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.

Josh Navidi is very unlucky, but that's life.

Is Lawes a bit of a shock?  Can't remember him in many predictions?

Can't get my head around Simmonds, I just can't see what he can bring. Happy for Lawes though, he's been a bit off the radar but is a real class act.

LordDowlais wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:I make that 8 Scots.

10 Welsh.
10 English.
9 Irish.

Quite the even spread this time.

I counted 8 Irish 11 English, only England could finish 5th in the 6 nations and get the most Lions.

Lawes and Daly? Meh.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

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.

Extremely lucky.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Can't get my head around Simmonds, I just can't see what he can bring. Happy for Lawes though, he's been a bit off the radar but is a real class act.

Against South Africa, Simmonds is going to find himself very underpowered.

No CJ Stander?

Lawes has been out for a while so surprising to me, but if he wants that lock / hybrid he’s the next best after Beirne.

I rate Lawes and was a bit gutted that he was probably not going to be involved. So his inclusion is a very welcome surprise for me.

Some big names missing though - Sexton, JD2, Navidi, Ritchie, J Gray, B Vunipola, J May, Ryan, Sinkler, Healy

Soul Requiem wrote:

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Can't get my head around Simmonds, I just can't see what he can bring. Happy for Lawes though, he's been a bit off the radar but is a real class act.

Against South Africa, Simmonds is going to find himself very underpowered.

No CJ Stander?

Well he retired from international rugby, didn’t he?

Is Tuilagi injured?

bsando wrote:I rate Lawes and was a bit gutted that he was probably not going to be involved. So his inclusion is a very welcome surprise for me.

Some big names missing though - Sexton, JD2, Navidi, Ritchie, J Gray, B Vunipola, J May, Ryan, Sinkler, Healy

JD2 is woefully out of form. Navidi is just back from a long lay off. A few games in the 6N and he looked good. I rate him highly but the injury did for him I think.

Old Man wrote:Is Tuilagi injured?

Of course. When is he not. Due to return in the next few weeks, I did wonder whether Gatland would gamble on him.

Elliot Daly very lucky - the fact he can cover a number of positions and kick long range goals makes him a great bench option, which I guess they felt could not be ignored. Especially if they go a 6/2 split to counter the bomb squad

Wow. Very surprised by Hill and Conan in particular. Probably more surprised by them than Simmonds in a strange way!

Stander, Navidi, Underhill and Ritchie are very good flankers to miss out on a squad all together. At least a couple of those guys may end up out there as an injury replacements though.

The Aki selection I quite like given the lack of centre options. It gives them a blunt instrument, which I mean in a good way given that the Lions need to throw an attack together very quickly. Henshaw is by far the best centre then Faz, Harris and Aki all offer tactical differences to partner which I like as options.

Daly is very lucky to go. That massive boot at high altitude presumably helped him significantly.

Old Man wrote:No Tuilagi

Why should he be there.. on reputation only... yet so many saying Farrell shouldn't be there on reputation.. (which I agree)..

So no surprise at all... more surprised it was rumoured in the first place.

On 6 Nations form, cant see many English players making the test side.

But lets not forget, when it happens, they are Lions now, not England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland.... they are LIONS.

And I hope they get a series win.

Soul Requiem wrote:

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Can't get my head around Simmonds, I just can't see what he can bring. Happy for Lawes though, he's been a bit off the radar but is a real class act.

Against South Africa, Simmonds is going to find himself very underpowered.

No CJ Stander?

Hes going as a centre

It's a good squad although if anyone can tell me why Aki has been named I'd like them to explain please. He's a decent player but only decent IMO, he's not a lion.....well he is now.

I'm very happy to see Sam Simmonds, Gatland can see what Jones chooses to ignore.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

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.

Extremely lucky.

I think Mako is in the squad as there are still some serious doubts about Sutherland's fitness. He is not likely to play again prior to the warm up game against Japan and it would be prudent to have a back up, especially at prop. At least if they take mako into the squad, they have a chance of getting him fit before they fly out.

All full up....

https://www.606v2.com/t70144-lions-announcement-round-2

Old Man wrote:Is Tuilagi injured?

Yes, albeit he is due back soon for Sale. Out since Sep with ruptured achilles but Sale say he is now fit and they just want him rugby fit to avoid just getting some other injury. They are aiming for the last 3 prem matches and maybe playoffs as well if they get there.

bsando wrote:I rate Lawes and was a bit gutted that he was probably not going to be involved. So his inclusion is a very welcome surprise for me.

Some big names missing though - Sexton, JD2, Navidi, Ritchie, J Gray, B Vunipola, J May, Ryan, Sinkler, Healy

Feels a bit like a changing of the guard

Of those
Sexton is a surprise but he's an old man
JD2 Another old man. I don't think has shown much of late and the years are catching up
Navidi is a loss but very competitive area
Ritchie similar but (and this is probably an unpopular opinion) I think he's a little underpowered
Gray- competitive and he's not screaming to be involved the way he was 4 years ago. I know - Hill - but I guess Hill is going as the big lump
Billy - off form and injury prone
May - not good but I guess he's a bit marmite. Not so long ago he was the best winger in Europe.
Ryan - unlucky
Sinckler - that is a surprise but pays the price for an indifferent 6N
Healy - another old man

On a short reflection, that squad is awful. It's almost funny.

A few surprises for me, can see who is going to be in the midweek team already. Well done Scots, strong representation!

You can see it now, that one of Lawes, Beirne or Itoje will be at blindside for the tests. Probably Beirne.

I agree with Bam about why Lawes has been selected. I was a little surprised he wasn't really discussed. If anything I am very surprised Hill has gone, as I didn't think his International form warranted it.

Not surprised by JD2 missing out. I didn't think he warranted as much discussion as he did, because he was in poor form (possibly apart from the France game).

Shocks in the squad for me are Aki, Hill and Price in.

Very surprised by Navidi, as I thought his versatility may have helped too.

I can see the plan for a 6 2 bench.

No 7&1/2 wrote:On a short reflection, that squad is awful. It's almost funny.

For once I agree.... far too many English players. Based on their 5th Place finish in the 6 Nations, there should have been no more than 2 or 3 given a Lions shirt.

No9 wrote:

No 7&1/2 wrote:On a short reflection, that squad is awful. It's almost funny.

For once I agree.... far too many English players. Based on their 5th Place finish in the 6 Nations, there should have been no more than 2 or 3 given a Lions shirt.

That makes you partly right for once then.

No9 wrote:

But lets not forget, when it happens, they are Lions now, not England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland.... they are LIONS.

Yeah, take your own advice