Lions 2009 thread

[ludermor]

Interesting!
And he isnt replacing anyone, there must be something going on behind the sceens?

On another note i see Brian Carney has left Munster to return to League. Never worked out for him at munster, i really thought he had the tools to be a sucess.

[Joxer]

What you think would be going on?

Good to see and hopefully he wont be there just to make up the numbers.  Well capable. 

Looking forward to this game tonight.  Will no doubt be a big test.

[peterquaife]

are all the games only on Sky?

[clareman]

are all the games only on Sky?

That's all I think..

[muppet]

Interesting!
And he isnt replacing anyone, there must be something going on behind the sceens?

On another note i see Brian Carney has left Munster to return to League. Never worked out for him at munster, i really thought he had the tools to be a sucess.

I thought they hadn't yet replaced Shanklin. I think they were waiting on Halfpenny to see if he would recover before deciding on Shanklin's replacement.

[Tankie]

I dont think there is anything going on behind the scenes but more like lads are dropping like flies out there so it is better to have him in early playing a game or two and not giving him a call before the 1st test when he may not be match fit.

Also I think Darce will make the test team, maybe not the first test but probably the second as he will have some job getting Roberts out of that 12 shirt with so little game time left. i can see why he did not make the initial squad but he should have been called up after Shanklin got injured based on his Heineken cup form alone. But this is great news for Darce and Irish Rugby.

[Donnellys Hollow]

I think the management always had it in their head to call D'arcy up. I'd say they were just waiting to see how he came through the Barbarians match in Twickenham on Saturday.

In another note i see Brian Carney has left Munster to return to League. Never worked out for him at munster, i really thought he had the tools to be a sucess.

He was a serious league player a few years ago. It was a pity the IRFU didn't manage to get him a few years earlier. He was simply too late converting to union, think he was around the 30 mark when he joined Munster.

[Hound]

Well Hook was called up as Shanklin's replacement.

But with Flutey carrying a minor knock and there's no chance of Earls starting a game again until maybe the Wed before the first test, so options at centre were reducing. I don't think there would be much point risking an outhalf or winger at centre when there's a perfectly good one waiting at home.

I'd say D'Arcy and Flutey will start on Saturday. 

[muppet]

Well Hook was called up as Shanklin's replacement.

But with Flutey carrying a minor knock and there's no chance of Earls starting a game again until maybe the Wed before the first test, so options at centre were reducing. I don't think there would be much point risking an outhalf or winger at centre when there's a perfectly good one waiting at home.

I'd say D'Arcy and Flutey will start on Saturday. 

Apologies, I forgot about him.

[ludermor]

What you think would be going on?

Good to see and hopefully he wont be there just to make up the numbers.  Well capable. 

Looking forward to this game tonight.  Will no doubt be a big test.

Why wait till now to call him up? McGeehan siad his strong enough to cover knocks and bruises and the likes of Flutey and Earls have only minor knocks, if he ws going to call him up surely it would have been in place of Hook ( not saying Hook should not have been there either).
Leinster are cathcing up on their southern cousins numbers now.

[Donnellys Hollow]

What you think would be going on?

Good to see and hopefully he wont be there just to make up the numbers.  Well capable. 

Looking forward to this game tonight.  Will no doubt be a big test.

Why wait till now to call him up? McGeehan said his strong enough to cover knocks and bruises and the likes of Flutey and Earls have only minor knocks, if he ws going to call him up surely it would have been in place of Hook ( not saying Hook should not have been there either).
Leinster are cathcing up on their southern cousins numbers now.

He was playing for the Barbarians against England last weekend.

[ludermor]

?
Surely if they called him up he wouldnt have played for the them?

[Gnevin]

Lions call up Ireland back D'Arcy
Ireland and Leinster centre Gordon D'Arcy played for the Barbarians against England on Saturday
D'Arcy went on the 2005 Lions tour of New Zealand

Ireland centre Gordon D'Arcy has been called up by the Lions because of injury concerns in their back division.

Keith Earls sustained a minor shoulder injury against the Royal XV last Saturday and another centre, Riki Flutey, suffered a thigh strain.

Head coach Ian McGeechan said: "While the injuries are being treated by the medical team we felt it prudent to provide extra cover in midfield."

Leinster's D'Arcy is a team-mate of Brian O'Driscoll for club and country.

McGeechan added: "Gordon's partnership with Brian O'Driscoll is a proven one and can only benefit the Lions' squad here in South Africa.
   
606: DEBATE
I wouldn't be at all upset to see him lining up with BOD in the Tests

PaddyWho

"Gordon showed in the European Cup final (when Leinster beat Leicester 19-16) and the recent Barbarians match against England (when they won 33-26) that he is back to his best.

"He was on our reserve list and we had no hesitation in calling him up to the squad as he is an extremely experienced player who has played 41 times for his country."

D'Arcy, who went with the Lions to New Zealand in 2005 playing six provincial matches as well as the pre-tour match against Argentina, will arrive in South Africa on Thursday, 4 June and could be in contention for the third game of the tour against the Cheetahs on Saturday.

The 29-year-old was sidelined with a broken arm in 2008 but has returned to form to help Ireland capture the Six Nations Grand Slam and Leinster win the Heineken Cup.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/8081070.stm

[Donnellys Hollow]

Great start. 14-0

BOD looks very sharp.

Hope Stuart Barnes doesn't keep creaming his pants every time Tom Croft touches the ball.

[tyroneboi]

14-0 already to the Lions after 10 minutes. Some difference between Saturday and tonight.