The 606v2 Lions Selection Fullback

by pete (buachaill on eirne) Fri 14 Jun 2013, 11:36 am

Alright guys!

I figured we could get this going to give us a bit of a heads up on the general consensus of opinions for Lions Test shirts. We'll have a starting XV in no time BUT I am going to leave vote cancelling on so people can change their minds over the next 8 days or so.

Keep the debate honest and punch above the belt. The 606v2 Lions Selection Fullback 496889

The 606v2 Lions Selection Fullback 496889

ps: remember this is not a prediction, it is a "who would YOU select" poll.

So far our team is

Vunipola-Youngs-Jones
Gray-POC (c)
SOB-Heaslip-Tipuric

Bowe has not been included as he will not be fit for the first test.

Kearney
Effectively lost his place due to his injury and subsequent lack of game time. Huge left boot, great fielder, maybe poor on the counter attack and tackling. On a longer tour he may have a chance but....

Hogg
The most natural footballer of the trio. He has electric feet, a massive kick, and is seriously creative player and if the Lions go down in Test 1 then I would be screaming at Gatland (via the TV/internet) to include Hogg somewhere in the team.

Halfpenny
His goalkicking is simply sublime. He is a rock under the high ball and does all the basics really well. Not exactly electric on the counter attack, more of a steady eddy but he plays the high percentages and does it very well.

Ok guys get the debate started and get the votes coming in.
Much love.
Buachaill

by **Ozzy3213** Fri 14 Jun 2013, 11:45 am

Stuart Hogg for me. This kid can play. He has a real ability to find a gap and then the pace to go through it. There is more than one way of crossing the gainline, you don't just need bosh, and this fella really excites me when he gets the ball.

by pete (buachaill on eirne) Fri 14 Jun 2013, 11:55 am

I really want to pick Hogg, Ozzy, I really really do. I just think Halfpenny is too valuable as a goal kicker and is steady as a rock.

If the Lions lose the first test I will be putting him in my team for sure. If the Lions need to go for the broke well he immediatly needs to be put in the team.

by munkian Fri 14 Jun 2013, 11:56 am

If we had Hogg and Cuthbert playing on the backline I'd worry about our defense.

Halfpenny by a mile, maybe Hogg on the wing

by **Ozzy3213** Fri 14 Jun 2013, 12:08 pm

Both our 10's are first choice kickers for club and country, therefore I would not select a full back solely on his ability to kick at goal. I just feel that Hogg offers a great attacking weapon from fullback, and that is something that we are going to need to beat the Aussies.

by R!skysports Fri 14 Jun 2013, 12:10 pm

While I want to select Hogg for his attacking I have actually selected H/P, as I think he is a very good player and more solid in defense

"ook at that, a Scotsman not blindly selecting his own player" Wink

by munkian Fri 14 Jun 2013, 12:18 pm

Halfpenny CAN attack though, Im guessing hes been coached otherwise

by R!skysports Fri 14 Jun 2013, 12:19 pm

Of course he can, but he is not the same sort of attack runner as Hogg

by jimmyinthewell68 Fri 14 Jun 2013, 12:38 pm

my thoughts exactly munkian Im sure gats like is fullbacks to defend first and attack given the opportunity . why have half penny attacking angles when u got north and Roberts

by RuggerRadge2611 Fri 14 Jun 2013, 12:45 pm

I reckon one of the toughest calls.

Both Halfpenny and Hogg have made mistakes in defence in the tour. However I'm pretty sure the Aussies will have done their homework on both.

If Hogg starts I would expect the Ausies to not bother with a deep kicking game, although Halfpenny is probably better under the high ball I don't think they would want to kick the ball down the throat of such a dangerous counter attacker.

For me Halfpenny to start and Hogg to come on off the bench for the last quarter.

by jimmyinthewell68 Fri 14 Jun 2013, 12:47 pm

^^ what's happening with 606 half my post disappeared

by RubyGuby Fri 14 Jun 2013, 12:49 pm

ha m po dis rd a we thumbsup

by **LondonTiger** Fri 14 Jun 2013, 12:51 pm

RubyGuby wrote:h m p ds r a w :thumb:

I i spedg

by Guest Fri 14 Jun 2013, 1:08 pm

Would rather have Halfpenny at Fullback and Hogg on the wing...maybe vice versa, either way I think with Tommy potentially out, either of those would be a good wing option.

by nobbled Fri 14 Jun 2013, 1:17 pm

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:I reckon one of the toughest calls.

Both Halfpenny and Hogg have made mistakes in defence in the tour. However I'm pretty sure the Aussies will have done their homework on both.

If Hogg starts I would expect the Ausies to not bother with a deep kicking game, although Halfpenny is probably better under the high ball I don't think they would want to kick the ball down the throat of such a dangerous counter attacker.

For me Halfpenny to start and Hogg to come on off the bench for the last quarter.

+1

by sirBiggles Fri 14 Jun 2013, 2:02 pm

Kearney's injury has put him out of a test spot. He has only got a bench place this Saturday. He can consider himself lucky he hasnt been sent home by now.

The only way he will get a test spot now, is if he comes off the bench and show he is back fully fit. Then he will only get a chance in the 2nd or 3rd Test if Halfpenny and Hogg get injured.

