British and Irish Lions Watch 2012-13

First topic message reminder :

This thread started many months back and has been a gradual examination of who is picking who for the impending Lions Tour.

Now the Six Nations is over and all we have left to judge is the HEC and the various national leagues.

15. Stuart Hogg (Glasgow)
His team-mate Peter Horne may have stolen the headlines with a match-winning try against Northampton, but he could not completely overshadow the contribution of Hogg who shone on his return to the Glasgow line-up.

14. Chris Ashton (Saracens)
The England winger didn't see a great deal of the ball during his side's crucial Heineken Cup victory over Edinburgh but when he did he made it count with a try in each half - the second a majestic score courtesy of an Owen Farrell cross-kick.

13. Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster)
The veteran centre shrugged off the disappointment of seeing the Ireland captaincy pass to Jamie Heaslip by returning to what he does best - inspiring those around him with his own endeavour. There's still plenty of life left in BOD who also notched his 32nd Heineken Cup try in the process.

12. Paddy Wallace (Ulster)
Ulster may have been some way from their best in edging out Castres, but Wallace did not shy away from the task and his efforts helped to wear down their hosts at the Stade Pierre Antoine.

11. Simon Zebo (Munster)
The Ireland international grabbed a hat-trick of tries as Munster powered past Racing Metro at Thomond Park and grabbed a place in the last eight of the Heineken Cup at Leinster's expense. Just the latest eye-catching display from one of the rising stars of Irish rugby.

10. Jonathan Sexton (Leinster)
Sexton orchestrated a vital bonus point win for Leinster at Exeter that may not have been enough to keep their euro hopes alive but it did serve as the latest example of his superb game management - with the odd bit of sublime handling thrown in for good measure.

9. Conor Murray (Munster)
Murray get his side on their way with the opening try at Thomond Park and was pivotal in making sure the hosts made the most of their one-man advantage and notched the bonus point that would prolong their Heineken Cup campaign.

1. Cian Healy (Leinster)
The all-action loose-head produced a Man of the Match performance against Exeter - solid at the set-piece and a dynamo in loose and most devastatingly with ball in hand.

2. Neil Clark (Exeter Chiefs)
Clark typified the gutsy showing from Chiefs against Leinster at Sandy Park with the hooker also burrowing over for a try. This was Exeter's first Heineken Cup appearance and they have not looked out of place once thanks to the efforts of Clark and co.

3. Matt Stevens (Saracens)
The Sarries tight-head delivered an assured performance in difficult conditions at Vicarage Road. A steadying force at scrum time, Stevens also got on the end of an excellent driving move to claim a try.

4. Steve Borthwick (Saracens)
The Sarries skipper led by example as his side bowed out at Vicarage Road with victory over Edinburgh. His usual steadying presence at lineout time, Borthwick was just as active in the loose as spurred his side on to their eventual bonus point triumph.

5. Donnacha Ryan (Munster)
Singled out for praise by Munster boss Rob Penney following their victory over Racing Metro, Ryan looms large as real Lions prospect - sure to be at the heart of Ireland's forthcoming Six Nations campaign.

6. Kelly Brown (Saracens)
Brown's hunger for work during his side's Heineken Cup victory over Edinburgh could not be questioned with the Scotland international racking up an outstanding 15 tackles to help stop his countrymen in their tracks.

7. Tommy O'Donnell (Munster)
The up-and-coming Munster back-row racked up some pretty impressive stats against Racing Metro - galloping a match-leading 72m with ball in hand to put his backs to shame while getting his hands dirty elsewhere.

8. Jamie Heaslip (Leinster)
If you were in any doubt as to why Heaslip was handed the Ireland captaincy for the Six Nations, the player himself offered a powerful reminder of his prowess as his side saw off Exeter. A try was due reward for his standard-setting work rate.



courtasy of ESPN Scrum

http://www.espnscrum.com/lions-tour-2013/rugby/story/175910.html

Yep definitely don't want any Quins players in there. They're all rubbish...

yappysnap wrote:Yep definitely don't want any Quins players in there. They're all rubbish...

True I can't understand why after all Quins have managed to prevail in one of the toughest groups in Heineken Cup History.

The best Tier 1 side in your group. The strongest Tier 3 side. The mightiest Tier 4 side.

Quins should be getting more praise. No other side would be able qualify from that pool with the calibre of opposition Quins had to face.

