The Late Late show

[Feckitt]

Rule 1. 

[Asal Mor]

The only centre who had even a passing influence on a game that ended up a runaway victory for the Lions was Jamie Roberts. The match was won up front. BOD offered more from 13 (or even 12 if Gatland wanted to go mix-and-matching) and it's hard to make a case the Lions would have won by any less if BOD was starting.

I wouldn't disagree with that Syferus but O' Driscoll wasn't missed which made all the wailing about his non-selection even more embarrassing. He's just an ordinary player at that level now, great and all as he was in his prime.

[Syferus]

The only centre who had even a passing influence on a game that ended up a runaway victory for the Lions was Jamie Roberts. The match was won up front. BOD offered more from 13 (or even 12 if Gatland wanted to go mix-and-matching) and it's hard to make a case the Lions would have won by any less if BOD was starting.

I wouldn't disagree with that Syferus but O' Driscoll wasn't missed which made all the wailing about his non-selection even more embarrassing. He's just an ordinary player at that level now, great and all as he was in his prime.

At what level? International level? How many centres in the Six Nations would be selected before him even now? Clearly not many if he started two Lions tests this past summer. He has continued to exert a huge influence at international level even in recent years.

Just because that third test was a runaway victory (and that in itself was a flukey result given how tightly fought the previous two tests were) doesn't mean BOD couldn't have made a telling contribution in a close match. The reaction was fully justified and Gatland deserved worse, to be honest. It was as much about his own ego as it was about Davies over BOD.

[GalwayBayBoy]

The only centre who had even a passing influence on a game that ended up a runaway victory for the Lions was Jamie Roberts. The match was won up front. BOD offered more from 13 (or even 12 if Gatland wanted to go mix-and-matching) and it's hard to make a case the Lions would have won by any less if BOD was starting.

I wouldn't disagree with that Syferus but O' Driscoll wasn't missed which made all the wailing about his non-selection even more embarrassing. He's just an ordinary player at that level now, great and all as he was in his prime.

In fairness Gatland could have played at 13 in the 3rd test himself and the Lions would still have walked it. They mashed the Aussies up front which they failed to do in the two previous games that BOD actually played in.

[Asal Mor]

My point is that a manager is entitled to pick his team and be judged on his results. I didn't think that was even debatable but apparently it is. After the team was named, every rugby expert in Ireland was bemoaning the fact that Gatland had blown the test series by leaving out O' Driscoll, waffling about "the intangibles", "leadership", "experience" etc. The Lions go out and win by 30 points and you're claiming that Gatland wasn't vindicated. I just don't get that. 

[grounded]

My point is that a manager is entitled to pick his team and be judged on his results. I didn't think that was even debatable but apparently it is. After the team was named, every rugby expert in Ireland was bemoaning the fact that Gatland had blown the test series by leaving out O' Driscoll, waffling about "the intangibles", "leadership", "experience" etc. The Lions go out and win by 30 points and you're claiming that Gatland wasn't vindicated. I just don't get that.

+1  That's about sums it up, whatever about Gatland's perceived dislike for the Irish setup.

[Shamrock Shore]

WTF is all this deification of BOD. I just don't get it. Am I missing something or just out of tune with the rest of the great unwashed.

Gatland made the call, as he was entitled to do, and stuck to his guns. More power to him. He was vindicated and BOD should stop his effing moaning and move on.

I wasn't picked for the 1984 minor championship final in Longford - do you hear me moaning. No siree Bob.

[anglocelt39]

WTF is all this deification of BOD. I just don't get it. Am I missing something or just out of tune with the rest of the great unwashed.

Gatland made the call, as he was entitled to do, and stuck to his guns. More power to him. He was vindicated and BOD should stop his effing moaning and move on.

I wasn't picked for the 1984 minor championship final in Longford - do you hear me moaning. No siree Bob.

In fairness now SS were you not a brave lock a years overage at that stage. Agree with your general sentiment, That Welsh bloke that writes for the Sunday times (Stephen Jones) was doing a (presumably) tongue in cheek article before the last tour about what each of the four countries bring to the tour, when he got to Ireland the jist was,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"50 players that are absolutely nailed on deserving to start each test......" BOD was great, he's getting to the end, we should move on.

[laoislad]

Some rugby dude and the Gay Westlife fella from Sligo.
Late Late poor tonight.

[T Fearon]

Is the chat show format past it's sell buy date? I mean we know everything there is to know about every celebrity already

[The Worker]

Very powerful performance by Alan Hayes , took great bravery.

[Tony Baloney]

Gregory Porter was the highlight. Chris Hadfield going through the motions.

[From the Bunker]

Only seen the three Lads from Latvia doing their version of The Final Countdown. Cringe stuff!

[laoislad]

Red Hurley punching above his weight! !

[DownFanatic]

Red Hurley punching above his weight! !

MILF