Warren Gatland will limit the number of English players in his Lions squad

First topic message reminder :

If this headline is true then Gatland should be sacked as he has shown himself unfit for the job. Players should be picked on form irrespective of country.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/britishandirishlionsrugby/9865151/Warren-Gatland-will-limit-the-number-of-English-players-in-his-Lions-squad-to-avoid-pressure.html

Not you, Doc, you just keep posting in the way!

mystiroakey wrote:Beefy it was just a simple straight forward comment from gatland.. He is just a plank.. No games being played

I wish, but no, he is notorious for playing games with the press.

So how is this gonna affect the England team?

And how is it gonna help him in short term or remembering him long term as this lions coach?

And how is it gonna help the morale of his lions team?

If he is playing games. He doesn't know the rules

Why don't you tell us all the rules, stroke?

Gatland's mind games do tend to backfire more often than they work though.

Now this is ok when you're coaching Wales but not with the Lions please, FatGatt.

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Not you, Doc, you just keep posting in the way!

Damn it. The story of my life - always in the effing way.

I have an idea: Let's drop Gatland in favour of Conor O'Shea...........

I think you are asking how the comments will affect the England camp.....i think that's obvious

He will be judged on results. end of

One can only speculate at this point on issues of morale. if they win , which i expect they will, I am sure morale will be just fine

What are the rules?

Firstly you don't wind up players in your own team.. You don't create a divide...

He is lions coach at the moment and if he is using this as a way to get one over on the English for this 6ns then he isn't doing the he is paid for,.. He is massively disrespecting the lions coach job..

Thirdly if he thinks England will play worse v the welsh after this he hs got mother thing coming.. They will just be more motivated..

mystiroakey wrote:Firstly you don't wind up players in your own team.. You don't create a divide...

He is lions coach at the moment and if he is using this as a way to get one over on the English for this 6ns then he isn't doing the he is paid for,.. He is massively disrespecting the lions coach job..

Thirdly if he thinks England will play worse v the welsh after this he hs got mother thing coming.. They will just be more motivated..

Yes but what are the rules?

Not sure what your asking pal. It's an expression..

If he is playing games he is doing it wrong... Is that better for you..do you need every expression spelt out

mystiroakey wrote:Not sure what your asking pal. It's an expression..

If he is playing games he is doing it wrong... Is that better for you..do you need every expression spelt out

Oh dear someone's over tired,why is he doing it wrong and if so how should he be doing it right, is that clear enough for you to answer?

I already answered that above

You responded to it

mystiroakey wrote:I just wish England had the balls to withdraw from the lions..

It would off course kill the lions full stop because no one is gonna wanna watch a Scotland Ireland Wales team anyway... The media is what keeps it going.. Without the English what is the lions?

Nothing. The Lions IS England in a Welsh shirt.

i think Telfer might have been talking about strokey the other day

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:i think Telfer might have been talking about strokey the other day

Did he call them over sensitive or headline readers?

By Gavin Mairs for the Telegraph
14 Feb 2013

Gatland’s visit came just a day after he sparked a furore by claiming that an English-dominated party for the tour of Australia could bring “pressures” on the squad by potentially generating negative media coverage.
Gatland however insisted on Thursday that his comments had been about the need to protect English players from “external forces”, and reiterated that he intended to pick the best players, irrespective of their nationality, for the 37-man squad.

“The English camp is a very friendly, open, disciplined and courteous environment and I was very impressed by what I saw,” said Gatland, who visited Wales last week and will spend time with Scotland and then Ireland over the next two weeks.

“I had a great welcome and after sitting down with Stuart Lancaster and his coaches for a chat I was able to sit in on the debrief of the win over Ireland in Dublin. It was well presented by all the coaches, was interesting and very insightful.

“I had spent time the week before with the Welsh players, and will do the same with the Scots next week and the Irish the week after. The English camp is a very friendly, open, disciplined and courteous environment and I was very impressed by what I saw.

“I have frequently put on record my admiration for the way in which Stuart Lancaster has gone about his business since taking over the top job in England.

He has set high standards, proper parameters and is getting the players to respond accordingly.

“The fact my visit coincided with all the furore over comments I made to a journalist about wanting to protect the English players in the Lions party from external forces made it all the more apt. I mixed with the players and was blown away once again by the interest in, and desire to be a part of, the Lions experience.”

Gatland, said the reaction to his interview in the Evening Standard “served to highlight the negativity” he was seeking to guard against and that he would “leave no stone unturned” in his preparations for the three-Test tour.

