Lions v Summer Internationals: What's more interesting to you?

Lions or Summer Internationals?

Summer Internationals will have a caretaker coach and young men going to play USA and Canada.

Yes, you could say USA and Canada should be tough but hardly groundbreaking opponents. But the interesting bit for many here will be how Ireland functions/chooses to play post Kidney...and whether or not they'll have an observer with them in the guise of Joe Schmidt.

Lions......... it'll be entertaining. There'll be controversy, there'll be reffing decisions that might create a world war, there'll be ridicule and insults in the media, there'll be bonding sessions by pools (it's customary!). In short, it'll be entertaining melodrama but I won't be psycologically damaged by the results.

Heart on Summer tours because they have meaning into next season and the WC for Ireland. Lions for sit back and enjoy the fairground ride.

NZ vs France takes centre stage but I will also be watching the Lions as I am always interested to see if the Lions can overcome the odds and win.

If I were an Irish fan, I'd be interested in seeing new players come through particularly in the centres and forwards (thinking to the future without players like BOD and POC) but it's hardly a gripping series in terms of thinking what the result will be. That said, I do think it's an important tour for Ireland in terms of developing their players and getting some confidence back after a depressing 6N.

For me the England series in Argentina is massive, especially after the manner of performances since the Scotland game, with particular regard to the Wales game. Hopefully Lancaster takes the chance to bring some newer faces into the strongest possible team and secure a series win away from home to dispel some of the hurt of the spring.

I think I'll grow into the Lions tour as I watch some of the tour matches, and it may get to the stage that by the tests I'm more excited then I was leading up to the England tests, but at the moment if you offered me an England series win or a Lions series win (and said I could only have one), I'd take an England win.

Although the summer tours are very interesting, and might even be exciting, anyone claiming they are more into a tour going to a non top 3 country, with their key players missing, without their coach where the result means little in the grand scheme of things over the pinnacle of world rugby, and one of the best sporting traditions ever to be implimented on this planet is either lying, has a huge chip on their shoulder, or a clear political bias!!!

It's like Clifton rfc supporters watching their team play a friendly while their best players turn out for Bristol in the HC final!!!!!

The summer tours are very much development a complete side show to the main attraction.

Wales tour of Japan who can, on a good day, put out a decent side. I presume Wales will be resting any key players not involved with the lions. Good if some youngsters give a good show not so if we lose any games.

I hope they take a young side that bloods players for the likely post lions tour injury tour to many of our squad players.

thebluesmancometh wrote:Although the summer tours are very interesting, and might even be exciting, anyone claiming they are more into a tour going to a non top 3 country, with their key players missing, without their coach where the result means little in the grand scheme of things over the pinnacle of world rugby, and one of the best sporting traditions ever to be implimented on this planet is either lying, has a huge chip on their shoulder, or a clear political bias!!!

It's like Clifton rfc supporters watching their team play a friendly while their best players turn out for Bristol in the HC final!!!!!

I'm not lying. I would like to know if in your informed opinion I have a huge chip on my shoulder or clear political bias.

I like the Lions. My earliest memory of rugby (not including me playing in the park) is the South Africa tour in 97 and in particular Jerry Guscott's drop goal to win the series stands out in my memory. I enjoyed the Lions in 2009, and was shouting for them in the test series then. However, the Lions is a bonus for me. It's like England is the Premier League and the Lions are the FA Cup. In 4 years I follow England through 4 Six Nations Championships, 3 home international series, 3 overseas tours and 1 World Cup. I watch them experience ups and downs as the cycle wears on and get very emotionally involved in their success and their failures. Whereas the Lions is a one-off bonus. It's a special occasion, granted, but it's highly self-contained. Win and it's a nice feeling, lose and it's not, but as soon as it's done that's it for 4 years.

England winning the test series in Argentina would constitute a good summer's rugby for me. Either way I want the Lions to win, but England's my cake and the Lions are just the cherry on top.

robbo277 wrote:

thebluesmancometh wrote:Although the summer tours are very interesting, and might even be exciting, anyone claiming they are more into a tour going to a non top 3 country, with their key players missing, without their coach where the result means little in the grand scheme of things over the pinnacle of world rugby, and one of the best sporting traditions ever to be implimented on this planet is either lying, has a huge chip on their shoulder, or a clear political bias!!!