Ooh, sarky. To be fair, it is harder to judge our players given the relative ease of the matches and I'd wager a few were close calls this week, our best player isn't Lions Qualified for example

I'm glad you appreciate it at least Beshocked after demolishing the might Edinburgh and omnipotent Scarlets.

Still all these teams should definitely be in the Cup because they really bring something to the competition and it just wouldn't be the same without all the bp's being handed out to teams!

True yappysnap. I've changed my mind about HC qualification. If you Scots,Italians and Welsh want to keep your current HC spots you're welcome.

I enjoyed the two matches vs Edinburgh very much.

Chequeredjersey joke aside to be honest I don't think ESPN could be bothered sending someone to your match.

Actually I wonder if anyone was sent to the Montpellier-Toulon or Leicester-Toulouse games either.


Quite funny Ashton is in there - two touches of the ball - two tries.

I cant imagine anyone from Tigers Toulose wouldve troubled the best team of the week calculations.

I suppose that's true PSW but to be fair they were particularly tough conditions.

I think Beauxis might get into a worst team of the week.

L'eqiupe blamed cold hands.

maestegmafia wrote:L'eqiupe blamed cold hands.

Not a great excuse for all the missed kicks at goal tho....

cold feet?

Zebo looked impressive from the highlights I saw of the Munster game. He seems to enjoy his rugby too. Very exuberant celebrations

lostinwales wrote:cold feet?

If they had cold hands I'd imagine so...

Planet Rugby's team of the weekend

15 Stuart Hogg (Glasgow) - While there was Clement Poitrenaud performing strongly in the snow - before rather strangely being substituted - we went for a Warrior for our first pick. Hogg carried for 115 metres and eight tackles in victory over Northampton and fully deserves this jersey.

14 Chris Ashton (Saracens) - A brace of tries against Edinburgh will give England winger Ashton a timely confidence boost in the run-up to next month's Six Nations. His first score showed a clever bit of communication with Owen Farrell, latching onto the fly-half's cross-field kick well.

13 Sireli Naqelevuki (Exeter Chiefs) - The imposing centre was often Exeter's go-to man as the Fijian force constantly barged his way through the middle - gaining 57 metres in total for his team. And when he wasn't tearing up Leinster's defence in the backs, Naqelevuki was a menace in the forward exchanges too - talk about multi-tasking! A solid effort overall, considering he was up against Gordon D'Arcy and Brian O'Driscoll who also deserves praise for a scoring a try and setting up another.

12 James Downey (Munster) - He is someone Northampton have missed since making the move across to Ireland. Downey's directness was evident on Sunday as Munster got over the advantage line, which allowed the likes of hat-trick hero Simon Zebo space to cut loose. Downey sees off Paddy Wallace, who was solid in Ulster's historic win in France.

11 Simon Zebo (Munster) - Count 'em... 1,2,3! Munster needed to win with a four-try bonus point to keep themselves alive and man-of-the-match Zebo provided three of them. He continues to go from strength to strength, and has become an expert finisher. If you need further proof, take a look at his second try that wrapped up the bonus point...pure class!

10 Nick Evans (Harlequins) - Once again he was instrumental in a Quins win with a great place-kicking display considering the conditions. But where Evans really made an impact was with his outstanding positional play. He always seemed in the right place at the right time in the prolonged game of aerial ping-ping with the Biarritz kickers. Sarries veteran Charlie Hodgson deserves a shout out for scoring one try and creating another.

9 Benoit Paillaugue (Montpellier) - In an inspired performance against Toulon, Paillaugue controlled the game brilliantly along with Francois Trinh-Duc, marshalling his pack and putting in plenty of troubling kicks for the opposition. His goal-kicking was also excellent.

8 Louis Picamoles (Toulouse) - Is there a better number eight in Europe at the moment? We don't think so. That fateful non-try (where he crossed but was unsighted to the TMO) seemed inevitable as soon as Toulouse were awarded a 5 metre scrum, such is the power of the man. He showed super hands to get the ball through a gaggle of defenders too - pity all those bodies were in the way of the cameras. A mention too for Ireland skipper Jamie Heaslip, who did get the ball down over the line and had a strong day with ball in hand.

7 Sean O'Brien (Leinster) - Exeter's pack was bullied off the pitch in their own backyard, and it was largely thanks to this man and Cian Healy (who we'll discuss a little later). O'Brien was Leinster's leading tackler (10), and put his pilfering skills at the breakdown to good use - turning over several balls for the visitors. Equally dangerous with ball in hand, Ireland's star flank made plenty of hard yards for Leinster too. A shame it was all in vain for his side.

