B&I Lions 2017
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@KiwiMurph said in B&I Lions 2017:
@antipodean Who would you select at 10 for the Lions?
It will greatly depend on the gameplan that Gatland goes for. If he reverts to mean then Sexton or Biggar will be at 10 - possibly Farrell as an outside bet. If he wants to play a more expansive style then I'd say Sexton is still in the box seat, marginally ahead of Ford. However, as has been said, Sexton is looking quite fragile these days so don't expect him to last the tour. Sexton is the more complete 10, able to play a variety of game plans to a high standard and his control of a game is superior to the others. The flair players are Russell and Ford but given Gatland's dislike for anything much more than "do as you're told" I don't expect them to be test contenders.
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There were also some pundit selections in the Sunday Times (firewalled I think) which included one from Stephen Jones who demonstrated his complete lack of selection ability having players out of position and a large contingent of Welsh.
Edit: found a post on another website with a photo of the selections
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@antipodean said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Tim said in B&I Lions 2017:
Oh yeah, anyone could do what Henry did. Sure.
That's why we've got every RWC:
So that's what the Bloodyslow Cup looks like. Always wondered if it was real.
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All of those forward packs are fricking great. A little slow maybe, but not too bad & any combo with Itoje at 6 will be a staggeringly tough lineout to beat (ie 2 great locks & him jumping too).
On the plus side, given the schedule there is zero chance they wil be able to still pick their 1st choice 15 by the second test. But that 1st test could be tough.
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It will come down to tactics and execution. The right tactics to starve us of as much ball as possible (although a firing AB side has proven it can still win against this style) and the execution needs to be near perfect under pressure to not cough up turnovers.
That takes care of restricting/ frustrating the ABs but then you need to work out how to create tries (without undue risk taking) -
Presure can do that tho' England scored 2 tries v Aussie on the weekend by forcing them to play under presure, same deal when the Irish made us pass the ball backwards to Savea in Chicago. That Lions pack will out a massive amount of presure on leaving zero safe "out".
That said I'd expect the ABNs to beat them 2nd test & fricking thrash them 3rd.
Also what are the chances those 15's are actually fit to get on the plane. Every squad I've seen has Tuilagi in it on the bench. HA!
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Confirmed: Steve Borthwick (England), Andy Farrell (Ireland) and Rob Howley (Wales) announced by Head Coach Warren Gatland as the 2017 Lions Coaching Team
http://www.lionsrugby.com/news/warren-gatland-announces-coaching-team-15159#.WEgEurJ96Ul
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Enough with the hypothetical XV's I would like to see these pundits drop some 22s on us. For the first time in a long time a side has the opportunity to select a bench that can at least get parity with ours.
That's if it is selected properly, the guys of the bench buy in and Gats executes it properly. Three big IFs - but our trump card could potentially be nullified on this tour.
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@Crucial said in B&I Lions 2017:
There were also some pundit selections in the Sunday Times (firewalled I think) which included one from Stephen Jones who demonstrated his complete lack of selection ability having players out of position and a large contingent of Welsh.
Edit: found a post on another website with a photo of the selections
There's some odd selections in amongst all that. Sort of "I like this bloke and he has to be in the team but there's someone else I can't leave out, so I'll put him in somewhere". How many are picking Itoje as a 6 based primarily on his zero appearances there at international level and few at club level? It's not as if we don't have some bloody good 6s as it is.
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@Catogrande I agree. Itoje could be a good 6, but so could Brodie Rettalick if you wanted him to be one as long as he had a fair bit of practice in the role.
Of those selections I think DillydallyO's is the best although I also think a great case could be made for keeping Itoje on the bench as impact.
There is some good depth at lock, why not use it to advantage and have your most athletic player coming on for the last 30? -
@Catogrande said in B&I Lions 2017:
There's some odd selections in amongst all that. Sort of "I like this bloke and he has to be in the team but there's someone else I can't leave out, so I'll put him in somewhere". How many are picking Itoje as a 6 based primarily on his zero appearances there at international level and few at club level? It's not as if we don't have some bloody good 6s as it is.
Wasn't Itoje at 6 a fair bit in the Aussie tour?
Edit, spent 50 mins there in the 3rd test when Harrison got yanked & a bit there in the earlier 2 -
@Crucial I agree, I reckon Itoje could be a decent option anywhere in the back 5 but in a Lions context perhaps a bench spot would be the better option. It's not as if we're short of locks, AWJ, either of the Gray boys, any of the English locks. Not overly impressed with Toner though. Always good in the line-out but not so consistent elsewhere.
You can certainly tell which one of the pundits has played international rugby in the pack!
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@Stargazer said in B&I Lions 2017:
Confirmed: Steve Borthwick (England), Andy Farrell (Ireland) and Rob Howley (Wales) announced by Head Coach Warren Gatland as the 2017 Lions Coaching Team
http://www.lionsrugby.com/news/warren-gatland-announces-coaching-team-15159#.WEgEurJ96Ul
Heard on the radio this morning that Jason O'Halloran is a shot at being involved given his involvement with Scotland.