Feel for Kearney, but that the cruel side of the game...

by pete (buachaill on eirne) Fri 14 Jun 2013, 3:47 pm

It breaks my heart a little to see such a creativ and unpredictable talent like Hogg being heavily outvoted in favour of a safe percentages style player, says a lot about the game in the northern hemisphere (garland has called himself a northern hemisphere coach).

Who would the all blacks select between these two?

by tigertattie Fri 14 Jun 2013, 4:15 pm

I dont get why folk keep going on about 1/2p's kicking from the tee!!!
Sexton can kick
Farrell can kick
Hogg can kick
1/2p is not needed for his kicking!
It will come down to what gatland wants to play. A defensive set up or an attacking setup.
I'd personally go for Hogg but I am biased in this one!
There are pro's and cons for either player and no one could really say "Gatland got it wrong" whoever it is that he chooses to start!

by funnyExiledScot Fri 14 Jun 2013, 4:21 pm

I would personally go for Halfpenny to start with Hogg on the bench, although reversing that order wouldn't be an issue either.

These are two excellent players, and neither would be a poor choice.

As for the kicking issue, I personally see little problem having Sexton taking the kicks. Both Sexton and Halfpenny are excellent kickers. I don't think Hogg is an option for the Test though. He doesn't have the experience at this level.

by Duty281 Fri 14 Jun 2013, 4:26 pm

It's close since Hogg has started well on the tour, but it should still be Halfpenny. He's defensively sound, and like the OP says, does the basics well. Hogg will be brilliant for the last 20 or so minutes in a tight game against a tiring Australia on the counter-attack.

by sirBiggles Fri 14 Jun 2013, 4:49 pm

tigertattie wrote:I dont get why folk keep going on about 1/2p's kicking from the tee!!!
Sexton can kick
Farrell can kick
Hogg can kick
1/2p is not needed for his kicking!
It will come down to what gatland wants to play. A defensive set up or an attacking setup.
I'd personally go for Hogg but I am biased in this one!
There are pro's and cons for either player and no one could really say "Gatland got it wrong" whoever it is that he chooses to start!

and I dont get why folk keep refering to Halfpenny as a kicker only... He is the complete package.

He defends his line as if his life depends on it, and as so many times saved the game for Wales. Remeber his try saving tackle against England in 2012 in Twickenham. A tackle that won Wales the Triple Crown and set us up for the Grand Slam.

He attacks. He has scored some sublime tries, just look at the tries he has scored for Wales. And anything Hogg can do, so can Halfpenny. Check this try out for Cardiff against Toulon (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDcVwDhepd0) or if your want a montage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTSiN9oYqmc).

And of course he kicks.... takes all the pressure off Sexton.

Halfpenny is the complete package, so lets not keep refering to him as only being selected for his kicking, he has more to offer than that, but what a kicker nevertheless.....

by SecretFly Fri 14 Jun 2013, 5:16 pm

In certain teams you need a creatively minded, attacking orientated, cheeky devil of a 15 to give an extra attacking threat to a middlingly strong team.

The Lions (on paper!) have attacking prowess all over the field - both in the backs and in some truly epic ground breaking forwards. Their 15 doesn't need to be yet another fizzpot. They need security on the back door - and the benefit from having the most assured kicker that is standing on Australian soil at the moment. That guy is Halfpenny.
He's boring at 15 because boring is his role in the Welsh set up, not because he's a slouch in attack but because he sits, keeps things tidy behind and takes the hard-worked for kicks - thus making the forwards a happy bunch of men.

I said this before a week or so ago but secretly I'd suspect Sexton loves having him around because it takes the strain off in the kicking department and allows him to concentrate on the process of finding space and tempo for his side.

If Sexton is flyhalf, Halfpenny is 15. That's a relationship that to me looks the smoothest on tour so far.

by R!skysports Fri 14 Jun 2013, 5:21 pm

One thing that needs to be pointed out though

One of the choices wears a scrum cap and is a back...

Just saying censored

by R!skysports Fri 14 Jun 2013, 5:24 pm

Interesting about half of those clips in the montage, he is playing wing.

by SecretFly Fri 14 Jun 2013, 5:26 pm

Riskysports wrote:Interesting about half of those clips in the montage, he is playing wing.

Does that mean that when he's playing 15 he doesn't know how to slip and slide?

by R!skysports Fri 14 Jun 2013, 5:28 pm

SecretFly wrote:
Riskysports wrote:Interesting about half of those clips in the montage, he is playing wing.

Does that mean that w

hen he's playing 15 he doesn't know how to slip and slide?

No, it means that he seems to be quite comfortable at Wing, if he was needed there

by SecretFly Fri 14 Jun 2013, 5:31 pm

Yeah..it's as a wing that he first impressed me. And then he had to get good at the kicking too - the greedy git Wink

by IanBru Sat 15 Jun 2013, 1:15 am

For me, it has to be Halfpenny for the first test. We all know he's a good kicker, but the effect his kicking has shouldn't be discounted.

It's about more than points - when the opposing forwards know they can't concede a penalty inside their own half, this will naturally throw them off their naturally-aggressive game.

Fullback is the one position, I think, where there is no wrong choice. All three would be excellent, and my ultimate decision would be based on the type of game likely to occur. As we can't know that, Halfpenny is the safest option.

Hogg on the bench with Youngs and Tuilagi

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