6 Julian Bonnaire (Clermont) - It was touch and go whether both Clermont flanks would make our team but in the end we sided with Bonnaire over Alexandre Lapandry. While he is an openside that wears six (the French style), we had to get him in with 20 tackles made.

5 Mamuka Gorgodze (Montpellier) - The Georgian talisman was in good form against Toulon, making more tackles than anyone else on his side and punishing defenders when he was on the charge. Right at the core of this impressive Montpellier team, the reception he received when returning to the field underlined his importance to his club.

4 Geoff Parling (Leicester) - With lots of kicking going on at Welford Road the line-outs were always going to be crucial and Parling did a great job, claiming seven for Tigers and pinching one off Toulouse. Just as importantly, he put in another big shift in the engine room making 11 hits, more than anyone else on the park with the exception of Thomas Waldrom.

3 Matt Stevens (Saracens) - For the second successive Monday, Stevens makes our team of the round. The retired international once again performed strongly for Sarries and was rewarded for his efforts with a try. He will form a fine balancing act with James Johnston.

2 Agustín Creevy (Montpellier) - No hooker impressed more in Round 6 than Creevy, with his ball-carrying epitomising his side's power up front. His lineout work was also accurate, with Montpellier winning 15 out of 18 throw-ins. Gets the nod over Saracens' Schalk Brits.

1 Cian Healy (Leinster) - Backing up his aggressive 40 minutes against the Scarlets, Healy was effectively used like an NFL running back against Exeter. His productive outing yielded 11 carries and 38 metres made, whilst scrums on Leinster's feed were up a 100 percent.

http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12325/8418219/Lions-Index

Each week after the Heineken Cup our experts will rate every player eligible to play for the British and Irish Lions.

The likes of Stuart Barnes, Dewi Morris, Scott Quinnell, Ieuan Evans, Tyrone Howe, Scott Hastings, Paul Wallace and Will Greenwood are all in prime positions to see how each player is performing and the results will throw up some interesting selections that are sure to get you clapping in agreement or totally disagreeing.

Our experts will rate each player who is eligible to play for the British and Irish Lions out of ten - the highest and lowest scores will be removed to give us an average score that will decide where that player sits in our Lions Index.

The players in our Lions Index may appear a mile away from the touring party but a good performance in the Heineken Cup could see them creeping into our index and reminding us that our Lions heroes come from the unlikeliest of places!

Our pundits have been at pains to point out that this is not their selection for the first Test against Australia, but rather highlights who has been performing well in the Heineken Cup!

1 - Cian Healy (Leinster) Average Score 6.7

Paul Wallace says: Has a lot of pressure from David Kilcoyne for the Ireland jersey.
Second: David Kilcoyne - 6.5
Third: Andrew Sheridan - 6.5





2 - Richard Hibbard (Ospreys) Average Score 7

Hibbard has been in fine form for Ospreys but is an injury worry for Wales ahead of the Six Nations with a shoulder injury.
Second: Sean Cronin - 6.6
Third: Jason Harris-Wright - 6.5





3 - Adam Jones (Ospreys) Average Score 6.5

Scott Quinnell says: You would expect both Adam Jones and Dan Cole to be on the plane to Australia, great players.
Second: Dan Cole - 6.4
Third: Mike Ross - 6.3





4 - Donnacha Ryan (Munster) Average Score 6.8

Paul Wallace says: Should start for Ireland side for the Six Nations and will come into Lions contention if he continues in this vein.
Second: Alun Wyn Jones - 6.7
Third: Ollie Kohn - 6.5





5 - Nathan Hines (Clermont) Average Score 7.2

Shane Horgan says: Hines is a different sort of second row - he is an offloading second row and gives you those options. There is also a bit of dog about him as well. I think he could add a lot to the team.
Second: Geoff Parling - 7
Third: George Robson - 6.9





6 - Sean O'Brien (Leinster) Average Score 7.1

Alan Quinlan says: For me O'Brien is the only certainty of this back row. I think he is definitely going to be on the plane. He is a strong player, a powerful player and has delivered for Ireland and for Leinster.
Second: Kelly Brown - 6.5
Third: Iain Henderson - 6.2





7 - Steffon Armitage (Toulon) Average Score 7.3

Toulon and Armitage will be disappointed with their 23-3 loss to Montpellier, however the Top 14 leaders will still be a formidable prospect at home for Leicester in quarter-finals.
Second: Peter O'Mahony - 7
Third: Chris Robshaw - 7





