Lions 2009 thread

[Bord na Mona man]

am i the only one who doesnt get the big deal about the lions? 4 pages of the examiner devoted to it today. Is Ferris serious? getting selected for the lions beats a grand slam or winning the 6 nations?

The picking of the squad and the team would interest me, just like the All Stars in GAA.
Beyond that, I wouldn't care that much. I still think there is a whiff of colonialism to it all.
The tours are now very commercialised nowadays, so you won't be able to avoid the hype.  

[Tankie]

Shocked Ferris aims to do Ulster proud
By Tom Nelson

IRELAND flanker Stephen Ferris says it is an awesome feeling to be selected to travel with the British and Irish Lions to South Africa in the summer.

The 23-year-old flanker from Craigavon is the only Ulster representative on the 37-man squad, and will be one of a record 14 Irishmen to travel across the equator for the three Test series.

"It's now just a wonderful feeling. It's the highest honour in the game, the pinnacle of rugby to be on a Lions tour, an awesome feeling. To get the opportunity to get into the Test side is a great fillip, and I will be trying very hard to do that".




am i the only one who doesnt get the big deal about the lions? 4 pages of the examiner devoted to it today. Is Ferris serious? getting selected for the lions beats a grand slam or winning the 6 nations?

Have you seen "Living with Lions" yet mk? I would have followed the last couple of Tours but until I had watched the behind the scenes stuff of the '97 Tour I never really understood the whole hoopla about it.

It's kind of hard to describe but it is a massive task to assemble a group of lads from 4 different Teams/Countries to go and take on either of the 3 best teams in the world in the space of a couple of months. Because of the fact it used to be done by amateurs for so many years means that it is steeped in tradition and the fact that the professional game is still in relative infancy means that the tradition is not lost on a lot of people. Over the years as Rugby gets more and more popular and the people who did play as amateurs begin to disappear the Lions and its tradition may also but I for one am still looking forward to the Tour and it would be good to put one over on the World Champions.

That is a great dvd to watch if you want to know what it means to be a loin and how hard a task it really is. some class stuff in 97. you could see how close the players from each nation were in their own groups but came together to try beat the World Cup holders.

I would recommend watching it anyway, even the girlfriend found it interesting

[Dinny Breen]

Tankie,

I can't ignore it anymore it's LION not loin, please spell it correctly, that for some reason is driving me lula 

As for the Lions, a testament to how well Irish rugby is doing but the last tour turned me off the Lions so hard to get excited but I will probably sit down and watch the games maybe that might ignite my interest until then I'll just avoid the hyperbole.....

[A Quinn Martin Production]

Shocked Ferris aims to do Ulster proud
By Tom Nelson

IRELAND flanker Stephen Ferris says it is an awesome feeling to be selected to travel with the British and Irish Lions to South Africa in the summer.

The 23-year-old flanker from Craigavon is the only Ulster representative on the 37-man squad, and will be one of a record 14 Irishmen to travel across the equator for the three Test series.

"It's now just a wonderful feeling. It's the highest honour in the game, the pinnacle of rugby to be on a Lions tour, an awesome feeling. To get the opportunity to get into the Test side is a great fillip, and I will be trying very hard to do that".




am i the only one who doesnt get the big deal about the lions? 4 pages of the examiner devoted to it today. Is Ferris serious? getting selected for the lions beats a grand slam or winning the 6 nations?

Have you seen "Living with Lions" yet mk? I would have followed the last couple of Tours but until I had watched the behind the scenes stuff of the '97 Tour I never really understood the whole hoopla about it.

It's kind of hard to describe but it is a massive task to assemble a group of lads from 4 different Teams/Countries to go and take on either of the 3 best teams in the world in the space of a couple of months. Because of the fact it used to be done by amateurs for so many years means that it is steeped in tradition and the fact that the professional game is still in relative infancy means that the tradition is not lost on a lot of people. Over the years as Rugby gets more and more popular and the people who did play as amateurs begin to disappear the Lions and its tradition may also but I for one am still looking forward to the Tour and it would be good to put one over on the World Champions.

