If the Lions were picked today...

First topic message reminder :

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/rugby-union/50411698

Apparently Gatland is picking his team around Jamie George, Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, Manu Tuilagi, an Anthony Watson.

Welsh hat well and truly gone...

15 Addison
14 Conway
13 Ringrose
12 Scannell
11 Stockdale
10 Russell
9 Cooney
8 Stander
7 VDF
6 O'Mahoney
5 Henderson
4 Dillane
3 Ryan
2 Herring
1 Loughman

mikey_dragon wrote:

Old Man wrote:

The Oracle wrote:

Congrats on winning the losers match medal at the recent WC! Over the moon for you. I saw you boys busting a gut to win. Kudos. Wales, while well beaten, couldn’t give a xxxx in that dead rubber.

I find that disingenuous and quite laughable.

Really?

Weird that you didn't comment on the disingenuous post it was replying to.

Which in turn was weird that no one responded to the gutter comment that sides were ‘sewage’, the reason I posted it. Weird things happen here huh?

I would've replied but the quote function is such a struggle

No, I think we all know the reason you post, T.

[quote="Gooseberry"]I would've replied but the quote function is such a struggle

I have great difficulty using it.

Gatland has been successful at the Lions helm because he is a great selector. He doesn't need access to players to pick them, but he does need to know what sort of character they have. He can do that remotely by speaking with their coaches and other players. Gone are the amateur days where players had to be seen playing to ascertain what sort of talent they had. It is patently obvious that Gatland prizes substance over style everyday and twice on Sunday.
Eddie Jones is of a similar mindset. In an interview today he mentioned that he didn't pick Cipriani because he was looking for a certain 'type' of player. He went on to elaborate on how important it was that every player could relate to their team mates (implying that some players can't).
Neither Gatland nor Jones select prima donnas who could undermine team spirit such as Healy and Dawson did in 2001.

True GA, I mean so many coaches manage sides from the other hemisphere these days it’s almost ‘routine’. I mean on the Job application it says ‘ would you prefer to coach from 20,000 kms away or we have another option of actually being here in person. Up to you really. ‘

You're obsessed with the hemisphere swapping yet you're on a NH forum yourself. Talk about projection...

The Lions 'coach' doesn't have a team in either hemisphere to coach, so he could be in space for 3&3/4 years as long as he's back for the Tour flight.