Lions Backline on Form

First topic message reminder :

09. D.Care (England/Quins)
10. G.Henson (Wales/L.Welsh)
11. T.Visser (Scotland/Edinburgh)
12. J.Davies (Wales/Scarlets)
13. B.O'Driscoll (Ireland/Leinster)
14. G.North (Wales/Scarlets)
15. M.Brown (England/Quins)

thebluesmancometh, I think maybe you watched a different tour.

Having said that with Gatland in charge I think you'll probably get what you want. I just worry we won't get the best out of our players or the right balanced combinations.

Don't worry Avalon, all the worrying in the world won't effect the out come of events that you personally don't have a say or hand in.
Just enjoy the Lions for what it is, a great spectacle.

viewtothegym wrote:Don't worry Avalon, all the worrying in the world won't effect the out come of events that you personally don't have a say or hand in.
Just enjoy the Lions for what it is, a great spectacle.

You mean I can't even make tactical subs using the red button. Right, I'm cancelling my subscription!

Don't worry I'll be enjoying it!

Balance is overrated at times, the term is bandied around when you lose all the time without actually knowing the true meaning of it.

Tell me SBW and Nonu never worked, tell me Cuthbert and North doesn't work, tell me the SA back row doesn't work, tell me alexander and robinson doesn't work, none of those combos are balanced but are all extremely succesfull in their own way.

Besides if we are talking midfield options the best possible players are Davies, Roberts and Tuilagi, why drop 2 of them for a lesser player for balance purposes?

Just for the record anyone see Hook travelling???

I see where you're coming from and agree to an extent. I'm not sure it's always right to just pick your best XV regardless of opposition or tactics (I know you didn't exactly say that and I'm simplifying). Roberts and BOD worked extremely well though and they complementing each other perfectly. Having said that they were the best players too so maybe I'm coming round to your idea!

I wouldn't be surprised to see Hook go at all. He's in good form and can cover most back positions. He could definitley do a job out there.

But do a job where mate? Not at FB thats for sure after the Genia try

IMO Hook is the most naturally gifted player Wales has, or has seen in a long time, he is almost like the anti Phillips/Roberts, as in he's a very classy all rounder.

Sadly Phillips and Roberts are weapons on the pitch and Hook has become very unthreatening as an attacking option. If he had been cultivated nurtured and allowed to play 10 since his hayday I have no doubt he would be everything Dan Carter is for NZ for Wales, but I don't think I'd take him on tour with so many options in every back position.

I reckon George North is a shoey in and 1/2 p will play somewhere for his kicking. Some tour if Care and Philips go - better warn the innkeepers (and the police !!!!!)

And MacDonalds.

I think Phillips and Care shouldn't be any where near the tour,
Laidlaw would be worth a shout at scrumhalf or Joe Simpson can show his mother land how sharp he is.

I bet Ben Youngs dad and the RFU make sure the golden child gets a seat on that plane! infact maybe two seats at the rate he is fating out.

Laidlaw is a 10 now and on the basis of his last game struggling for a place on the plane. He might get a shout as a ten who can play 9 in emergancy

If Laidlaw and Youngs spend the next 6 months learning how to cultivate and divide oranges into segments of 8, and that's 5-6 oranges at a time not just one then they have a reasonable chance of being on the plane. If they are not up to this task they need to make sure they renew their Sky subscriptions next Summer.

If laidlaw plays to the standard he was at last year he will be on the plane. We have a dearth of decent 10s in the NH right now.

Sexton the likeliest to play and then with the likes of Farrell, laidlaw, Priestland scrabbling for a place

Again to some extent it will depend on the style they want

TJ wrote:If laidlaw plays to the standard he was at last year he will be on the plane. We have a dearth of decent 10s in the NH right now.

Sexton the likeliest to play and then with the likes of Farrell, laidlaw, Priestland scrabbling for a place

Again to some extent it will depend on the style they want

TJ he should be nowhere near the plane...let alone on it.

He should be nowhere near the England squad.

Flood, Hodgson, even Burns and Cipriani are above the Faz man.

GeordieFalcon wrote:He's the only winger who has both scored against AND been in a winning team v the Aussies...so yeah laugh and clap away....

Eh Tommy Bowe!?

I think the kid Marshall, scrumhalf at Ulster, is the early doors bolter for the Lions. They always pick an uncapped player and I wonder could it be him.

Sexton hasn't hit form yet, Madigan is playing better at Leinster than him. But their is lots of time to go yet.

GunsGerms wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:He's the only winger who has both scored against AND been in a winning team v the Aussies...so yeah laugh and clap away....

Eh Tommy Bowe!?

What you on about??? only England beat Australia and only lord Ashton deserves all the praise.

id take wilko!

Funny how Ulster are the only team in europe who have not lost a game yet this year, but apparantly have no Lions standard backs...

Because their pack is their strength!!!

Bowe?!

Although my bolters would be Marshall and Gilroy.

Ulster look the real deal, but Kiwis and South Africans are making them look good, not Irish players as the National team run of results shows.

viewtothegym wrote:Ulster look the real deal, but Kiwis and South Africans are making them look good, not Irish players as the National team run of results shows.