“It still amazes me that out of a one and a half-hour interview, a lot of which was spent discussing English rugby, a 13 word headline is all that people read and remember,” Gatland added, speaking to The Lions Newsletter.

“In many ways, the media reaction, or overreaction, to what I actually said and meant merely served to highlight the negativity I am seeking to guard against.

“We are leaving no stone unturned in our planning for the tour to Australia and protecting the players, sometimes from themselves, from the Australian and their own media, is a part of that process. We have to plan for every eventuality.

“For the record, as was also reported in the original article, but largely overlooked, 'the best players will be selected'. It has always been that way with the Lions and always will be.”

Gatland said he had been encouraged by the standard of rugby in the opening two rounds of the RBS Six Nations and that he would begin his analysis of the Australian players this weekend when the new Super Rugby tournament gets under way.

“I have been pleased with what I've seen so far. We had a lot of good rugby in the opening round, but last weekend was far more attritional, largely because of the weather,” added Gatland.

“But last week's action was also full of guts, character and attitude, which was great to see. England have done well in their opening two games and the tournament looks like being very tight.

“We will launch our analysis on the leading Aussie players from this weekend and begin to compile a database on the players we will be meeting in June and July. We already know a lot about many of them, but the analysts will be doing even more homework during the Super Rugby season to fine tune everything we need.

“With all the quality players coming back from injury in Australia this season they could potentially have a different team to 2012. They will certainly have greater strength in depth.”

Well i think that proves it was no game plan and just stupid comments...it doesn't matter how you say something in the press they will always twist it.. He needs to just shut it..

Proves what? That you can't read anything other than a headline?

This quote says it all for me

“It still amazes me that out of a one and a half-hour interview, a lot of which was spent discussing English rugby, a 13 word headline is all that people read and remember,” Gatland added, speaking to The Lions Newsletter.

See look, headline readers like you are the problem. I salute you Warren. Don't change for these people who prefer pandering to the media over being honest.

I read the whole thing . What the heck are you talking about...

Is your problem ironically that you haven't read my posts...

Ironic hey

Lol

I will spell it out you numpty-- do yourself a Favour And read it...

I said he was just being a plank and not doing it for mind games..

Others argued that it was..

I offered reasons why it wasn't a game to wum the English..


I am not a lions fan so I have always wanted out.. That has nothing to do with these latest findings..

See look, headline readers like you are the problem. I salute you Warren. Don't change for these people who prefer pandering to the media over being honest.


.-------------------


The most stupid point you made

Gatlands whole problem is the medias sensationalism.. If you can't see the irony in that and your comment I give up..

maestegmafia wrote:By Gavin Mairs for the Telegraph
14 Feb 2013
“The fact my visit coincided with all the furore over comments I made to a journalist about wanting to protect the English players in the Lions party from external forces made it all the more apt. I mixed with the players and was blown away once again by the interest in, and desire to be a part of, the Lions experience.”

Gatland, said the reaction to his interview in the Evening Standard “served to highlight the negativity” he was seeking to guard against and that he would “leave no stone unturned” in his preparations for the three-Test tour.

“It still amazes me that out of a one and a half-hour interview, a lot of which was spent discussing English rugby, a 13 word headline is all that people read and remember,” Gatland added, speaking to The Lions Newsletter.

“In many ways, the media reaction, or overreaction, to what I actually said and meant merely served to highlight the negativity I am seeking to guard against.

“We are leaving no stone unturned in our planning for the tour to Australia and protecting the players, sometimes from themselves, from the Australian and their own media, is a part of that process. We have to plan for every eventuality.

“For the record, as was also reported in the original article, but largely overlooked, 'the best players will be selected'. It has always been that way with the Lions and always will be.”

Gatland is obviously out of his depth - is he really that naive? Seriously, he was guarding against negative media coverage and he comes out with that drivel? Why not give the opposition as much ammunition as possible? No lions team in history has ever selected the "best" players, but fair enough he has to tow the party line on that one, he just has to cut out being reported on the stuff he actually believes...

mystiroakey wrote:
See look, headline readers like you are the problem. I salute you Warren. Don't change for these people who prefer pandering to the media over being honest.


.-------------------


The most stupid point you made

Gatlands whole problem is the medias sensationalism.. If you can't see the irony in that and your comment I give up..

Please give up

You can't figure it out either then..

Methinks you are playing by your own set of rules, know what i mean?

Horsey.. I am done here. What else is to say? We are all lions.. I don't mind limiting the English anyway.. It was expected.. I am just gobsmacked by the irony of it all.