Why   Personally I find it difficult to care about the Lions after the last tour.  Two words "Woodward" and "Campbell".  They took the tradition of the Lions and booted it up the arse with spin and commercialism.

[Tankie]

Tankie,

I can't ignore it anymore it's LION not loin, please spell it correctly, that for some reason is driving me lula 

As for the Lions, a testament to how well Irish rugby is doing but the last tour turned me off the Lions so hard to get excited but I will probably sit down and watch the games maybe that might ignite my interest until then I'll just avoid the hyperbole.....

sorry Dinny, i noticed i was miss spelling Lion lastnight but i was to lazy to go back and edit my posts. I will know better next time.... 

[Tankie]

Shocked Ferris aims to do Ulster proud
By Tom Nelson

IRELAND flanker Stephen Ferris says it is an awesome feeling to be selected to travel with the British and Irish Lions to South Africa in the summer.

The 23-year-old flanker from Craigavon is the only Ulster representative on the 37-man squad, and will be one of a record 14 Irishmen to travel across the equator for the three Test series.

"It's now just a wonderful feeling. It's the highest honour in the game, the pinnacle of rugby to be on a Lions tour, an awesome feeling. To get the opportunity to get into the Test side is a great fillip, and I will be trying very hard to do that".




am i the only one who doesnt get the big deal about the lions? 4 pages of the examiner devoted to it today. Is Ferris serious? getting selected for the lions beats a grand slam or winning the 6 nations?

Have you seen "Living with Lions" yet mk? I would have followed the last couple of Tours but until I had watched the behind the scenes stuff of the '97 Tour I never really understood the whole hoopla about it.

It's kind of hard to describe but it is a massive task to assemble a group of lads from 4 different Teams/Countries to go and take on either of the 3 best teams in the world in the space of a couple of months. Because of the fact it used to be done by amateurs for so many years means that it is steeped in tradition and the fact that the professional game is still in relative infancy means that the tradition is not lost on a lot of people. Over the years as Rugby gets more and more popular and the people who did play as amateurs begin to disappear the Lions and its tradition may also but I for one am still looking forward to the Tour and it would be good to put one over on the World Champions.

Why   Personally I find it difficult to care about the Lions after the last tour.  Two words "Woodward" and "Campbell".  They took the tradition of the Lions and booted it up the arse with spin and commercialism.

Just because two pricks ruined a tour you cannot jsut cut the Lions - atleast Woodward got what was coming to him and is still seen as a joke in Rugby...

[muppet]

Tankie,

I can't ignore it anymore it's LION not loin, please spell it correctly, that for some reason is driving me lula 

As for the Lions, a testament to how well Irish rugby is doing but the last tour turned me off the Lions so hard to get excited but I will probably sit down and watch the games maybe that might ignite my interest until then I'll just avoid the hyperbole.....

I think it would be better if they were called the 'Loins'. Some of the Leinster lads already pronounce it that way.

You'd get a lot more traveling if it was a 'Loins' tour.

[Dinny Breen]

http://irishlions.blogspot.com/

This one made me laugh, although my sense humour is a bit different to some on this board....

OMG ! OMG! by Luke
Dude. Was toolin round the green, ya?, when his Bodness manifested via the mobile. 'Cuz !' I said, turning down Elbow and waving at some chick while adjusting the hairdo. He told me to shut the fu*k up. Its a thing we do, ya know? We're like that, really.
"Listen." He goes. "You're a Lion. Don't think it means anything, cos it doesn't."
I nod, smile and give him an old thumbs up, forgetting I'm on the phone, ya? But He knows. He always knows.
"Rob is with you, isn't he?" He says then. The K-man is sitting next to me, but he's drawing his finger across his throat and shaking his head and the sweat is running off him. Its disgusting, really, but he's always like that about the Bodster. I'm just considering whether to risk a lie when the Voice comes down.
"Tell that little pissant he's made it too, and that I KNOW WHAT HE DID."
Rob can hear the last bit, and he goes green and a little whimper escapes him, the woofter. I decide to try and head this off at the pass.
" Thanks for the news, Cuz." I said. " Grand Slam winning Captain, and now captaining the Lions too, eh? You must be soooooo stoked!"
There's a click on the end of the line, and a distant rumble of thunder. Rob gets out of the car and starts running. As if that would help.