8 - Jamie Heaslip (Leinster) Average Score 7.8

Scored Leinster's crucial fourth try against Exeter to give them some hope of qualifying for the quarter-finals. However the defending champions will take their fight to the Amlin Challenge Cup after Muster took the final spot.
Second: Nick Easter - 7.7
Third: Chris Henry - 7.5




9 -Ben Youngs (Leicester) Average Score 8

Paul Wallace says: In atrocious conditions Youngs controlled his forwards and helped them get the better of a massive Toulouse outfit.
Second: Danny Care - 7.4
Third: Isaac Boss - 7





10 - Johnny Sexton (Leinster) Average Score 7.4

Leinster may have been relegated to the Amlin Challenge Cup but Sexton still leads the way as the outstanding No.10.
Second: Owen Farrell - 6.9
Third: Dan Biggar - 6.5





11 - Simon Zebo (Munster) Average Score 7.5

Shane Horgan says: He has never been short of confidence but his elevation to the Ireland team and his performances in the autumn internationals have taken him to a new level. He is not just an attack man and works very hard indeed. He has got such electrifying pace that he is always going to cause problems.
Second: Craig Gilroy - 7
Third: Eli Walker- 7



12 - Jamie Roberts - 7.1 (Cardiff) Average Score 7.1

Roberts has recovered sooner than expected from an elbow injury he sustained against Australia last month will be looking to perform for Wales in the Six Nations.
Jordan Turner Hall - 7
Third: Scott Williams - 6.5





13 - Jonathan Davies (Scarlets) Average Score 7

Dean Ryan Says: I know we are going to have a debate over Brian O'Driscoll when he comes back but Davies is in great form. He is not playing in a great side with the Scarlets but watch him in the Six Nations, he holds a lot of things together for Wales.
Second: Keith Earls - 6.3
Third: Joel Tomkins - 6.2





14 - Chris Ashton (Saracens) Average Score 7.5

Paul Wallace says: He did not have that much to do but just showed what a clinical finisher he is. I am sure he would have caught Warren Gatland's attention with that display.
Second: Alex Cuthbert - 7
Third: Tommy Bowe - 7





15 - Leigh Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues) Average Score 7.5

Kicked four penalties and two conversions to help Cardiff to a 26-14 win over Sale.
Second: Rob Kearney 7.3
Third: Delon Armitage - 7.1


After Round 5

http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12325/8400230/Lions-Index

After Round 4

http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12332/8338751/Lions-Index

After Round 3

http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12325/8321579/Lions-Index

After the Autumn internationals

http://www.skysports.com/video/inline/0,,12602_8294671,00.html

After Round 2

http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/11979/8187074/Lions-Index

After Round 1

http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12325/8165985/Lions-Index

Leigh flipping Half Penny?! He is a love child of one of the Sky team!

yappysnap wrote:Leigh flipping Half Penny?! He is a love child of one of the Sky team!

Jamie Roberts seems to get in these sides every week, even when he isn't playing or comes on for 5 minutes

Chris Henry listed as an 8 even though he is a 7, plays every match at 7 and is rated higher than any of the 7s on the team. Makes sense.

JmD wrote:Chris Henry listed as an 8 even though he is a 7, plays every match at 7 and is rated higher than any of the 7s on the team. Makes sense.

Valid point... Great player, useful openside could do very well for Ireland in the six nations and definitely in the running for the Lions openside spot...

Plus he can play in all the backrow positions. Ulster have been superb this season and his performances wont go unnoticed.

Sky's selections are so painful for Irish supporters when you look at the players they pick every week.. and we are mediocre at best on the international stage.

Cyril on 606v2 wrote:

yappysnap wrote:Leigh flipping Half Penny?! He is a love child of one of the Sky team!

Jamie Roberts seems to get in these sides every week, even when he isn't playing or comes on for 5 minutes

Yep and the only praise they can find for him is that he's come back from injury quickly! Bravo Roberts the Ozzies will be wetting themselves at your superhero like powers of regeneration!

theslosty wrote:Sky's selections are so painful for Irish supporters when you look at the players they pick every week.. and we are mediocre at best on the international stage.

It is no different for any nation playing outside the Premiership. Sky are only focused on one league and one audience, no interest in what is really happening elsewhere.

