Scots v Ireland: Who Will Have More Lions?

First topic message reminder :

I have a gnawing worry that Ireland may be the least represented nation on the Lions panel this year.

We will probably see Healy, Best, Ryan, O'Brien, Heaslip, Sexton, O'Driscoll, Kearney but outside of that the cupboard looks bare either due to injury (O'Connell, Ferris, Bowe, Zebo).

With a number of Scots looking good enough to tour - Grant, Ford, Gray, Brown, Beattie, Laidlaw, Hogg, Visser, Maitland and maybe even even E.Murray or Rennie it has me wondering will the Irish have the least players on this Lions Tour?

I thought Ashton equalled the record of 6, rather than setting a new record of 6.

Here ya go.

8 C.N. Lowe (England: 1914 - *)
8 I.S. Smith (Scotland: 1925 - *)
6 Will Greenwood (England: 2001)
6 Iain Balshaw (England: 2001)
6 Philippe Bernat-Salles (France: 2001)
6 Shane Williams (Wales: 2008)
6 Chris Ashton (England: 2011)
5 Ben Cohen (England: 2000)
5 Austin Healey (England: 2000)
5 Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland: 2000)
5 Will Greenwood (England: 2002)
5 Vincent Clerc (France: 2008)
5 Tommy Bowe (Ireland: 2012)

http://www.supersport.com/rugby/six-nations/records

Yeah, luckless you're right Ashton did equal the 6 Nations record.

Balshaw!

I suspect there will be more SH born players on this tour than Scots, making the Lions a joke and it will get worse in future tours. The team will be like the current England cricket team, full of SH players as the money is in the UK. I think this Lions tour may be a nail in the coffin for future tours we make be doing a Hakka before the games in four year time.

For a centre Greenwood used to cross the whitewash a hell of a lot and often at important times! In 03 I'm pretty sure he scored crucial tries in both the SA pool game and the QF vs Wales.

Great news to hear POC may be returning in time for the HC QF's. Another player I'd love to see travel if he can prove himself (and stay fit).

4.Parling then one of POC/Evans/Charteris
5.Two of Gray, Hines, Ryan, Hamilton, Launchberry

That's how I view the pecking order in the second rows at the moment. It would be great to see one of POC or Evans get fit alongside Parling as a workhorse and an option to run the line-out. Paulie would also add some much wanted experience to the boiler room!

Greenwood had a reading of the game that has rarely been bettered - England have yet to find a way to replace him.

Interesting - but fitting - that he's the only player to crop up twice on that list, even though for every try he scored he'd probably created at least one more.

Whoever is picked, The Lions will not be short of options up front. In keeping with this thread you could say that a pack picked from the following...

1. Healy/Grant, 2Best, 3Murray/Cross, 4Gray/Ryan, 5. Hamilton/McCarthy/O'Connell, 6. O'Brien/Harley, 7. Brown/Henry, 8. Beattie/Heaslip....

would give Aussie a good game.

Hound find your choices at lock very interesting: I wouldn't like to see McCarthy or Hamilton or possibly O'Connell on tour.

Far from being a similar pairing I think Ryan and Gray would compliment each other very well.

Also at backrow I'd be happy enough to just play a left and right flanker (Wood and Robshaw) with a good ball carrying number 8.

After today not many forwards, they were stuffed in every area. I thought Weir had a good game.

glamorganalun wrote:After today not many forwards, they were stuffed in every area. I thought Weir had a good game.

Really?

Hopefully Richie Gray's injury isn't too serious - hamstring injury which can be tricky but at least it isn't a break or ligaments as first feared.

I think he's had a very strong tournament - he is very physical now and puts a massive shift in. At 6ft 10 he's handy to have in a lineout too!

Yeah he's been very consistent. Hope his injury isn't bad and he manages to get picked.

I think Beattie is in with a good chance for the lions. He looked great yesterday in game where not much happened. Caught balls well ,apart from one that was obviously being swirled by the wind a lot. He looked good going into contact and he was very powerful. His presence in the scrum has been very useful. Mean while, was Faletau even playing yesterday? Heaslip looked good though and I think he'll be in with a good chance too, probably a better one than Beattie.

RDW_Scotland wrote:Hopefully Richie Gray's injury isn't too serious - hamstring injury which can be tricky but at least it isn't a break or ligaments as first feared.

I think he's had a very strong tournament - he is very physical now and puts a massive shift in. At 6ft 10 he's handy to have in a lineout too!

Yeah unlike Hamilton who was a complete liability yesterday !

right now i see few Lions from both sides...Kearney is coming back but with Hogg and Half in the mix I woudl say he will travel but not start. Can Zebo go off one perf probably, BOD....just not sure now his body looks like it is failing. I see Laidlaw as the 4th 9 and 10 cover and so for me only really Sexton is a definite. Up front well Heaslip honestly no, Faletau Morgan and Brown for me. I like Best and Healy but that is about it on form.

From Sctoland well I am sorry to say the hubris has been revealed. From the back line maybe, maybe Visser. Hogg goes of course. Up front Gray and even he hasn't been rampaging. Brown goes and maybe Beattie and i am sure there will be a prop but none stand out.

Pretty poor really from both sides which is a pity because both teams have offered some excellent rugby - Ire first half v Wales was superb, Scotland have been dogged but there rugby has been very unattractive.