[Gnevin]

http://irishlions.blogspot.com/

This one made me laugh, although my sense humour is a bit different to some on this board....

OMG ! OMG! by Luke
Dude. Was toolin round the green, ya?, when his Bodness manifested via the mobile. 'Cuz !' I said, turning down Elbow and waving at some chick while adjusting the hairdo. He told me to shut the f**k up. Its a thing we do, ya know? We're like that, really.
"Listen." He goes. "You're a Lion. Don't think it means anything, cos it doesn't."
I nod, smile and give him an old thumbs up, forgetting I'm on the phone, ya? But He knows. He always knows.
"Rob is with you, isn't he?" He says then. The K-man is sitting next to me, but he's drawing his finger across his throat and shaking his head and the sweat is running off him. Its disgusting, really, but he's always like that about the Bodster. I'm just considering whether to risk a lie when the Voice comes down.
"Tell that little pissant he's made it too, and that I KNOW WHAT HE DID."
Rob can hear the last bit, and he goes green and a little whimper escapes him, the woofter. I decide to try and head this off at the pass.
" Thanks for the news, Cuz." I said. " Grand Slam winning Captain, and now captaining the Lions too, eh? You must be soooooo stoked!"
There's a click on the end of the line, and a distant rumble of thunder. Rob gets out of the car and starts running. As if that would help.

I wasn't all the impressed with that one but thought the Munster ones where class .

[The GAA]

Lions will be weaker without Delon Armitage and Tom Croft

Nobody is ever completely happy when a touring squad is chosen in any sport; the recently announced British and Irish Lions squad is no different. There are four or five choices I could argue, but only the exclusion of England's Delon Armitage and Tom Croft would see me debate with vehemence.

Both players excelled during the recent Six Nations and would have given the Lions options they may not have if they are forced to choose between the gameplans that I have set out below.

Armitage's counter-attack running is better than that of the full-backs chosen and although he may lack the physical bulk of Lee Byrne, this has not proved an exploitable weakness. His speed would also have made him an option on the wing.


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Gatland and Edwards cleared for Lions Croft was the outstanding player in the England's last two games. He is quick, solid and his line-out work was so good that it was to him and not the captain, Steve Borthwick, that England threw to most often.

The South African line-out is the best in the world and that phase of play is now so important that a team has to be secure on its own throw. If it can challenge the opposition throw consistently, it goes a long way towards enabling a team to dictate the areas of the field in which it plays, and ultimately its chances of winning games.

What is a concern is the choice of only two players in the full-back and fly-half berths. Injuries do not occur at convenient moments and a Thursday casualty in either position would leave the Saturday bench exposed.

If the remaining player is injured early in a game, someone will have to move position and even if he has had a few runs in training, this is nowhere near the same as playing under pressure. Even if a replacement is flown out, he will have no time to acquaint himself with the Lions' moves and calls.

From the players picked, Ian McGeechan has given himself options in meeting the South African challenge. He can seek to match and even outdo the Springboks in the physical battle in the pack and at the breakdown. If this can be achieved, the Lions will be halfway home in the contest because their opponents' game, whilst athletic and powerful, is straight forward.

Criticism of the lack of Scottish players is wrong. McGeechan, though residing in England for many years, is a proud Scot; he has no natural antipathy and would not have omitted Scottish players he thought were up to the job.

Mike Blair is unlucky, but Ross Ford has only his own poor form throughout the Six Nations to blame. I had Ford at the top of my list of hookers at the start of the tournament, from whence he sadly faded.