Given that not a single English forward is apparently good enough for the Lions but two Ospreys and three from Leinster are it would seem that Sky pundits are looking for some quality other than effectiveness.

Dean Ryan says "I know we are going to have a debate over Brian O'Driscoll when he comes back but Davies is in great form. He is not playing in a great side with the Scarlets but watch him in the Six Nations, he holds a lot of things together for Wales." Given that Wales have lost seven games in a row that seems an odd comment. He may be a good player in good form but clearly he has not held Wales together.

maestegmafia wrote:

theslosty wrote:Sky's selections are so painful for Irish supporters when you look at the players they pick every week.. and we are mediocre at best on the international stage.

It is no different for any nation playing outside the Premiership. Sky are only focused on one league and one audience, no interest in what is really happening elsewhere.

I think you have missed the point. Sky have not ignored the Irish players - just the opposite they have picked more Irish than from any other country. If they were just interested in England and premiership they would have picked players from AP teams who seem to be under represented.

maestegmafia wrote:

theslosty wrote:Sky's selections are so painful for Irish supporters when you look at the players they pick every week.. and we are mediocre at best on the international stage.

It is no different for any nation playing outside the Premiership. Sky are only focused on one league and one audience, no interest in what is really happening elsewhere.

I was more hinting at the fact some of the line-ups are completely dominated by Irish players - lamenting at the fact how many quality players we have (at least according to things like this), and yet no-one thinks world-class or even European-class when they hear about our national team.

I appreciate that the 6N is a step-up from the Heineken even if it doesn't appear so and you can see my national bias but even so...

Exiledinborders wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

theslosty wrote:Sky's selections are so painful for Irish supporters when you look at the players they pick every week.. and we are mediocre at best on the international stage.

It is no different for any nation playing outside the Premiership. Sky are only focused on one league and one audience, no interest in what is really happening elsewhere.

I think you have missed the point. Sky have not ignored the Irish players - just the opposite they have picked more Irish than from any other country. If they were just interested in England and premiership they would have picked players from AP teams who seem to be under represented.

My point is that they only see the same player, and not always know which position they are playing. Henry as a number eight. When was the last time he regularly played there?

Wilson or williams have been eight all season.

A W Jones in second place & hasn't played for 2 months.

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:A W Jones in second place & hasn't played for 2 months.

The rating system is based on a seasons form. For example AWJ may have been awarded a 9 out of ten in an earlier round and thus his accumulated score over the season would be better than players that regularly got five to seven points even if he wasn't playing.

Hense the previous rounds links were posted as well.

Do you understand it all a bit better now?

maestegmafia wrote:

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:A W Jones in second place & hasn't played for 2 months.

The rating system is based on a seasons form. For example AWJ may have been awarded a 9 out of ten in an earlier round and thus his accumulated score over the season would be better than players that regularly got five to seven points even if he wasn't playing.

Hense the previous rounds links were posted as well.

Do you understand it all a bit better now?

I understand the rating system thank you MM. I was highlighting how ludicrous it is!.
How can 'seasons form' be judged when a player has played less than 50% & not played for 2 months.

How on earth is he rated more highly than Launchbury who has consistently played very well & occasionally brilliant? Truly baffling.

maestegmafia wrote:
The rating system is based on a seasons form. For example AWJ may have been awarded a 9 out of ten in an earlier round and thus his accumulated score over the season would be better than players that regularly got five to seven points even if he wasn't playing.

Hense the previous rounds links were posted as well.

Do you understand it all a bit better now?

I am not sure how the points can be based across the whole set of matches. Take Ben youngs after Round 5 he scored an average of 7. Suddenly after round 6 he jumps to 8. now even if he scored a perfect 10 from each of the pundits his average across all 6 rounds could only rise to 7.5.

Anyway this selection is all rather silly giving us as it does 9 players who failed to even make 1/4 finals.

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:A W Jones in second place & hasn't played for 2 months.

The rating system is based on a seasons form. For example AWJ may have been awarded a 9 out of ten in an earlier round and thus his accumulated score over the season would be better than players that regularly got five to seven points even if he wasn't playing.

Hense the previous rounds links were posted as well.

Do you understand it all a bit better now?

I understand the rating system thank you MM. I was highlighting how ludicrous it is!.
How can 'seasons form' be judged when a player has played less than 50% & not played for 2 months.

How on earth is he rated more highly than Launchbury who has consistently played very well & occasionally brilliant? Truly baffling.

Launchberry plays for Wasps right?

