Lions 2017: Name the Squad Competition

First topic message reminder :

Rules

• Following the same format as 2013, name the squad you expect to be named by Gatland next month.
  

• List them in the order you most expect to be selected.
  

• You may edit your squad at any time before Gats starts his press conference at the Hilton London Syon Park on Wednesday April 19th.
  

• You will be awarded points for the number of successful players you name before you list an incorrect one.*
  

• Most points win.
  

Prizes

• None whatsoever, except the admiration scorn of the 606 community for thinking just like Gats.
  

*In 2013 the player that caught most people out was Rory Best, followed by Ryan Grant. It remains to be seen if Gats selects Best from the start this time around.

GUYS GWLAD DID ANOT ACTUAL FUNNY ABOVE AND ALL YOU CAN DO IS PURSE SLAP SORT IT OUT

Gooseberry wrote:GUYS GWLAD DID ANOT ACTUAL FUNNY ABOVE AND ALL YOU CAN DO IS PURSE SLAP SORT IT OUT

What a desperately sad man you are, missed the target yet again.

ok, here goes:

Tadhg Furlong
CJ Stander
Billy Vunipola
Dan Cole
Owen Farrell
Stuart Hogg
Conor Murray
Johnny Sexton
Rhys Webb
Elliot Daly
Liam Williams
Robbie Henshaw
Jack McGrath
Ken Owens
Mako Vunipola
Faletau
Maro Itoje
Jonathan Davies
George North
Ian Henderson
Tommy Seymour
Courtney Lawes
Jonny Gray
Hamish Watson
Ben Youngs
Finn Russell
AW Jones
Rory Best
Anthony Watson
Sean Maitland
Justin Tipuric
Sam Warburton
Jonathan Joseph
Joe Launchbury
Sean O'Brian
Nicola Sturgeon

Time for me to enter:

Jack McGrath
Mako Vunipola
Tadhg Furlong
Dan Cole
Maro Itoje
Alun-Wyn Jones
Sam Warburton
Billy Vunipola
Connor  Murray
Jonny Sexton
Owen Farrell
George North
Liam Williams
Stuart Hogg
CJ Stander
Taulupe Faletau
Sean O'Brien
Rhys Webb
Elliot Daly
Robbie Henshaw
Ken Owens
Ben Youngs
Dan Biggar
Jonathan Davies
Anthony Watson
Jamie George
Ian Henderson
Lee Halfpenny
Jonathan Joseph
Tomas Francis
Joe Marler
Peter O'Mahony
Tommy Seymour
Justin Tipuric
Jamie Roberts

Jack McGrath, Mako Vunipola, Jo Marler
Rory Best, Ken Owens, Dylan Hartley
Tadhg Furlong, Dan Cole, Kyle Sinckler
Maro Itoje, Alun-Wyn Jones, Jo Launchbury, Courtney Lawes, Iain Henderson
Sam Warburton, Tipuric, O'Brien
CJ Stander, Peter O'Mahony
Billy Vunipola, Falateau
Connor Murray, Rhys Webb, Ben Youngs
Jonny Sexton, Finn Russell
Owen Farrell, Jonathan Joseph, Robbie Henshaw, Jonathan Davies,
George North, Liam Williams, Elliot Daly, Tommy Seymour, Anthony Watson
Stuart Hogg, Mike Brown

Right. What in the name of Frak is wrong with people. Jd2 is fantastic, but he is a international center who can't pass. I have watched him butcher so many try scoring chances by flinging the ball behind his winger or straight into touch.
Why hasn't anyone sorted this one flaw out in his game?
Every other part of his game is top draw.
But his one flaw is pretty big and for me means he shouldn't be starting for Wales never mind the lions.

carpet baboon wrote:Right. What in the name of Frak is wrong with people. Jd2 is fantastic, but he is a international center who can't pass. I have watched him butcher so many try scoring chances  by flinging the ball behind his winger or straight into touch.
Why hasn't anyone sorted this one flaw out in his game?
Every other part of his game is top draw.
But his one flaw is pretty big and for me means he shouldn't be starting for Wales never mind the lions.

Yeah but part of the competition here is to second guess what Gatland will do and it's highly possible that he'll pick JD2 to at least tour!

tigertattie wrote:

carpet baboon wrote:Right. What in the name of Frak is wrong with people. Jd2 is fantastic, but he is a international center who can't pass. I have watched him butcher so many try scoring chances  by flinging the ball behind his winger or straight into touch.
Why hasn't anyone sorted this one flaw out in his game?
Every other part of his game is top draw.
But his one flaw is pretty big and for me means he shouldn't be starting for Wales never mind the lions.

Yeah but part of the competition here is to second guess what Gatland will do and it's highly possible that he'll pick JD2 to at least tour!

To be honest i had kinda forgot what this thread was about.
Do continue all

carpet baboon wrote:Right. What in the name of Frak is wrong with people. Jd2 is fantastic, but he is a international center who can't pass. I have watched him butcher so many try scoring chances  by flinging the ball behind his winger or straight into touch.
Why hasn't anyone sorted this one flaw out in his game?
Every other part of his game is top draw.
But his one flaw is pretty big and for me means he shouldn't be starting for Wales never mind the lions.

Possibly the most overrated centre in Europe. Gatland being one of those that rates him the highest (closely followed by Howley). Plus in the hoo-ha involving the dropping of BOD everyone forgets that JD2 cost us the second test in the last tour. What international centre can't defend a 3 on 3? He'll still tour.

Only 2 hookers in there LT?

king_carlos wrote:Only 2 hookers in there LT?

