Let's make the Lions more fair

First topic message reminder :

I think the 2009 Lions was a dramatic improvement on 2005, not just in performances, but in the way the whole thing was managed. Less players, more bonding, more fun, more honesty and picking the best players to play.

2005 was the biggest farce known in human history. A tour party of 971 players (965 English, 4 Irish, 1 Welsh and 1 Scot), 354 public relations and media staff and 34 guest motivational speakers.

I would like to see a mandatory proportional representation from each of the home nations. A squad of 32 to tour (8 from each home nation) and a squad of 12 that are on standby. There were so many injuries in 2009 that extra players will always be needed but I think it's best to keep the main squad as small as possible, but also to keep the standby players in the UK together and regularly training together at a base as most of them will end up being called out to Australia.

Even if Wales or England win the Six Nations this year or next year and Scotland come last, Scotland still have excellent individual players and could easily get a few of their guys into the test team. Right now I would love to see the likes of Denton, Gray, Jones and Hogg starting. They are on fire. It's just their team isn't clicking and the coach hasn't found the right balance.

I wouldn't expect an even mix in the test team as we would have to pick the best players in training and in the midweek matches, but at least everyone has a chance and it's fair game.

It would generate more interest and revenue if all of the home nations were represented equally. I can't imagine too many Scots watched the last few Lions tours. The biggest kick in the teeth was probably for us Welsh who were on fire after winning a slam and then became the test team minority to players who had performed well several years earlier.

Chunky Norwich wrote:Proportional representation? What a ridiculous suggestion. The Lions are there to win. Not make Scottish and English rugby fans happy.

That's the point....

They don't.

GeordieFalcon wrote:

propdavid_london wrote:The best players in the selection season should go - end of.
I'm an England supporter and if the Lions were selected today there wouldnt be many RFU chaps representing and I am fine with that.

A starting 15 today for Lions would be -
Jones, Ford, Jenkins, POC, Grey, O'Brien, Heaslip, Warburton, Phillips, Sexton, North, Roberts, Tuilagi, Bowe, Halfpenny.

With plenty more non RFU guys on the bench -
Ferris, Priestland, Kearny, Trimble, JD2, Ryan Jones ect.

But, in another years time - Lawes, Morgan, Farrell, Foden, Ashton, Robshaw, may have upped their form and forced into consideration.

In a Lions year, its all about the Lions - I'm British when the Lions tour, and I want the best team to tour.

I totally agree with you saying that a starting lineup today could be very different from a years time..but i think there will be even more players putting their name in the hat than you have highlighted there. Purely becuase there seems to be an abundance of real quality youngsters playing regularly for all the home nations.

Players like Denton, Hogg...and many others from a new look Scotland, Barritt, Wood, maybe the likes of Lindsay, George, Trinder etc from England are just a very few who could be "surprise" or non surprise selections. Add in the Welsh and Irish contingent, who themselves seem to have a surge in young talent....the Lions could be different to what we might expect.....and very strong....

Hi Geordie, Yup there are so many more that we can discuss. But that is a whole new thread/conversation. I just rendomly selected some names that are on the verge of performing well but are still a touch behind others.

Nae bother bonnie lad...

(in fact i might start that thread...)