I guess Amlin teams are not included, or are rated lower.

To be honest it's SKY Sports so god only knows. It's a team posted as a point for discussion not my personal opinion, but is an amalgamation of the pundits from their rugby club show.

The Sky sports one is a joke. Johnnie Beattie has been MOTM for montpellier 5 times in 13 games and has been without a doubt the best 8 from the home nations so far this season, yet Heaslip is in there for some reason....

It's only based on HC games.

maestegmafia wrote:

Our pundits have been at pains to point out that this is not their selection for the first Test against Australia, but rather highlights who has been performing well in the Heineken Cup!

asoreleftshoulder wrote:It's only based on HC games.

maestegmafia wrote:

Our pundits have been at pains to point out that this is not their selection for the first Test against Australia, but rather highlights who has been performing well in the Heineken Cup!

There you go

maestegmafia wrote:

asoreleftshoulder wrote:It's only based on HC games.

maestegmafia wrote:

Our pundits have been at pains to point out that this is not their selection for the first Test against Australia, but rather highlights who has been performing well in the Heineken Cup!

There you go

Fair enough. So theoretically a player can play once do well & not play again & remain top. So form is not relevant.
Does the scoring continue in the knock out stages?

Following the conclusion of the pool stages of the Heineken Cup and the Amlin Challenge Cup, ERC, the governing body of European club rugby's two tournaments, has announced the longlist for the prestigious ERC European Player of the Year 2013 award.

ERC longlist (based on pool performances): S Armitage (Toulon), R Best (Ulster), J Bonnaire (Clermont), M Brown (Quins), D Cole (Leics), O Farrell (Saracens), W Fofana (Clermont), M Gorgodze (Montpellier), C Hodgson (Saracens), J Johnston (Quins), J Launchbury (Wasps), M Parra (Clermont), G Parling (Leics), R Pienar (Ulster), S Zebo (Munster).


9 potential Lions amongst these 15 nominations.

Some serious talent there Trev...!

FULL-BACKS

Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: Wales and Cardiff Blues full-back Leigh Halfpenny remains the front-runner for the position, having continued to perform for his region. Halfpenny receives plenty of attention for his excellent goal-kicking but he is also a threat with ball in hand and strong under the high ball, making him the perfect candidate. Rob Kearney's return from injury is a positive sign for all Lions fans and if he stays fit will absolutely travel. Harlequins' Mike Brown is not far behind the leading duo and could travel as a full-back/winger option.

On standby: Mike Brown, Lee Byrne, Alex Goode

Best make other plans next June: Ben Foden, Stuart Hogg, Felix Jones.

WINGS

Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: Tommy Bowe's injury sees him drop down the pecking order, with Heineken Cup showman Simon Zebo rocketing up our squad ranks. Chris Ashton is another who comes back into the fold after some strong performances for Saracens, whilst Craig Gilroy keeps his spot ahead of what could be a breakthrough Six Nations for the Ulster winger. Finally, a shootout between two Welsh giants sees Alex Cuthbert edge out George North to take the final spot. Two standby contenders include the returning Luke Fitzgerald, who has shone in his two matches back, and Osprey Eli Walker.

On standby: George North, Eli Walker, Luke Fitzgerald, Tommy Bowe, Tim Visser

Best make other plans next June: Liam Williams, Ugo Monye, Christian Wade, David Strettle, Sean Lamont

CENTRES

Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: England powerhouse centre Manu Tuilagi remains near the top of the list after his heroics against New Zealand. Jamie Roberts has shown enough in recent weeks to suggest he is nearing a burst of form ahead of the Six Nations and could form a strong partnership with Tuilagi in midfield. Brian O'Driscoll is easing back into playing following injury and with the Ireland captaincy no longer his, expect a burden-free O'Driscoll to shine over the next two months. That leaves Brad Barritt as a defensive lynchpin and Welsh centre Jonathan Davies to fill the other seats travelling to Australia.

On standby: Scott Williams, Jonathan Joseph, Keith Earls

Best make other plans next June: James Downey, Anthony Allen, Darren Cave, Gordon D'Arcy, Ashley Beck

FLY-HALVES

Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: The competition is as fierce as ever between Jonathan Sexton and Owen Farrell, with both players showcasing their skill sets during the Heineken Cup. Sexton is the front-runner and will not let being courted by Racing Métro distract him during the Six Nations, whilst Farrell produced a remarkable kicking performance against Racing to stake his claim. Behind them a third candidate is unclear, with Jonny Wilkinson struggling against Montpellier, Rhys Priestland ruled out for some time and Toby Flood's form being scratchy at best. In a battle between Freddie Burns (knee scan dependent), Dan Biggar and Flood, we'll take Biggar. Rhys Patchell and Charlie Hodgson are on the radar.