Alternatively, McGeechan can attempt to pick players who will secure their own first-phase possession, but are fast around the field. By moving the point of attack and contact, keeping a huge pack turning and on the move, the Lions might recycle ball without having to engage in too many substantial clashes.

Unfortunately, this approach requires practice as it means playing the ball early, passing out of the tackle, or laying the ball as soon as a tackled player goes to ground.

All of these moves have elements of risk and rely on other players being in the right position at the right time. If the Lions attempt this and don't execute the strategy with precision they will end up turning over a lot of ball, which is usually a decisive factor in determining which team comes out on top.

The tactical approach taken will be worth study, but whatever type of game the Lions play, you can be assured that it will not be a contest for the faint-hearted. Bring it on.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/britishandirishlionsrugby/5201274/Lions-will-be-weaker-without-Delon-Armitage-and-Tom-Croft.html

[bingobus]

Lions is a great Rugby tradition and I reckon this tour will restore some of the pride and honour that Woodward tried to dismantle on last tour. Would love to go on the trip some year.

The players seem to eat it up as well, even the younger players and as it only ever comes round every 4 years, it means that a player will prob only ever have 2 shots at making it in his prime.

Have never heard of a player making themselves unavailable for it this year. When that happens it will time to pull the pin. Unlikely to ever happen in my opinion.

[Dinny Breen]

Have never heard of a player making themselves unavailable for it this year. When that happens it will time to pull the pin. Unlikely to ever happen in my opinion.

Comsidering they get about €50k for 3 weeks work I can't imagine too many turing it down...

[The GAA]

Do they? fcking hell

[bingobus]

Have never heard of a player making themselves unavailable for it this year. When that happens it will time to pull the pin. Unlikely to ever happen in my opinion.

Comsidering they get about €50k for 3 weeks work I can't imagine too many turing it down...

Thought it was at least 10 wk of a get togther. Not bad work if you can get it, mind but doubt money is a big factor in it.

Thinks it stg£30,000 a man basic. Isn't bad going.

[gallsman]

Shocked Ferris aims to do Ulster proud
By Tom Nelson

IRELAND flanker Stephen Ferris says it is an awesome feeling to be selected to travel with the British and Irish Lions to South Africa in the summer.

The 23-year-old flanker from Craigavon is the only Ulster representative on the 37-man squad, and will be one of a record 14 Irishmen to travel across the equator for the three Test series.

"It's now just a wonderful feeling. It's the highest honour in the game, the pinnacle of rugby to be on a Lions tour, an awesome feeling. To get the opportunity to get into the Test side is a great fillip, and I will be trying very hard to do that".




am i the only one who doesnt get the big deal about the lions? 4 pages of the examiner devoted to it today. Is Ferris serious? getting selected for the lions beats a grand slam or winning the 6 nations?

Have you seen "Living with Lions" yet mk? I would have followed the last couple of Tours but until I had watched the behind the scenes stuff of the '97 Tour I never really understood the whole hoopla about it.

It's kind of hard to describe but it is a massive task to assemble a group of lads from 4 different Teams/Countries to go and take on either of the 3 best teams in the world in the space of a couple of months. Because of the fact it used to be done by amateurs for so many years means that it is steeped in tradition and the fact that the professional game is still in relative infancy means that the tradition is not lost on a lot of people. Over the years as Rugby gets more and more popular and the people who did play as amateurs begin to disappear the Lions and its tradition may also but I for one am still looking forward to the Tour and it would be good to put one over on the World Champions.

Why   Personally I find it difficult to care about the Lions after the last tour.  Two words "Woodward" and "Campbell".  They took the tradition of the Lions and booted it up the arse with spin and commercialism.

Just because two pricks ruined a tour you cannot jsut cut the Lions - atleast Woodward got what was coming to him and is still seen as a joke in Rugby...

Woodward seen as a joke in rugby? Really? Whatever about the 2005 Lions, he put together one of the greatest teams of all time who were outstanding from 1 to 22. The win against the All-Blacks in New Zealand is one of the best team performances I've ever seen.