British and Irish Lions Tour 2013

[AZOffaly]

From a selfish Munster point of view I'm glad Zebo didn't make it. Munster need to hit the ground running next year again and with O'Gara calling time they need people like Zebo, O'Mahoney, O'Donnell, Ryan, Murray, Earls, Jones, Kilcoyne, to be fresh and rested. A tough tour down in Australia is not going to be conducive to getting the likes of O'Connell a long run of games next year.

[Hound]

Feel sorry for Zebo. I'd rate him higher than Maitland and North. I also think he'd be better as 3rd choice fullback than Hogg. I would have had Cuthbert-Halpenny-Bowe as my test team, but Zebo as sub.

I think Donnacha Ryan played himself off the tour by playing when injured during the 6N.

I don't think Rory Best particularly deserved to go. But he deserved it more than Dylan Hartley.

Of course there'll be changes between now and the time they get on the plane, and more again when they're over there.

I can't understand the criticism Heaslip gets. I fully expect him to show during the tour that he's head and shoulders above Faletau and to start the first test.

[muppet]

Feel sorry for Zebo. I'd rate him higher than Maitland and North. I also think he'd be better as 3rd choice fullback than Hogg. I would have had Cuthbert-Halpenny-Bowe as my test team, but Zebo as sub.

I think Donnacha Ryan played himself off the tour by playing when injured during the 6N.

I don't think Rory Best particularly deserved to go. But he deserved it more than Dylan Hartley.

Of course there'll be changes between now and the time they get on the plane, and more again when they're over there.

I can't understand the criticism Heaslip gets. I fully expect him to show during the tour that he's head and shoulders above Faletau and to start the first test.

I think it is his style. He looks very relaxed as against the more bullocking style of other forwards. But he gets through more work, more tackles than most and he gets crucial tries and rarely takes a step back even when the scrum is overrun. I wouldn't have him as Captain though but I agree and think he will start the first test. The other 6 Nations teams know how good he is.

[AZOffaly]

Agree with that. He's probably more finesse than a bullock. I think he has suffered, perception wise, by being made Irish Captain. It was a bad 6N and he was the man with that poison chalice, especially the manner in which he got it.

I think he'd make hay if he was just left play his own game.

[mick999]

Best will be flying out a couple of weeks afterwards when one of the hookers get injured.

Exactly there is always four or five players who don't even make it on to the plane with at least another three who don't make it to the test matches so Best is in with a good shout of going yet. Taking two out halves is a bit of a risk and I'd say someone like Wilkinson , Hook or Dan Biggar will be in the squad before they head down under.

Gatland was just interviewed on sky and he said that Wilkinson wasn't available due to commitments with Toulon .. He had called him yesterday to check his availability ..

[Count 10]

Lions squad for the tour to Australia:

Backs: Leigh Halfpenny (Wales), Stuart Hogg (Scotland), Rob Kearney (Ireland), Tommy Bowe (Ireland), Alex Cuthbert (Wales), Sean Maitland (Scotland), George North (Wales), Jonathan Davies (Wales), Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Manu Tuilagi (England), Owen Farrell (England), Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), Conor Murray (Ireland), Mike Phillips (Wales), Ben Youngs (England).

Forwards: Dan Cole (England), Cian Healy (Ireland), Gethin Jenkins (Wales), Adam Jones (Wales), Matt Stevens (England), Mako Vunipola (England), Dylan Hartley (England), Richard Hibbard (Wales), Tom Youngs (England), Ian Evans (Wales), Richie Gray (Scotland), Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales), Paul O'Connell (Ireland), Geoff Parling (England), Tom Croft (England), Toby Faletau (Wales), Jamie Heaslip (Ireland), Dan Lydiate (Wales), Sean O'Brien (Ireland), Justin Tipuric (Wales), Sam Warburton (Wales, captain)

Taking 3 English props and 2 hookers is a joke....the Italian scrum screwed them, as for Richie Gray ...ruck inspector!!
Murray a surprise

[Hound]

Lions squad for the tour to Australia:

Backs: Leigh Halfpenny (Wales), Stuart Hogg (Scotland), Rob Kearney (Ireland), Tommy Bowe (Ireland), Alex Cuthbert (Wales), Sean Maitland (Scotland), George North (Wales), Jonathan Davies (Wales), Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Manu Tuilagi (England), Owen Farrell (England), Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), Conor Murray (Ireland), Mike Phillips (Wales), Ben Youngs (England).

Forwards: Dan Cole (England), Cian Healy (Ireland), Gethin Jenkins (Wales), Adam Jones (Wales), Matt Stevens (England), Mako Vunipola (England), Dylan Hartley (England), Richard Hibbard (Wales), Tom Youngs (England), Ian Evans (Wales), Richie Gray (Scotland), Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales), Paul O'Connell (Ireland), Geoff Parling (England), Tom Croft (England), Toby Faletau (Wales), Jamie Heaslip (Ireland), Dan Lydiate (Wales), Sean O'Brien (Ireland), Justin Tipuric (Wales), Sam Warburton (Wales, captain)

Taking 3 English props and 2 hookers is a joke....the Italian scrum screwed them, as for Richie Gray ...ruck inspector!!
Murray a surprise

Pity they can't bring any of the Italian front row!

Picking my first 15, I'm struggling to see any Englishman starting. 10/11 Welsh and 4/5 Irish. A few English on the bench.

[Declan]

Good picture from Munster training session this morning

[theticklemister]

Big DOC was hoping. Just a wee glint of hope in his eye........

[johnneycool]

Big DOC was hoping. Just a wee glint of hope in his eye........

Even big DOC knows that ship had sailed.

[Walter Cronc]

Feel sorry for Zebo. I'd rate him higher than Maitland and North. I also think he'd be better as 3rd choice fullback than Hogg. I would have had Cuthbert-Halpenny-Bowe as my test team, but Zebo as sub.

I think Donnacha Ryan played himself off the tour by playing when injured during the 6N.

I don't think Rory Best particularly deserved to go. But he deserved it more than Dylan Hartley.

Of course there'll be changes between now and the time they get on the plane, and more again when they're over there.

I can't understand the criticism Heaslip gets. I fully expect him to show during the tour that he's head and shoulders above Faletau and to start the first test.

Never heard worse!! Fully expect Hogg to light up the series. Class play with serious pace and vision.

[Syferus]

He's the third string FB.

[muppet]

Dunno why Scotland don't play Hogg in the O'Driscoll role. Average full back but a serious player with ball in hand.

[deiseach]

Were Lions squads much smaller back in the day? I seem to recall an awful stink about various people missing out in past tours, yet you'd want to be pretty low-rent to miss out on a squad with 37 places.

[Bord na Mona man]

Were Lions squads much smaller back in the day? I seem to recall an awful stink about various people missing out in past tours, yet you'd want to be pretty low-rent to miss out on a squad with 37 places.

I think it was as low as 30 in the amateur days and 37 in the last few years.
The exception being when Woodward brought 45 in 2005 and probably twice that in backroom staff.

I'd say in some of those 30 man squads, it was the England first XV by default.
Also, when Ireland was the poor relation of the I'd say we were the most outraged at the omissions.
1993 being the obvious one where Ireland beat England 17-3 in Lansdowne and the Lions squad being 17 English to 3 Irish.