On standby: Jonny Wilkinson, Freddie Burns, Toby Flood, James Hook

Best make other plans next June: Rhys Priestland, Ruaridh Jackson, Ronan O'Gara, Rhys Patchell, Charlie Hodgson, Greig Laidlaw, Paddy Jackson

SCRUM-HALVES

Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: Danny Care and Ben Youngs are both strong candidates to start after illustrating their individual qualities recently. Care remains as sniping and tricky to defend as ever, whilst in the blizzard against Toulouse the busy Youngs' tactical kicking was outstanding. Behind the pair of them, Mike Phillips leads a strong Irish trio of Eoin Reddan, Conor Murray and Paul Marshall, with Scottish nine Henry Prygos an outside bet.

On standby: Conor Murray, Eoin Reddan, Paul Marshall

Best make other plans next June: Tavis Knoyle, Issac Boss, Richard Wigglesworth, Lloyd Williams, Lee Dickson, Henry Prygos

NUMBER EIGHTS

Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: Jamie Heaslip is most definitely the number one number eight playing in Britain and Ireland right now. His performances for Leinster this past month have been superb and he increases his positional lead over his tour rivals because of that. Nick Easter continues to play well for Quins but is unlikely to go so our two other eights this time around are Toby Faletau and Kelly Brown, who would make a great midweek skipper.

On standby: James Coughlan, Thomas Waldrom, David Denton, Ben Morgan

Best make other plans next June: Jordan Crane, Nick Easter

FLANKERS

Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: And so we arrive to the Lions strongest position. Take your pick really as decisions may be made for us during the Six Nations. While Sam Warburton is Wales captain, the form of Justin Tipuric this past month has been outstanding and it will be interesting to see whether the Osprey gets game time in red. Chris Robshaw seems to be assured a place on the plane (we feel maybe not as a starter) so the other spots are heading toward Stephen Ferris (almost back) and Sean O'Brien. Tom Wood and Peter O'Mahony will be pushing hard along with Tom Croft and Dan Lydiate later on. The wildcard is, of course, 2013's non-international player and Toulon star openside Steffon Armitage.

On standby: Ross Rennie, Dan Lydiate, Tom Wood, Peter O'Mahony, Tom Croft, Steffon Armitage

Best make other plans next June: Tom Johnson, John Barclay, Alasdair Strokosch, Chris Henry, Ryan Jones, Iain Henderson

SECOND-ROWS

Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: Just the one change here after another solid month of Heineken Cup rugby from Geoff Parling, Nathan Hines and Donnacha Ryan. That trio has a good balance of workrate, skills and grunt that will be needed against James Horwill and Sitaleki Timani. Our final lock spot is going to Richie Gray, who gets in ahead of Joe Launchbury, with both hoping for a strong Six Nations to boost their hopes of travelling.

On standby: Paul O'Connell, Joe Launchbury, Alun-Wyn Jones, Jim Hamilton, Courtney Lawes

Best make other plans next June: Luke Charteris, Bradley Davies, Al Kellock, Donncha O'Callaghan, Ian Evans, Mike McCarthy

HOOKERS

Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: Richardt Strauss is out of the Lions mix this time around due to an ankle injury, which sidelines him for the Six Nations. That injury follows a knee problem so his fate may be decided for him should his run of bad luck continue. Rory Best remains the front-runner while Dylan Hartley is set to make the plane. The final spot is between either Richard Hibbard and Tom Youngs...we opt for the dynamic youngster.

On standby: Richard Hibbard, Sean Cronin, Matthew Rees, Richardt Strauss

Best make other plans next June: Ross Ford, Mike Sherry, Ken Owens

PROPS

Kiss the wife and kids goodbye: After yet another punishing display for Leinster over the weekend in the Heineken Cup, Cian Healy has to be the first front-rower on the plane. Dan Cole isn't far behind after dismantling many a scrum, and keeping Martin Castrogiovanni warming pine for Leicester. Gethin Jenkins has been on and off for Toulon, but should feature more often than not for Wales come the Six Nations which makes it tough to leave him at home. The same goes for Adam Jones, whilst Mike Ross also keeps his place.