It's like Clifton rfc supporters watching their team play a friendly while their best players turn out for Bristol in the HC final!!!!!

I'm not lying. I would like to know if in your informed opinion I have a huge chip on my shoulder or clear political bias.

I like the Lions. My earliest memory of rugby (not including me playing in the park) is the South Africa tour in 97 and in particular Jerry Guscott's drop goal to win the series stands out in my memory. I enjoyed the Lions in 2009, and was shouting for them in the test series then. However, the Lions is a bonus for me. It's like England is the Premier League and the Lions are the FA Cup. In 4 years I follow England through 4 Six Nations Championships, 3 home international series, 3 overseas tours and 1 World Cup. I watch them experience ups and downs as the cycle wears on and get very emotionally involved in their success and their failures. Whereas the Lions is a one-off bonus. It's a special occasion, granted, but it's highly self-contained. Win and it's a nice feeling, lose and it's not, but as soon as it's done that's it for 4 years.

England winning the test series in Argentina would constitute a good summer's rugby for me. Either way I want the Lions to win, but England's my cake and the Lions are just the cherry on top.

I see where your coming from, and maybe I was a bit cras in my writing style, but my point was basically Englands best are playing elsewhere at a higher level with better players, how can that not excite you? I understand it's difficult for some to get emotionally charged because the lions rolls around once every 4 years, and the majority of the squad tends to be players we don't care about, or old enemy plyers.

I like to buy in fully, I want the lions to win first and foremost (although I will watch the summer tour to japan with great interest) so for me I don't have to choose, but if I did the lions have to come first, the best Wales has to offer (and there should be a fair number of them) mixed with the best the british isles have to offer = me dribbling!!!

Maybe I'm just niaive, maybe I am clouded by the excitement of my trip, but I like to think I am a romantic, and a purist, and therefore no matter what problems the game has, the governing bodies have, we can all put that to one side to go south for a good old urine up and a fight!!!

Fair enough, I've come across a bit argumentative there, but I didn't mean to be.

Maybe the calibre of opposition has some bearing? Argentina away would be a test at the best of times, short of our top players it should be a cracking test series in my opinion with a chance to really prove something. A tour to Japan should be easily winnable for Wales, even without their top players.

The test series don't coincide, so in consecutive weeks my main event is:
England vs Barbarians
Barbarians Vs Lions
Argentina Vs England
Argentina Vs England
Australia Vs Lions
Australia Vs Lions
Australia Vs Lions

I can live with that!

I am very much looking forward to June.

I can watch the French taking on the All Blacks in what I beleive will be a very entertaining tour.

I can watch the Lions vs the Wallabies in a series which will be very tough and physical

I can watch SA play in a mini tournament against Scotland, Samoa and Italy which could or could not see plenty of debutants for the Boks.

What more can you ask for?

Scotland, Samoa and Italy
...
What more can you ask for?

Where do I start?

Start somewhere.

Italy who beat France and Ireland, Scotland who came 3rd and Samoa who are the premier Pacific Island team after Australia (who they beat not so long ago) and NZ.

SA are in a RWC pool with these teams if I'm not mistaken so plenty of motivation for all the teams.

France will be without a lot of their club players so all these June matches in this Lions year are going to be a bit watered down but that doesn't mean they're any less important.

I think there's a good mix of internationals and spread across a lot of countries. It's not a bad thing to incorporate other countries into the mix instead of having the same countries competing all the time.

Wouldn't a tour from the PI's be more competitive Bilt?

Meanwhile a Scotland v Italy summer series would be fairly interesting.

NO I don't think so, Samoa is the only Pacific Island team that can realistic beat SA, Italy and Scotland provides a different challenge to us than having all three Pacific Island teams here,

As the Lions is only every four years and Internationals are ten a penny these days,there is no contest.A Lions series win would add some much needed credibility to the venture mind.

So maybe Lions years could be a wordwide phenomenon.

Eastern Europe Lions
Asia Lions
S America Lions
N America Lions
etc.

pitted against each other or top sides to spread global interest and encouraging the shattering of glass ceilings.

To be a general pain in the arse I selected each option from the poll

The Lions will be more interesting. But not more important to my pride than Ireland.