Lions Parachutists

I really hope the squad last the tour, without serious injury (and ceratinly not any of the career shortening kind).

But every past Lions tour seems to see a few starters coming home early, for recuperation and rest.
Who have been the significant parachutists coming to the Lions rescue in the past ?
And this tour ?
e.g. St Jonny on standby for what is considered by some as a thinly covered FH position.
Which other positions do you see as thinly covered ?
Who else in GB & I might be on the parachute list ?

I think Jonny is a red herring and James Hook will join the squad at some stage as fly half cover.

rodders wrote:I think Jonny is a red herring and James Hook will join the squad at some stage as fly half cover.

Not sure - I think if we need to fly someone out for the third test only, Wilkinson would be the choice.

Otherwise, I'm sure that the likes of Robshaw and Brown are waiting for the call should (respectively) Tipuric/Warburton or SOB/Croft/Lydiate suffer injury.

We also look short of cover at 12 - Roberts and then 3 guys who play internationally mostly at 13 (although BOD and JD2 can play 12). Would hope that Scott is on call to cover this.

Otherwise, I think the squad has sufficient strength in depth across most areas. Of course there will be injuries and players called out as cover, but hopefully not as many as the last couple of Lions tours.

Toulon would be happy release Jonny & Teddy, if required, but only after their club season is over.
They released Gethin (goodwill gesture) but wanted to hang on to 1st choice Teddy.

Rowntree was on the radio earlier saying how unlucky Robshaw was and that he would be one of the first people they turn to if they get an injury.

sickofwendy wrote:Rowntree was on the radio earlier saying how unlucky Robshaw was and that he would be one of the first people they turn to if they get an injury.

Media spin. Gats was on BBCNI saying the same about Rory Best.

Gats had no intention fo taking Jonny. He had said he was taking 2 fly-halves plus a utility.

The utility being Stuart Hog whom the coaches admitted they had never seen play flyhalf.

I am not banging the drum for Jonny - enough people do that already - but as he almost certainly won't be available for the start of the tour he was never going to be in the original squad. Plus Gatland said he wanted to avoid the media hype which would have followed. Cue BBC headline "Jonny Wilkinson Out" - I didn't know he was ever in the squad.

But if 2 or 3 games into the tour you get an injury, I would be a lot happier with Jonny sitting on the subs bench for the first test as flyhalf replacement rather than Stuart Hogg - who is a very fine player, but a fullback/emergency centre.

The likes of Best, Brown, Robshaw, Care and Grant were the unlucky non selections for me and will be on standby for any unfortunate injuries.

I'd be happy for Jonny to tour but I don't believe Gatlands story on it.

Yes - I think he has been delibarately putting out some red herrings. Seems to be part of his strategy.

rodders wrote:I'd be happy for Jonny to tour but I don't believe Gatlands story on it.

Why would he make it up?

Why would he make it up?

Habit?

It's not particularly common for a player to make a big impact in the Tests after a late Lions call-up, especially with the shorter schedules today. Tom Croft in 2009 is one example but he left with everyone else, because he was named as soon as Quinlan got suspended. Martin Johnson took Wade Dooley's spot in 1993 but hindsight tends to lead people to elevate his contribution on that tour. Martin Corry did well enough in 2001 but the series was lost, so he gets little credit.

In short, any injury ought to be covered at least once from within the original squad, so those players will tend to be the preferred option. The number ten situation this time is interesting since it almost seems designed to rely on flying out injury cover. Worth remembering, however, that both Jones and O'Gara made it through the whole tour four years ago.

nlpnlp wrote:The utility being Stuart Hog whom the coaches admitted they had never seen play flyhalf.

I am not banging the drum for Jonny - enough people do that already - but as he almost certainly won't be available for the start of the tour he was never going to be in the original squad. Plus Gatland said he wanted to avoid the media hype which would have followed. Cue BBC headline "Jonny Wilkinson Out" - I didn't know he was ever in the squad.

But if 2 or 3 games into the tour you get an injury, I would be a lot happier with Jonny sitting on the subs bench for the first test as flyhalf replacement rather than Stuart Hogg - who is a very fine player, but a fullback/emergency centre.

The likes of Best, Brown, Robshaw, Care and Grant were the unlucky non selections for me and will be on standby for any unfortunate injuries.

Agree with everything said here. Is Hogg really the 'utility/3rd choice FH Gats was talking about before the squad announcement? Has Hogg played FH for club? Or just at a much lower level?