The Great Aukster wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:By Gavin Mairs for the Telegraph
14 Feb 2013
“The fact my visit coincided with all the furore over comments I made to a journalist about wanting to protect the English players in the Lions party from external forces made it all the more apt. I mixed with the players and was blown away once again by the interest in, and desire to be a part of, the Lions experience.”

Gatland, said the reaction to his interview in the Evening Standard “served to highlight the negativity” he was seeking to guard against and that he would “leave no stone unturned” in his preparations for the three-Test tour.

“It still amazes me that out of a one and a half-hour interview, a lot of which was spent discussing English rugby, a 13 word headline is all that people read and remember,” Gatland added, speaking to The Lions Newsletter.

“In many ways, the media reaction, or overreaction, to what I actually said and meant merely served to highlight the negativity I am seeking to guard against.

“We are leaving no stone unturned in our planning for the tour to Australia and protecting the players, sometimes from themselves, from the Australian and their own media, is a part of that process. We have to plan for every eventuality.

“For the record, as was also reported in the original article, but largely overlooked, 'the best players will be selected'. It has always been that way with the Lions and always will be.”

Gatland is obviously out of his depth - is he really that naive? Seriously, he was guarding against negative media coverage and he comes out with that drivel? Why not give the opposition as much ammunition as possible? No lions team in history has ever selected the "best" players, but fair enough he has to tow the party line on that one, he just has to cut out being reported on the stuff he actually believes...

?

100%beefy wrote:
.....what perhaps you don't realise is that the Lions is much more popular in SA, NZ and Aus than at home

Wouldnt quite go that far as theyre largely disappointing here. Perhaps its because we started waiting for another 71 side to come and tour after tour theyve got worse since. I think thats because unlike Oz and SA the AB's are better positioned to expose the flaws in the concept of trying to put 4 countries together where they've largely not played together before.

They might be good players as individuals but in NZ they come unstuck and theyre not able to click as a team with the pressure the AB's put them under. Conversely, they do better in Oz and SA because they arent under as much pressure and not clicking as a team translates to not clicking as individuals...and therefore gaps in the process. Might be another AB hype thing but theres no denying the results from touring the 3 countries.

Judging by the comments in this post, whatever side is picked will already start with many unhappy- even if after the side is selected everyone suddenly bands together in united support which is usually the case.

It always looks like something that just doesnt feel right. They'll be ok in Oz as theres not a lot of depth at the mo, but the guns are returning to sxv this weekend so things are starting to heat up down this way...

mystiroakey wrote:I read the whole thing . What the heck are you talking about...

Is your problem ironically that you haven't read my posts...

Ironic hey

Lol

I find it hard to respond to you properly when firstly you wrote like that, in what is supposed to be paragraphs or something? Secondly, why have you written three posts in response? Are you the riddler and I have to decipher every clue you leave?

mystiroakey wrote:Horsey.. I am done here. What else is to say? We are all lions.. I don't mind limiting the English anyway.. It was expected.. I am just gobsmacked by the irony of it all.

If you don't mind what English players get selected, then stop bellyaching about things such as what Gatland says etc. Seems a bit contradictory to me otherwise. Either you care Riddler, or you don't.

Morgannwg wrote:

The Great Aukster wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:By Gavin Mairs for the Telegraph
14 Feb 2013
“The fact my visit coincided with all the furore over comments I made to a journalist about wanting to protect the English players in the Lions party from external forces made it all the more apt. I mixed with the players and was blown away once again by the interest in, and desire to be a part of, the Lions experience.”

Gatland, said the reaction to his interview in the Evening Standard “served to highlight the negativity” he was seeking to guard against and that he would “leave no stone unturned” in his preparations for the three-Test tour.

“It still amazes me that out of a one and a half-hour interview, a lot of which was spent discussing English rugby, a 13 word headline is all that people read and remember,” Gatland added, speaking to The Lions Newsletter.

“In many ways, the media reaction, or overreaction, to what I actually said and meant merely served to highlight the negativity I am seeking to guard against.

“We are leaving no stone unturned in our planning for the tour to Australia and protecting the players, sometimes from themselves, from the Australian and their own media, is a part of that process. We have to plan for every eventuality.

“For the record, as was also reported in the original article, but largely overlooked, 'the best players will be selected'. It has always been that way with the Lions and always will be.”

Gatland is obviously out of his depth - is he really that naive? Seriously, he was guarding against negative media coverage and he comes out with that drivel? Why not give the opposition as much ammunition as possible? No lions team in history has ever selected the "best" players, but fair enough he has to tow the party line on that one, he just has to cut out being reported on the stuff he actually believes...

?

Yeah, I'm interested as to what Auk means by his post too.

It seems pretty obvious...

Not show how many different ways you need this explained