The BBC Pundits

They are just the worst.

These are the current Lions teams they would select based on current form:

Jeremy Guscott's Lions XV: Halfpenny (Wales), Cuthbert (Wales), O'Driscoll (Ireland), Roberts (Wales), North (Wales); Sexton (Ireland), Phillips (Wales); Jenkins (Wales), Best (Ireland), A Jones (Wales), Charteris (Wales), Gray (Scotland), Ferris (Ireland), Warburton (Wales), Heaslip (Ireland).

Keith Wood's Lions XV: Halfpenny (Wales), Bowe (Ireland), J Davies (Wales), O'Driscoll (Ireland), North (Wales); Sexton (Ireland), Phillips (Wales); Jenkins (Wales), Best (Ireland), A Jones (Wales), Gray (Scotland), AW Jones (Wales), O'Brien (Ireland), Warburton (Wales), Ferris (Ireland).

Andy Nicol's Lions XV: Halfpenny (Wales), Bowe (Ireland), Tuilagi (England), Roberts (Wales), Visser (Scotland); Sexton (Ireland), Phillips (Wales); Jenkins (Wales), Hartley (England), A Jones (Wales), Gray (Scotland), Lawes (England), Ferris (Ireland), Warburton (Wales), Faletau (Wales).

Jonathan Davies's Lions XV: Kearney (Ireland), Bowe (Ireland), O'Driscoll (Ireland), Tuilagi (England), North (Wales); Sexton (Ireland), Care (England); Sheridan (England), Best (Ireland), Cole (England), AW Jones (Wales), Lawes (England), Ferris (Ireland), Tipuric (Wales), Heaslip (Ireland).

Bar Jonathan Davies, it appears these pundits don't actually watch rugby.

And once again we see a continual disregard for English players. Adam Jones is a fantastic player, but I really can't see how people can't view Dan Cole as the best tight head in the NH right now. Phillips is not starting for Wales, why is Care ignored? Richie Gray has been very average for Sale, certainly not playing better than Courtney is at the moment.

Finally ... I hate Jeremy Guscott. Reading his weekly Q&A is beginning to get quite painful. Watch some Rugby for goodness sake. Beginning to wish the 6 Nations was covered by Sky. Greenwood is brilliant and Scott Quinnell isn't bad.

For my money, England are the best team in the NH and that will be seen over the AIs and SNs whilst Wales are overrated and will be found out in the next couple of months. Ireland are generally unpredictable and Scotland will remain poor. Come the First Lions Test, the majority of the side will be English.

4th in the World Cup and a Grandslam isn't overrated.

Don't sweat it man, the English are not very good, there last great sporting achievement is being show on ESPN CLASSIC.

Not sure about that. It should be pretty even 4/5 from each and throw in a Scot here or there. Ireland have some fantastic individuals and should really be better than they are. I don't really rate Kidney.

This will probably run a few people up the wrong way. Although the GS was a great achievement from Wales, I can't help but feel they benefited from slightly weaker opposition in 2012 than previous 6 Nations.

Really at the moment it is all to play for. For once we are all very evenly matched and I can't really tell who is the best. Exciting times.

No O'Connell in any team?
Kearney only once?
No Ashton

RogerLewis wrote:4th in the World Cup and a Grandslam isn't overrated.

Only team of note Wales beat at the World Cup was Ireland, which isn't too impressive. They lost to all the other top nations they played - South Africa, France and Australia. The Grandslam was massively lucky, very helpful refereeing decisions for Wales when they played Ireland and Scotland. Still, I'll guess we'll see over the next few months.

viewtothegym wrote:Don't sweat it man, the English are not very good, there last great sporting achievement is being show on ESPN CLASSIC.

England = the greatest sporting nation in the World.

Every grandslam wales have won has been...

Lucky
An "off" year for the other teams
Other teams "rebuilding".
Opposition was weaker (duuu no s**t Sherlock)

Jealous excuses know no bounds.

it's interesting that whenever wales win a grand slam the opposition is always weak and the refereeing is in their favour. never just that they were better.

on the team selection I can't really see how Sheridan is in there. never been much good. ok he's strong but there's more to propery than that.

Just clone George North.

mckay1402 wrote:on the team selection I can't really see how Sheridan is in there. never been much good. ok he's strong but there's more to propery than that.

Sheridan is in there because he is a head of Gethin Jenkins at Toulon. (Gehthin spends more on the bench) rather than starting.

Interesting that all of the non welsh pundits have picked a glut of welsh players, including ones that welsh posters on here are generally not too keen on (e.g. G Jenkins and M Phillips), and the one person you may expect to be biased (Jonathan Davies) has ignored a number of Wales' big name players. Maybe didn't want to seem biased? Or is one pundit realistic but the other 3 are not?

RogerLewis wrote:Every grandslam wales have won has been...

Lucky
An "off" year for the other teams
Other teams "rebuilding".
Opposition was weaker (duuu no s**t Sherlock)

Jealous excuses know no bounds.

Why would I be jealous of a rugby nation that has never won a World Cup and has an inferior record to England?

I'm not sure what all the arguments against most selections are, most of those players are favourite to travel.

RE the English players, I think there are plenty who are going to travel, and more who are threatening to travel, but in reality very few stand out in their position...

Cole is an excellent TH but if missing he will not be missed with Jones being his equal.

Robshaw has too much higher quality comp in the back row

Care is on fire but a risk, and with Phillips also a risk both cannot go surely!

Tuilagi has a bad rep from NZ, but has to travel IMHO.

