A potential Lions match day 22?

My thoughts on a potential match day squad after this 6 Nations http://www.sportpulse.net/content/2013-british-and-irish-lions-tour-australia-who-could-be-going-3097

My Irish bias may have shined through in one or two spots I know it is far too early to see who could go but just for the craic.

Main complaint- No Halfpenny in the 22. I'd take him over North on the wing, Foden or Kearney at FB or Bowe on the Wing. Awesome in defence, as good a try-scorer as any in the Home Nations, fantastic positioning, fantastic kicking out of hand, rapid, brave, supposedly weak under the high ball but I've seen little evidence of it, a goal-kicker and with 50+ metre range. Not having him in the 22 is a massive massive waste.

Also, Roberts and Tuilagi at 12 and 13 looks a little predictable to me, I'd frankly rather have JD2 in one of those positions. BOD mightn't be past it too

If BOD were available and on form, there's no real discussion to be had on 13.

I can't see why you'd take Corbisiero above Gethin Jenkins, particularly given that Australia are not renowned scrummagers (if they were, I'd think twice about it).

BOD could well snake in there I would agree, you probably would be better off having 1/2p on the wing. Kearney is the best full back in the 6N right now. He is a capable goal kicker too. Can certainly smack a drop goal. His one from halfway on Saturday had a good 5/6m to spare. A shame it hit the post. It was a thing of beauty.

I would take Corbisiero on tour as Gethin will need his boots shining at some point but to select him is, in my humble opinion, a non starter. When Wales marched England backwards several times at Twickenham Adam Jones had him in all sorts of trouble. Gethin just brings so much more around the park too and is like an extra flanker/ centre/ scrum half.

This Lions tour is going to be a nightmare selection and it's just as well there is another 12 months to go so that we can see some of these new(er) players a bit more.

To be fair BlueNote Corbisiero has shown that he can be a destructive scrummager. I've never seen Jenkins dominate an opposition scrum, only gain parity.

Can Jenkins cover tighthead? I mean actually play there, not like Tom Court . If so he has to be in the 22 at the very least

Thomond wrote:My thoughts on a potential match day squad after this 6 Nations http://www.sportpulse.net/content/2013-british-and-irish-lions-tour-australia-who-could-be-going-3097

My Irish bias may have shined through in one or two spots I know it is far too early to see who could go but just for the craic.

A couple of green-tinted calls, but can't argue with selections much. If team was picked today, I would say Ferris has played himself out of contention with last couple of performances.

On current form I'd agree with all bar 6, 8 and 10. These I'd change for Lydiate, Morgan and Farrell respectively.

Lots of time for these 50:50 decisions to be made easier when we see which players are in form nearer the time.

The real tussles are at:

6 - Lydiate is in better form than Ferris at the moment and whilst I don't agree that Croft is a natural blindside, his performance against France was the best individual performance in the tournament. He could be a bolter.

8 - Faletau is the weakest of the Wales back row (relatively speaking) and Morgan is coming up fast. Denton is only 22 and could be a bolter on the Australia summer tour.

13 - JD2 makes more happen than Tualagi at the moment - surely BOD cannot wheel out his iron lung for yet another Lions tour?

15 - Halfpenny would seem to be the form pick but then I see a Lions XV without Kearney in it and it just seems wrong.

Ross Ford's great lineout work

Scotland didn't lose a lineout until the Ireland game. They won 35 in a row. In total they won 86% of their lineouts this 6 Nations. That's a very good lineout. Throwing into a lineout is a lot tougher than it appears. Ford does a very solid job. It went pear-shaped against Italy but he was a very solid performer until then.

Stick in Farrell for Sexton, Jenkins for Corbisiero and O'Brien or Morgan for Faletau.

If you're not going to have 1/2p at 15, at least have him at 22.