Coaching team:
Joe Schmidt - Head Coach and Backs
Vern Cotter - Forwards
Graham Rowntree - Scrum
Andy Farrell - Defence
James Robson - Doctor
Warren Gatland - Director of Communications

To get back to the point of the original post, that does seem like a very compressed tour.

The key thing will be whether the franchises are told to rest their players so that they are fresh for the international games.

I hate it when they do that (the Wallabies did last time round, of course) but I suppose that it's inevitable.

What a great crop of players we could take with us.

An almost endless number of potential bolters. Just take the centre positions - Eastmond, Hill, Joseph, Manu, Trinder, Scott, Bennett, Fife, Cory Allen, Scott Williams, Cave, Olding, Henshaw, Marshall, Reid and that's just off the top of my heed.

Jaysus - I've just realised that the South Island doesn't actually have a test match this time.

That's the first time since 1904 that this has happened.
So if I was a NZ rugby fan in Christchurch, Hamilton or Dunedin, I would be p!ssed.

I am assuming that post-quake Christchurch doesn't have a large enough stadium?

Weegie Wizard wrote:

Gooseberry wrote:I thought it traditionaly began with a "Name your Lions squad for 4 years time" argument between the English and Welsh posters with the occassional Scotlander wading in to say they wont follow the Lions if it doesnt represent all the nations.

Thats a lot of fixtures to get through in a short period of time even if they take a ludicrous squad, espeically given tha the "warm up" matches tend to be seen as an opportunity to injure as many players as possible. The tour could do with ebing a wweek longer, but that time given as a break rather than to shoe horn in more cash cows.

Anyone able to lend me 10 grand and or get me a job on the tour staff?

Sounds about right. Once the RWC is out the way we will see much more of this. My initial thoughts are that there should be more than 2 games on the south island. I would have thought the combined ITM team game could be moved? The ITM team is being played in Northland who are pretty guff and that means 4 of the 10 games are in or around Aukland.

What a total lot of bollox. When were you in Northland last and what is 'guff' about the place you half-wit? The Toll Stadium is a fantastic venue and the Northland public deserve their game more than most. Northland as a rugby side are excellent and give most other ITM teams a run for their dollar pal. Your comment stinks.

Erm.....ok.

I wasn't trying to say Northland as a place is bad. Having never been, I don't have an opinion either way. I was trying to point out that there should be more games in the south island and one option is to move that game.

As for the team, as a Scot I sympathise with your arguement that being competitive means they are good. Unfortunately that's not how it works.

Weegie Wizard wrote:Erm.....ok.

I wasn't trying to say Northland as a place is bad. Having never been, I don't have an opinion either way. I was trying to point out that there should be more games in the south island and one option is to move that game.

As for the team, as a Scot I sympathise with your arguement that being competitive means they are good. Unfortunately that's not how it works.

Northland made the play offs last season losing to Hawkes Bay in a great final. Northland missed out on a Lions game in 2005 something Auckland is never going to experience. Northland as part of the Blue's franchise NEVER gets a Blues game in Whangarei despite having a stadium which would be a sell out = around 25,000. Northland has never had it's just reward and it does have a population of 150,000.

Yes I agree the S Island deserved at least another game but unfortunately for them they do not have anywhere else to play although Invercargil does have a splendid stadium. To say that Hamilton is also close to Auckland is pushing it too, Hamilton and the Waikato stadium have in my opinion the best playing surface in the rugby world and is also big enough to hold a test. Two tests in Auckland is shameful I agree.

New Plymouth and Hawkes Bay also lose out this time round both able to have capacity crowds over 20,000. Another 4 games would have been the best.

George Carlin wrote: The key thing will be whether the franchises are told to rest their players so that they are fresh for the international games.

I hate it when they do that (the Wallabies did last time round, of course) but I suppose that it's inevitable.

Franchises should be allowed to play as strong a team as possible on Lions tours.  Threaten to tour France instead if the union gives trouble.

Engine#4 wrote:

George Carlin wrote: The key thing will be whether the franchises are told to rest their players so that they are fresh for the international games.

I hate it when they do that (the Wallabies did last time round, of course) but I suppose that it's inevitable.

Franchises should be allowed to play as strong a team as possible on Lions tours.  Threaten to tour France instead if the union gives trouble.

Given that Italy (and possibly even Scotland if they got a bit of luck) could currently beat France I don't think that's really an option.

Cyril wrote:

Engine#4 wrote:

George Carlin wrote: The key thing will be whether the franchises are told to rest their players so that they are fresh for the international games.

I hate it when they do that (the Wallabies did last time round, of course) but I suppose that it's inevitable.

Franchises should be allowed to play as strong a team as possible on Lions tours.  Threaten to tour France instead if the union gives trouble.

Given that Italy (and possibly even Scotland if they got a bit of luck) could currently beat France I don't think that's really an option.

Presumably the "Tests" would be against Toulon. France would be for the dirt trackers......