Foden and Ashton are both good options but maybe the most unlucky of the Englishmen, Too many monsters and try machines out wide, and a huge % kicking option you cant ignore at 15.

Duty281 wrote:

viewtothegym wrote:Don't sweat it man, the English are not very good, there last great sporting achievement is being show on ESPN CLASSIC.

England = the greatest sporting nation in the World.

Yes they are, I mean Football world cup champs, Rugby Union world champs, rugby Union world champs, Netball, hockey, all world champs. Ahhhhh unfortunately not.....darts world champs though well done, Jolly Good SHow.

Duty281 wrote:

RogerLewis wrote:Every grandslam wales have won has been...

Lucky
An "off" year for the other teams
Other teams "rebuilding".
Opposition was weaker (duuu no s**t Sherlock)

Jealous excuses know no bounds.

Why would I be jealous of a rugby nation that has never won a World Cup and has an inferior record to England?

Because we are better than you ...simple.

2012 poor quality six nations?
Why didn't England win it if it was so easy?

Problem is with Dan Cole he won't have Castro on the bench ready to save his skin if the ref don't love him.
Ospreys v Tigers Cole spent most of the scrum with his moon face in the grass,
but good job they had Poite as the ref,as the SKY team said to Cockers before kick off you couldn't have got a better ref for you if you hand picked one!
Cockers looked smug about it.

Every single one picked Ferris.

I'm an Ulster fan, I love Stephen Ferris and I know they're right; when he's fit and on form, he is better than any other backrow in Britain or Ireland. There's no-one we have who can compare to him at his best. But he has played... 3 games this season. He's injured now, a new injury, having just come back from injury. Even his injuries have injuries.

I'm gonna wait and see if he makes it back on the pitch before I start pencilling his name in, is all I'm saying. I don't think his body has much rugby left in it.

View

Your right about Poite, I counted 14 scrums or so and not one to completion, lottery isn't the word, and IMO Cole was struggling and was bailed out at times.

That said he and Jones are neck and neck at present, there is very little in it.

Poite is reffing us v the Argies

Ye I know mate, it's not going to be pretty, lets just hope they rub him the wrong way early on so he has his blinkers on!!

I thought Wales were lucky and had the rub of the green with the ref in both the Ireland and Scotland game.
That said they beat England by being better.
In sport playing to the ref and being "lucky" are key skills.
We'll have a far better idea if where England and Wales are after these AI's.

on the cole vs jones debate. I believe they are about equal in the scrum but cole does more around the park and is a nuisance at the breakdown, so i think on present form cole to start with jones backing him up

rainbow-warrior wrote:

Duty281 wrote:

RogerLewis wrote:Every grandslam wales have won has been...

Lucky
An "off" year for the other teams
Other teams "rebuilding".
Opposition was weaker (duuu no s**t Sherlock)

Jealous excuses know no bounds.

Why would I be jealous of a rugby nation that has never won a World Cup and has an inferior record to England?

Because we are better than you ...simple.

Always grand to start a Saturday morning with a hilarious joke. Thanks very much rainbow.

rainbow-warrior wrote:

Duty281 wrote:

viewtothegym wrote:Don't sweat it man, the English are not very good, there last great sporting achievement is being show on ESPN CLASSIC.

England = the greatest sporting nation in the World.

Yes they are, I mean Football world cup champs, Rugby Union world champs, rugby Union world champs, Netball, hockey, all world champs. Ahhhhh unfortunately not.....darts world champs though well done, Jolly Good SHow.

Only country in the World to have a Football World Cup, a Cricket World Cup and a Rugby Union World Cup. Those are 3 of the most popular sports in the World I believe.

Don't forget the dart. Football - 1966 I wouldn't rave on too much about that pal it will make you look silly

frankly I don't know where Dan Parks is in these selections, he obviously has his name nailed to the 10 shirt

rainbow-warrior wrote:

Duty281 wrote:

RogerLewis wrote:Every grandslam wales have won has been...

Lucky
An "off" year for the other teams
Other teams "rebuilding".
Opposition was weaker (duuu no s**t Sherlock)

Jealous excuses know no bounds.

Why would I be jealous of a rugby nation that has never won a World Cup and has an inferior record to England?

Because we are better than you ...simple.

What was the Welsh score today old chap?

Duty281 wrote:

rainbow-warrior wrote:

Duty281 wrote:

viewtothegym wrote:Don't sweat it man, the English are not very good, there last great sporting achievement is being show on ESPN CLASSIC.

England = the greatest sporting nation in the World.

Yes they are, I mean Football world cup champs, Rugby Union world champs, rugby Union world champs, Netball, hockey, all world champs. Ahhhhh unfortunately not.....darts world champs though well done, Jolly Good SHow.

Only country in the World to have a Football World Cup, a Cricket World Cup and a Rugby Union World Cup. Those are 3 of the most popular sports in the World I believe.

Cricket World Cup? (T20 doesn't count)

disneychilly wrote:

Duty281 wrote:

rainbow-warrior wrote:

Duty281 wrote:

viewtothegym wrote:Don't sweat it man, the English are not very good, there last great sporting achievement is being show on ESPN CLASSIC.

England = the greatest sporting nation in the World.

Yes they are, I mean Football world cup champs, Rugby Union world champs, rugby Union world champs, Netball, hockey, all world champs. Ahhhhh unfortunately not.....darts world champs though well done, Jolly Good SHow.

Only country in the World to have a Football World Cup, a Cricket World Cup and a Rugby Union World Cup. Those are 3 of the most popular sports in the World I believe.

Cricket World Cup? (T20 doesn't count)

OK, if you're not counting that, how about former No.1 of the Test Game.