LIONS ANNOUNCEMENT

First topic message reminder :

Forwards: Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Luke Cowan Dickie, Tom Curry, Zander Fagerson, Taulupe Faletau, Tadhg Furlong, Jamie George, Iain Henderson, Jonny Hill, Maro Itoje, Alun Wyn Jones, Wyn Jones, Courtney Lawes, Ken Owens, Andrew Porter, Sam Simmonds, Rory Sutherland, Justin Tipuric, Mako Vunipola, Hamish Watson.

Backs: Josh Adams, Bundee Aki, Dan Biggar, Elliot Daly, Gareth Davies, Owen Farrell, Chris Harris, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart Hogg, Conor Murray, Ali Price, Louis Rees-Zammit, Finn Russell, Duhan van der Merwe, Anthony Watson, Liam Williams.

Timing, Dowlais!

And I thought only Springbok squad announcements were boring

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:Timing, Dowlais!

Lighten up mun.

AWJ has completed rugby.

Get on with it! I’ve got a meeting at 1!

So the same squad as Oracle has linked to then LD bar you've missed owens.

No 7&1/2 wrote:So the same squad as Oracle has linked to then LD bar you've missed owens.

I dont know Oracle's one. But If there is no Owens, then there is somebody else in his place.

LordDowlais wrote:AWJ has completed rugby.

Hmm I think he'd have liked a world cup winners medal, a European medal as well. It's true there isn't much missing from the CV. Warburton has been spending too much time with Austin with these over the top comments.

Yuck already.

Elliot Daly is in, the leaked one was wrong

Bundi Aki

Aki?! Ali Price?!

Collapse2005 wrote:Watching the announcement is like watching Sam Warburton dry.

Let me just help you with what is a great joke.

Jesus...

The Oracle wrote:Aki?! Ali Price?!

It's a wind up.....surely?

Soul Requiem wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:Slade and Farrell...oh dear lord. I dont even want them in the England squad.

How underwhelming is that selection if true....Boks all the way...

If the squad is correct Slade could well be starting the tests at 13 with Henshaw at 12. The fact he's not back playing makes his omission understandable but there does appear to be a huge Manu Tuilagi shaped hole in that squad. You almost have to start with DVDM.

My problem is... i think Slades are far better suited to 12 (in the Farrell role) than he is for 13.

At least the Scotts can be happy this time around.

No Biggar ?

Hill!!!! No way

Am not watching from here as I'm on a work call.

Is it true that there's no Hamish Watson?

God. The leaked squad is better. Can we go back to that.

Really pleased for Chris Harris, well deserved.

George Carlin wrote:Am not watching from here as I'm on a work call.

Is it true that there's no Hamish Watson?

Not true

Backs: Josh Adams, Bundee Aki, Dan Biggar, Elliot Daly, Gareth Davies, Owen Farrell, Chris Harris, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart Hogg, Conor Murray, Ali Price, Louis Rees-Zammit, Finn Russell, Duhan van der Merwe, Anthony Watson, Liam Williams.

No Sexton.

Good representation by all four nations with a dash of SH representation

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Hill!!!! No way

Which Hill?

Edit: Johnny....Wow.

GeordieFalcon wrote:

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Hill!!!! No way

Which Hill?

Johnny

Wow what a squad! Very happy with that selection that is a good mix of physicality, speed and experience

Forwards: Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Luke Cowan Dickie, Tom Curry, Zander Fagerson, Taulupe Faletau, Tadhg Furlong, Jamie George, Iain Henderson, Jonny Hill, Maro Itoje, Alun Wyn Jones, Wyn Jones, Courtney Lawes, Ken Owens, Andrew Porter, Sam Simmonds, Rory Sutherland, Justin Tipuric, Mako Vunipola, Hamish Watson.

No Billy Vunipola

Only 1 specialist outside centre or have I read that wrong?

George Carlin wrote:Backs: Josh Adams, Bundee Aki, Dan Biggar, Elliot Daly, Gareth Davies, Owen Farrell, Chris Harris, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart Hogg, Conor Murray, Ali Price, Louis Rees-Zammit, Finn Russell, Duhan van der Merwe, Anthony Watson, Liam Williams.

No Sexton.

Huge surprise no Sexton, sad but not surprised no Ford. Disappointed to see Farrell is selected on reputation. No JD2 I think will surprise a few as well, Manu as a gamble was on many people's mind but Aki goes instead. Those scrum half selections look better than the earlier "leak".

No Tuilagi

Did Gatland select the wrong Jo(h)nny, Hill over Gray is absurd. Could have been worse I suppose, somehow.

Maine man wrote:Only 1 specialist outside centre or have I read that wrong?

Henshaw and Harris both play OC, Henshaw plays 12 as well

I make that 8 Scots.

No Sinckler

No Gearge North

George

Are we all happy with this squad ?

Old Man wrote:No Gearge North

He's injured.

George Carlin wrote:Forwards: Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Luke Cowan Dickie, Tom Curry, Zander Fagerson, Taulupe Faletau, Tadhg Furlong, Jamie George, Iain Henderson, Jonny Hill, Maro Itoje, Alun Wyn Jones, Wyn Jones, Courtney Lawes, Ken Owens, Andrew Porter, Sam Simmonds, Rory Sutherland, Justin Tipuric, Mako Vunipola, Hamish Watson.

No Billy Vunipola

Very surprised no Ryan. Especially with Johnny Hill and Lawes going instead. I had a sneaking feeling Conan might go so I'm claiming that as my one sort of outside prediction. Mako is very lucky to be going. Fagerson over Sinckler is a shock as well.

Old Man wrote:No Gearge North

Injured

Johnny Hill over Gray and Ryan is totally absurd

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:I make that 8 Scots.

10 Welsh.
10 English.
9 Irish.

Quite the even spread this time.

LordDowlais wrote:

Old Man wrote:No Gearge North

He's injured.

Cheers

Now lets argue over who should start the tests.

Given the options, I don’t like the back row

6 / lock - Beirne, Henderson, Lawes
Flankers - Curry, Watson, Tipuric
8 - Conan, Faletau, Simmonds

Would have gone with one of Navidi / Ritchie / Underhill in place of one of the 8s at least

Could just look at the above as how he wants to play 6/7/8 though

1.Sutherland, Mako, Wyn Jones
2.LCD, George, Owens
3.Furlong, Porter, Fagerson
4.Itoje, Henderson, Bierne
5.AWJ, J Hill, Lawes
6.Curry, Conan
7.Watson, Tipuric
8.Faletau, Simmonds

9.Murray, G Davies, Price
10.Biggar, Russell

11.LZR, Duhan
12.Farrell, Aki
13.Henshaw, Harris
14.Watson, Adams, Daly
15.Hogg, Williams

11 England
10 Wales
8 Ireland
8 Scotland

LordDowlais wrote:Are we all happy with this squad ?

It is a representative team of the whole of the UK and Ireland. I am sure we will all disagree with some of the selections and some very good players are staying at home.


But yes, we should be happy with it.

As always, there will be some changes prior to and during the tour as well, so some other fancied runners may still make it.