Matt Flipping Stevens?

ARE YOU FOR REAL GATS?

LIKE REALLY, IN REAL LIFE, ARE YOU FOR REAL?

REALLY LIKE AN ACTUAL DECISION THAT PROFESSIONAL COACHES HAVE MADE HERE IN REALITY?

Also screw Dylan Hartley and Farrell being selected

Are you Gatland?

No

t1000 thank you for reminding me that i am not a person called Warren Gatland.

I know three English players!! How dare he make professional informed decisions based on knowledge of the game and players!!!

briliant selection

Excellent tour party.
Some unlucky to miss out.

Plenty will be sent out to Oz due to injury.

I guess he is there for his supposed versatility on both sides - says nothing about him being shocking on both sides.

Stevens and Farrell are no shocking decisions - just surprising. Stevens is a decent pscrummager and good around the park

If Jenkins goes and Stevens gets selected then why not Sheridan?

If Stevens is no more a decent scrummager. He was well beaten in the scrum against Toulon

Farrell is not a shock for me. On his day he is quality. Stevens is a penalty machine who lacks any sort of discipline at the breakdown. The only good thing is he won't get a look in with Jones and Cole there.

strange for the Jenkins selection over Sheridan , who has kept him out of the Toulon starting XV all season , perhaps toulon have stated that they do not require him for the final ?

The only reason Matt Stevens has been selected is to supply the 'powder' for the post test bash...

How original

EngInAuck wrote: How original

fine then, the only reason Stevens is in the squad is for the on bus entertainment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfmiX8Cqk3Y

With a voice like that how could they leave him behind ?

To be fair he can play both sides and so is a useful player to have in the midweek side? I can't think of any others who can do the same?

Davey Wilson? Has played loosehead off the bench in a few internationals and is in fine form.

Bathman_in_London wrote:To be fair he can play both sides and so is a useful player to have in the midweek side? I can't think of any others who can do the same?

pretty shocking at both mind. Rowntree seems to like him though.

I cannot believe Stevens' inclusion, and I am English.
Yes he plays both sides of the scrum, just not to a terribly high level.
There are much better tightheads, and much better looseheads out there.
I think that he was included for his ability to finish off any spare pies - Oz is, afterall, the home of the pie-floater.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Davey Wilson? Has played loosehead off the bench in a few internationals and is in fine form.

But seeing as he only ever gets 2 mins at the end of each game, it seems like Rowntree doesn't rate him that highly.

Anyway I'm not saying I would have taken Stevens, just that I can see the logic behind it.

Yes, Stevens inclusion is farcical. He has worked nowhere as near as hard, or performed as well, as players like Ryan Grant.

Such a shame that merit does not trump a formed opinion.

Not Gatland's fault Matt's middle name is flipping. Blame his parents.

Stevens was surprising but really it sort of makes sense.

- Mike Ross isn't fit enough for the tour I feel
- Euan Murray has not been playing well this year
- We have only got Cole and Jones. Another tight head needed
- Stevens has already done a Lions Tour
- Comparisons to Sheridan/Grant are not relevant (different position)

A controversial decision but certainly not a shocking one.

red_stag wrote:Stevens was surprising but really it sort of makes sense.

- Mike Ross isn't fit enough for the tour I feel
- Euan Murray has not been playing well this year
- We have only got Cole and Jones. Another tight head needed
- Stevens has already done a Lions Tour
- Comparisons to Sheridan/Grant are not relevant (different position)

A controversial decision but certainly not a shocking one.

Actually Murray had a very good 6 nations

Must have been a toss up between Paul James and Stevens with ghe latters mobility the deciding factor.

Gatland has picked a lot of mobile props - presumably to play against the S15 sides with couple of heavy fat boy's in Jones & Hibbard for the tests........

Lydiate, Kearney, Heaslip and Hartley are more controversial.

Recwatcher wrote:Must have been a toss up between Paul James and Stevens with ghe latters mobility the deciding factor.

Gatland has picked a lot of mobile props - presumably to play against the S15 sides with couple of heavy fat boy's in Jones & Hibbard for the tests........

Lydiate, Kearney, Heaslip and Hartley are more controversial.

Sorry, are you trying to say Stevens is mobile??

Only mobile movement he makes is folding over in the scrum

He would not get into any of the 6 nations teams (including England), so why is he selected here

I am saying Stevens can play both sides and is more mobile than the alternative in James.

Jenkins Vunipola Healy & Cole are all quick around the park. Calm down there.

Stevens is 3rd choice tight head.

James is irrelevant because he's a loosehead. Murray isn't a team player - he refuses to do anything on a sundays. Not good in a team ethos. Plus he had achieved very little this season.

Perhaps Wilson can feel unlucky.

As for the other tight head candidates - what have they done? At least Stevens has shown good club form over a season. Unfortunately the club he plays for is unfashionable.

Got a higher chance getting in the Lions if you play for a weak side like Sale or Dragons.

Recwatcher wrote:I am saying Stevens can play both sides and is more mobile than the alternative in James.

Jenkins Vunipola Healy & Cole are all quick around the park. Calm down there.

Sorry That is not correct - he can not play either side.

Riskysports wrote:

Recwatcher wrote:I am saying Stevens can play both sides and is more mobile than the alternative in James.

Jenkins Vunipola Healy & Cole are all quick around the park. Calm down there.

Sorry That is not correct - he can not play either side.

Yup that's why Stevens is not starting tight head for one of the top sides in England.