On standby: Ryan Grant, Alex Corbisiero, Mako Vunipola

Best make other plans next June: Paul James, Euan Murray, Andrew Sheridan, Tom Court, Joe Marler, Dave Kilcoyne

Kelly Brown as an 8?

ChequeredJersey wrote:Kelly Brown as an 8?

I think they must have meant Wee Bairn Beattie. A large number of journalists find it hard to remember players names that aren't repeated continuously on the Rugby Club on Sky Sports.

We get used to it.

I don't think Jenkins will feature much for us in the 6 Nations unless James is injured.

James is rightly No1 for Wales at the moment and I hope it stays that way.

bedfordwelsh wrote:I don't think Jenkins will feature much for us in the 6 Nations unless James is injured.

James is rightly No1 for Wales at the moment and I hope it stays that way.

Id be happy to see Jenkins return to his best. He is a great player at his best. Gives us something other teams don't have. I remember when Steve Hansen left Wales he was asked by the BBC if there were any players he would want to take back from Wales, He answered Jenkins immediately. First choice lion for two tours and Wales first choice for ten years.

We know he can do it. Lets not write him off just yet.

Good post maesteg. There is usually one uncapped player. Could it be Dave Kilcoyne from Ireland? He is getting very good reviews around the country and seems to be made from the same mould of loose heads as Cian Healy.

One guy that may come out of nowhere from Ireland could be Robert Henshaw. He is currently the great hope. Plays fullback for Connacht but is earmarked for a move to centre. Has moved seemlessly from schools rugby to the Connacht 1st 15 and at age 19 is proving a real prospect. He wont of course make the Lions but watch out for this guy!!

Damn it Kilcoyne has actually been capped already. I forgot.

The rugby Plannet Lions selections are baffling.

Certainly having English and Welsh relatives I do get the urine extracted quite a lot being Scottish and having such a low representation.

The most common jibe :

Q. What do you call a Scotsman on a Lions Test Team sheet?
A. The doctor.

However I do feel this year we will contribute some decent forwards, with 4 possible test starters : Gray, Hines, Beattie, Brown.

Outside chances for Denton and Grant.

It is a shame that Rennie got injured against NZ, I really hope he can get fit during the 6N and try and challenge for a slot on the team.

Hines and Grey should be selected. Not sure if no international rugby will count against Hines but I hope not because he is the best lock in Europe right now.

I really rate Hines. He seems to have spurred on since moving to France, and is playing some of the best rugby I've seen him play.

maestegmafia wrote:

bedfordwelsh wrote:I don't think Jenkins will feature much for us in the 6 Nations unless James is injured.

James is rightly No1 for Wales at the moment and I hope it stays that way.

Id be happy to see Jenkins return to his best. He is a great player at his best. Gives us something other teams don't have. I remember when Steve Hansen left Wales he was asked by the BBC if there were any players he would want to take back from Wales, He answered Jenkins immediately. First choice lion for two tours and Wales first choice for ten years.

We know he can do it. Lets not write him off just yet.

Maes,

We would all like to see him back to his best likewise many others who have been off form but while hes getting splinters over in Toulon and no regular game time thats not going to happen.

bedfordwelsh wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

bedfordwelsh wrote:I don't think Jenkins will feature much for us in the 6 Nations unless James is injured.

James is rightly No1 for Wales at the moment and I hope it stays that way.

Id be happy to see Jenkins return to his best. He is a great player at his best. Gives us something other teams don't have. I remember when Steve Hansen left Wales he was asked by the BBC if there were any players he would want to take back from Wales, He answered Jenkins immediately. First choice lion for two tours and Wales first choice for ten years.

We know he can do it. Lets not write him off just yet.

Maes,

We would all like to see him back to his best likewise many others who have been off form but while hes getting splinters over in Toulon and no regular game time thats not going to happen.

It's such a waste in so many ways.

The French clubs are pricing the game higher than I think it can sustain.

I've just returned from three weeks in France and Italy, mainly based near Toulon, spoke with many fans and they have huge worries about the expence the direction of the Top 14 is taking.

Jeremy Guscotts Lions XV

1 Cian Heelry
2 Rory Best
3 Adam Jones
4 AW Jones
5 Geoff Parling
6 Dan Lydiate
7 Chris Robshaw
8 Jamie Heaslip
9 Ben Youngs
10 Jonny Sexton
11 Lee Halfpenny
12 Jamie Roberts
13 Manu Tuilagi
14 George North
15 Rob Kearney