I was undecided who would be Gats third choice (but wonder if he will name 4 to make it easier). Best was in better form four years ago yet initially overlooked by Gats. Hartley was also in better form 4 years ago, but has Borthwick who can push his case.

I was struggling to decide:

Who the third person would be for each of the front rows.
Which second rows will be taken. Pretty sure Itoje and AWJ will be selected, but after that who knows as so many candidates that are good enough to travel.
Which wingers woudl go - as it largely depends on the style that Gats wants top play.

Naming teh squad I woudl takje is easy, trying to think like Gats not so much.

LondonTiger wrote:

king_carlos wrote:Only 2 hookers in there LT?

I was undecided who would be Gats third choice (but wonder if he will name 4 to make it easier). Best was in better form four years ago yet initially overlooked by Gats. Hartley was also in better form 4 years ago, but has Borthwick who can push his case.

I was struggling to decide:

Who the third person would be for each of the front rows.
Which second rows will be taken. Pretty sure Itoje and AWJ will be selected, but after that who knows as so many candidates that are good enough to travel.
Which wingers woudl go - as it largely depends on the style that Gats wants top play.

Naming teh squad I woudl takje is easy, trying to think like Gats not so much.

If you watch the 'Living with the Lions DVD' from last tour it was pretty clear that Rowntree had a big say over the front row.

It started with the props. When talking about the reserve loose head Gatland says "next in line will be Ryan Grant then". Rowntree shakes his head and says, "no Corbisiero". Gatland smiles and says, "we will talk about it later".

They then move swiftly onto the hookers to avoid that prop disagreement going further in front of the cameras.

Rowntree, "Hibbard, Youngs, Hartley". Gatland, "big call leaving out Best". Rowntree, "I don't think it is. Pick your best players".

It seemed from that DVD extract that Rowntree had the biggest say on his front row forwards and it was Wig who wasn't in favour of Best. Rowntree is once again in the coaching staff but working alongside Borthwick as forwards coach. Farrell has also worked with Best as Ireland coach now as well which should help him.

I hope Best travels. I think he's one of the three best hookers alongside Hartley and George.

Entires so far from:

7.5
Gooseberry
Gwlad
nipnip
maj
ruggerradge
cascough
chris501
bedfordwelsh
king_carlos
tigertattie
me
hugehandoff


Anyone else wishing to have a go, or people amending their selection (including order), you have till midnight tonight.

king_carlos wrote:
If you watch the 'Living with the Lions DVD' from last tour it was pretty clear that Rowntree had a big say over the front row.

It started with the props. When talking about the reserve loose head Gatland says "next in line will be Ryan Grant then". Rowntree shakes his head and says, "no Corbisiero". Gatland smiles and says, "we will talk about it later".

They then move swiftly onto the hookers to avoid that prop disagreement going further in front of the cameras.

Rowntree, "Hibbard, Youngs, Hartley". Gatland, "big call leaving out Best". Rowntree, "I don't think it is. Pick your best players".

It seemed from that DVD extract that Rowntree had the biggest say on his front row forwards and it was Wig who wasn't in favour of Best. Rowntree is once again in the coaching staff but working alongside Borthwick as forwards coach. Farrell has also worked with Best as Ireland coach now as well which should help him.

I hope Best travels. I think he's one of the three best hookers alongside Hartley and George.

It woz Rowntree wot did it????

Gats is a smart auld coot all the same. Even in slick DVD productions, he pre-plans his escape routes

Is Teresa May calling an early general election a response to the leaks of Gatland's jolly to NZ for his Welsh buddies?

tigertattie wrote:Is Teresa May calling an early general election a response to the leaks of Gatland's jolly to NZ for his Welsh buddies?

Yes, she and her Defence secretary thinks it an openly aggressive move by Gatland and secretly they even think he might very well be in cahoots with North Korea.  

First the declaration of the election, and if Gatland still doesn't pick JJ, then I'm afraid its the Mother of All Bombs on the Principality Stadium.  That will at least end the yearly debate on the roof being closed or opened.

Cheers LT. Altered my first post hope that's ok.

cascough wrote:Owen Farrell
Conor Murray
Jonathan Sexton
Tadhg Furlong
Alun Wyn Jones 
Sam Warburton
Dan Cole
Rhys Webb
Taulupe Faletau
Stuart Hogg
Liam Williams
George North
Leigh Halfpenny
Ken Owens
CJ Stander
Mako Vunipola
Justin Tipuric
Jamie Heaslip
George Kruis
Dan Biggar
Jonathan Davies
Rory Best
Kyle Sinckler
Courtney Lawes
Ben Youngs
Billy Vunipola
Dylan Hartley
Cian Healy
Seán O'Brien
Robbie Henshaw
Jonny Gray
Elliot Daly
Ben Te'o
Jamie Roberts
Keith Earls
Simon Zebo
Gethin Jenkins
Chris Ashton
Donncha Ryan
Garry Ringrose

Heaslip did for me after 17 correct.

Results

Cascough: 17 (as he says caught out by Heaslip)
Tigertattie: 22 (Jonny Gray)
Me: 29 (Tomas Francis)
HugeHandoff: 5 (Dylan Hartley)
Chris501: 22 (Simon Zebo)
Sunday Times: 21 (Gary Ringrose)
Bedford Welsh 4: (Rob Evans)
KingCarlos 20: (Jonny Gray)
7.5: 31 (Greg Laidlaw - his final pick. Only person to name Moriarty excepting Gooseberry's spoof entry)
Gwlad: 12 (Donncha Ryan)
nipnip: 34 (Donncha Ryan)
maj: 6 (Dylan Hartley)


So the reak Warren Gatland is........nipnip

Ha. At least that's something. Cheers LT.

Hartley did for me