‘Representative’ Lions - Squad Selector

On the other Lions thread I was quite critical of the notion of a Lions squad based on equal representation. I feel it should be the coaches who get to pick the players they will ultimately coach. However, thinking about it in my head and the players I would choose for Wales was quite fun so thought I’d start this thread.

So......... lets say we have a 40 man Lions squad to allow a big ‘bubble’ for injuries and rotation, etc. Here’s a chance to pick the 10 players from your own nation who you think should go. Have a go at picking 10 from other nations too if you like but if we focus on our own then we can put together the groups of 10 in a few days and see where we are. We might have too many in one position and might then need to ‘trade’.

(I’m hoping this stays civil )

So I’ll go first.  Here’s my 10 for Wales:

Wyn Jones
Ken Owens
Alun Wyn Jones
Josh Navidi
Justin Tipuric
Taulupe Faletau
Gareth Davies
Dan Biggar
Liam Williams
Josh Adams/Louis Rees Zammit (can’t decide - both have their merits)

(Edit: can’t count and chose 11! So have removed George North)

Scotland

Zander Fagerson
Rory Sutherland
J Gray
Hamish Watson
Finn Russell
Sean Maitland
Chris Harris
Stuart Hogg
Huw Jones
Duhan van der Merwe

Maro Itoje
Tom Curry
Anthony Watson
Jonny May
Kyle Sinckler
Owen Farrell
Sam Underhill
Luke Cowan Dickie
Mako Vunipola
Joe Marler if available

Risky, that’s the exact same 10 that I chose for Scotland when I did this in my head!

LCD
Sinckler
Itoje
Launchbury
Curry
Farrell
May
Watson
Marler
B vunipola.

If marler says yes.

No 7&1/2 wrote:LCD
Sinckler
Itoje
Launchbury
Curry
Farrell
May
Watson
Marler
B vunipola.

If marler says yes.

It will be a party, I am sure he would want to go

Itoje
Curry
May
Watson
Marler
Kruis
Underhill
Cowan-Dickie
Sinckler
Launchbury

The Oracle wrote:Risky, that’s the exact same 10 that I chose for Scotland when I did this in my head!

I would have had Ritchie as one of my 10 Scots

Old Man wrote:

No 7&1/2 wrote:LCD
Sinckler
Itoje
Launchbury
Curry
Farrell
May
Watson
Marler
B vunipola.

If marler says yes.

It will be a party, I am sure he would want to go

Professionally he would want to go. He's aware of the pressure he and his family would face however.

So the early composite squad .. I've only included the consensus England players for now

LH - Sutherland, Jones, Marler
Hooker - Owens, LCD
Tighthead - Sinckler, Fagerson
Lock - Itoje, Gray, Jones
Back row - Navidi, Tipuric, Faletau, Watson, Curry

Scrum half - Davies
FH - Biggar, Russell, Farrell
Centre - Harris, Jones
Back 3 - Maitland, Hogg, Duhan, May, Watson, Williams

Others mentioned - Underhill, Mako, Billy, Launchbury, Kruis, Adams, LRZ

In order of must go, to less so..

Hogg
Watson
Z Fagerson

Those three for me should tour.

DVDM
Sutherland
Russell
J Gray
Ritchie
Harris

A selection of those six players should tour depending on how generous Gatland is feeling, all of them would be very useful to have.

Maitland
Redpath
Jones
Price
M Fagerson
McInally
Brown
Turner
Cherry
Kebble

Outside chances but unlikely to tour.

I’ll take a stab at an Ireland 10 for the squad.  Feel free to rubbish my picks as I’m not on the ‘inside’:

Healy
Furlong
Porter
Henderson
Beirne
Stander
Murray
Sexton
Henshaw
Stockdale

Surprised that Phil Vickey is making none of these lists.

George Carlin wrote:Surprised that Phil Vickey is making none of these lists.

I can understand them going for youth over experience in some cases, although obviously not in the case of Healy.

George Carlin wrote:Surprised that Phil Vickey is making none of these lists.

He’s at that stage of his career where he’s just blowing too hot and cold for me. A bit more consistency and he might be in with a shout. I mean, he was anonymous the other week vs Ireland.

could we do this, but we have to pick a 15 man squad without any players from your own nation ?

Here's my go:-

Dave Kilcoyne
Rob Herring
Tadhg Furlong
Tadhg Beirne
Maro Itoje
Hamish Watson
Tom Curry
Billy Vunipola
Connor Murray
Johnny Sexton
Robbie Henshaw
Bundi Aki/Gary Ringrose
Anthony Watson
Duhan Van de Merwe/Earls
Stuart Hogg

Cannot decide on two positions.

40 man squad with 10 from each (should be roughly even split between forwards and backs for each country)

LH: Marler, Wyn Jones, Sutherland
HK: George, Owens, McInally
TH: Furlong, Porter, Fagerson
LK: Itoje, Ryan, Beirne, Henderson, J Gray, Lawes or Launchbury
BR: Ritchie, Watson, Curry, Navidi, Tipruric, Faletau, Stander, Doris

SH: Murray, Youngs, Davies
FH: Sexton, Russell, Biggar

Centres: Henshaw, Harris, Farrell, Slade/Tuilagi/Joseph, JD2
Back 3: Hogg, L Williams, LRZ, May, Watson, VDM

In my opinion

Got Tickets
1. Hogg
2. Watson
3. Fagerson Z
4. Sutherland

In the free bar area
5. Russell
6. Ritchie

In the departure lounge
7. DVDM
8. J Gray
9. Harris
10. Redpath

Had an email that there's a possible flight out to SA
Maitland
Jones
Price
Fagerson
McInally
Turner

If the rumours are correct, Marler may have other things to do. Now that the BeeB have sacked all the Question of Sport team, he is s a favourite to take Dawson's place.

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:If the rumours are correct, Marler may have other things to do. Now that the BeeB have sacked all the Question of Sport team, he is s a favourite to take Dawson's place.

He would really be great. Would certainly like to see him give it a go.

However, my preference for his post-Rugby career is we train him up, get him some reps and then make him PM.

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:If the rumours are correct, Marler may have other things to do. Now that the BeeB have sacked all the Question of Sport team, he is s a favourite to take Dawson's place.

What have they been sacked for ?

Is this Top Gear all over again ?

If you don’t give Barker what she wants, the fists come out

Furlong, Beirne, Henderson, Connors, VDF, Ryan.
Murray, Sexton, Henshaw, Earls.

I'm going to have a crack at all 4, because I like to live dangerously. I have also chucked in a super-sub, in case of injuries (lots)

England (most of the Sarries boys can have a rest)

1. Cowan-Dickie
2. Sinckler
3. Itoje
4. Launchbury
5. Curry
6. Underhill
7. S Simmonds
8. Ford
9. May
10. Watson

Supersub: Slade

For Wales:

1. Wyn Jones
2. Owens
3. AWJ
4. Navidi
5. Tipuric
6. Faletau
7. Gareth Davies
8. Biggar
9. LRZ
10. Liam Williams

Supersub: Moriarty - for running hard and tackling big Boks all day.

Ireland:

1. Healy
2. Porter
3. Furlong
4. Ryan
5. Beirne
6. Stander
7. Murray
8. Sexton
9. Henshaw
10. Ringrose

Supersub: Connors

Scotland:

1. Sutherland
2. McInally
3. Cummings
4. Ritchie
5. Watson
6. Price
7. Russell
8. Redpath
9. Harris
10. Hogg

Supersub: Van Der Merwe