Ouch!

EnglishReign wrote:Flood, Hodgson, even Burns and Cipriani are above the Faz man.

Cipriani above Farrell? Is this a joke seriously?

Cipriani can't even supplant Macleod at Sale!

He has played 40 minutes of good rugby in 7 games.

Cipriani still cannot defend. He makes Hodgson look like a backrow forward in the tackling department.

viewtothegym wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:He's the only winger who has both scored against AND been in a winning team v the Aussies...so yeah laugh and clap away....

Eh Tommy Bowe!?

What you on about??? only England beat Australia and only lord Ashton deserves all the praise.

If you look back you'll see i was reffering to the debate between the apparent Gods that are North, Cuthbert and Visser...and the apparent waste of space that is Ashton...

But then i forgot View, that it was an opportunity for you to have a go at someone...

beshocked wrote:

EnglishReign wrote:Flood, Hodgson, even Burns and Cipriani are above the Faz man.

Cipriani above Farrell? Is this a joke seriously?

Cipriani can't even supplant Macleod at Sale!

He has played 40 minutes of good rugby in 7 games.

Cipriani still cannot defend. He makes Hodgson look like a backrow forward in the tackling department.

To be honest, I agree. Just didn't want people to claim favouritism at suggesting Burns and not Cips.

Will cry if Cips gets selected.

thebandwagonsociety wrote:I think the kid Marshall

He ain't really a "kid". To put it in perspective he is 5 years older than Conor Murray. He is playing really well though and could well be a bolter.

Newsflash...Cipriani will not go on tour...he is unproven, inconsistent and difficult and has a princess complex

EnglishReign wrote:

beshocked wrote:

EnglishReign wrote:Flood, Hodgson, even Burns and Cipriani are above the Faz man.

Cipriani above Farrell? Is this a joke seriously?

Cipriani can't even supplant Macleod at Sale!

He has played 40 minutes of good rugby in 7 games.

Cipriani still cannot defend. He makes Hodgson look like a backrow forward in the tackling department.

To be honest, I agree. Just didn't want people to claim favouritism at suggesting Burns and not Cips.

Will cry if Cips gets selected.

Burns is playing well.It might be bias but it's well justified. I would be too angry about the inevitable amount of tackles missed and the amount of chargedowns gifted to the Aussies to cry.

mowgli wrote:Newsflash...Cipriani will not go on tour...he is unproven, inconsistent and difficult and has a princess complex

But we have sent Gavin Henson before on a lions tour to Oz?

KK

In all fairness though that was well before the pincess complex came about, and he was a really good player playing well at the time. Noone really questioned his selection IMHO.

But then Cipriani has a while to go to prove himself, although I'm not having his praise in the cardiff game, he simply got an armchair ride. Poor Mcloud, did everything right, hit all his goals under pressure and Cipriani just managed to enter the frey as the Sale tight 5 took total control.

I have been very critical of Henson to be fair to the bloke he played pretty well against Sarries for LW.

With Gavin I think it's definitely mental. He's got the ability. No doubt about that. He's just been mentally messed up for some time.

Lyn Jones seems to be the best at getting him in the right mindset.

He'll have to put in consistently good performs to be considered.

Cipriani IMO has a lot more flaws than Henson in terms of his playing ability.

When Cipriani first appeared on the scene he was even a good tackler but along the line he's lost that ability to tackle. His error count also has gone through the roof.

Two of his best performances were Wasps vs Leicester HC final at FB and fly half vs Ireland for England.

He needs to get back to that level.

Cipriani needs to toughen up. Forget the hype. Focus on the basics first. When the basics are in place then it can be coupled with his natural attacking game.

Cips is just one of those players who when they are playing well can do fantastic things - which tends to hide flaws elsewhere. Hook is another example

Cipriani needs to toughen up. Forget the hype. Focus on the basics first. When the basics are in place then it can be coupled with his natural attacking game..

And its NEVER gonna happen.

Besides he has too many challengers coming through who are better...

"Two of his best performances were Wasps vs Leicester HC final at FB and fly half vs Ireland for England."

so hes a big game player that can perform on the biggest stage then!!

he just needs to be put back in is all/

On henson we must remember that he would have gone to the world cup with Wales if it wasn't for injury. And the lions manager would seem to have a soft spot for him as he should not have been able to make that squad

The Lions soundtrack is now out, but has it been released too soon ?

http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/iron-maiden-havent-heard-steve-harris-solo-album-british-lion/

Knackeredknees wrote:

mowgli wrote:Newsflash...Cipriani will not go on tour...he is unproven, inconsistent and difficult and has a princess complex

But we have sent Gavin Henson before on a lions tour to Oz?

In 05 after a Slam when arguably Henson was one of the best players in the NH....Cipriani has never reached anywhere near that and after being subbed for poor perfs has 30 minutes of playing well and is now in Lions contention....don't know what it is about English players, maybe it is desperation, but they have one good game and all of a sudden they are world beaters