Hogg last played FH at school level (I read somewhere)

rodders wrote:I'd be happy for Jonny to tour but I don't believe Gatland's story on it.

To be fair to Gatland, Wilkinson has largely confirmed what he said.

Gatland probably knew that Wilkinson would choose to stay with Toulon instead of flying out early but I don't think that was a dastardly ploy on his part. If he was determined that Wilkinson would play no role, even as a replacement, then he surely would have named a more obvious third playmaker to his team than Hogg. As it stands, someone else will be required if Sexton or Farrell look likely to miss a game or two.

Gatland / Jonny are 2 grownups who sensibly ensured that the bridge remains intact.
May never need / want to use it (long insurance odds in my view), but the bridge is still there.

offload wrote:

rodders wrote:I'd be happy for Jonny to tour but I don't believe Gatlands story on it.

Why would he make it up?

I don't believe for one second that he rang Jonny the day before the squad announcement to ask him if he was available. Thats nonsence, the other players have known for a week or so that they had been selected or put on stand by.

If we are 1-0 up he will call for Jonny,if we are 1-0 down he will call for Hook.

Another candidate:
"He was upset and quite rightly so, he's been exceptional for England," Rowntree told BBC Radio 5 live.
"There's going to be injuries and Chris will be one of the first names we turn to. He's desperately unlucky."

Source BBC Sport

He's not unlucky at all, they just didn't pick him.

I'd like to see the following on stand by

Nathan Hines
Steffon Armitage
Ryan Jones
Ken Owens
Rory Best
Tom Wood
James Hook

That's it

Rowntree is trying to fix up a busted bridge Rodders.

Rugby Fan wrote:It's not particularly common for a player to make a big impact in the Tests after a late Lions call-up, especially with the shorter schedules today. Tom Croft in 2009 is one example but he left with everyone else, because he was named as soon as Quinlan got suspended. Martin Johnson took Wade Dooley's spot in 1993 but hindsight tends to lead people to elevate his contribution on that tour. Martin Corry did well enough in 2001 but the series was lost, so he gets little credit.

In short, any injury ought to be covered at least once from within the original squad, so those players will tend to be the preferred option. The number ten situation this time is interesting since it almost seems designed to rely on flying out injury cover. Worth remembering, however, that both Jones and O'Gara made it through the whole tour four years ago.

I don't think people talk up Johnson's 93 experience too much. He was a kid who went in green and beat the 2 original tour locks Reed and Cronin for the spot in the 2nd Lions test. Thats for a 1 cap wonder at the time was pretty impressive. He thoroughly exceeded his tour expectations, didn't set the world on fire but in those days locks never did.

In terms of Corry, I think it was the lions biggest mistake to mess with their backrow after the 1st test. Hill and Corry were a great combination... then again the Lions were set for victory until Hill went off if I recall... or at least well in the game.

Would not rule out Flood as a late replacement as has long working with Youngs which would be useful for a late call up

rodders wrote:

offload wrote:

rodders wrote:I'd be happy for Jonny to tour but I don't believe Gatlands story on it.

Why would he make it up?

I don't believe for one second that he rang Jonny the day before the squad announcement to ask him if he was available. Thats nonsence, the other players have known for a week or so that they had been selected or put on stand by.

Rodders is it true that players have know for a week that they had been selected? That's not what I thought. I read that Warburton had known for 9 day's that he was to be captain but not that the squad all knew.

broadlandboy wrote:Would not rule out Flood as a late replacement as has long working with Youngs which would be useful for a late call up

Good call, I would have preferred him to Farrell; mature player and good distributor

RubyGuby wrote:

broadlandboy wrote:Would not rule out Flood as a late replacement as has long working with Youngs which would be useful for a late call up

Good call, I would have preferred him to Farrell; mature player and good distributor

I strangely find myself agreeing with both sentiments.

Douglas Bader

I think I get you Ruby ? Legs ? to stand on ? But just not too sure.

RubyGuby wrote:Douglas Bader

He had just been informed that he was going to play FH for England when he had the accident where he lost his lower legs

lostinwales wrote:

RubyGuby wrote:Douglas Bader

He had just been informed that he was going to play FH for England when he had the accident where he lost his lower legs

I think he could still do a better job there than Farrell

Bader was a risk taker, but rendering his parachute useless on this occasion.
Had not heard the FH story though, thanks.
Sad waste, although he went on to make something of his life & abilities anyway.