B&I Lions 2017
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@Pot-Hale said in B&I Lions 2017:
I think Tadgh Furlong should be the captain.
He's in 99.5% of everyone's squads and he'd keep the captaining/media duties to a minimum.
Would he be able to talk to a referee rather than grunt though?
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@Catogrande said in B&I Lions 2017:
So, perhaps a bolter as skipper? Unlikely with Gatland - he knows what he likes and he likes what he knows. But, but if there was to be a bolter I would lay down the name Itoje (cue howls of derision).
No, he's not nailed on as a starter but he IS in many people's test side. He has very good captaincy credentials with England at under 20 and is an intelligent player as well as an 80 minute player. As has been stated on here previously though, he needs to keep the high tackles and niggle in check.
For Itoje's sake this is not the case unless you want to end the poor chaps career. The tour and specifically the British media could eat him alive.
Calls for a leadership group are solid and in this day and age the only solution. From there you need to select a day game captain who the extra workload and press effects the least - only Gats would have an idea who that is but almost certainly not Itoje.
You don't really want Warburton shouldering the additional workload of captaincy if he has additional rehab and physio nursing an injury to be in peak condition.
Been seeing a bit of a late push for Conor Murray. That would be attractive to me given the current options, giving the captaincy to someone who has to be substituted in the modern game means you can give one of these guys a spell too, but if they don't warrant selection in the second test based on performance there won't be a media shit storm when they are dropped.
If in doubt go the halfback.
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@Catogrande said in B&I Lions 2017:
@rotated Murray is not a bad call.
And he's not British so the British media could have a field day, have a row with Irish media and everyone forgets about the Lions. Genius!
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@Crucial said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Pot-Hale said in B&I Lions 2017:
I think Tadgh Furlong should be the captain.
He's in 99.5% of everyone's squads and he'd keep the captaining/media duties to a minimum.
Would he be able to talk to a referee rather than grunt though?
I think he'd regard that as optional.
It would make for interesting media interviews though - can you tell us about your approach to the first test, Tadgh?
No.
Er okay, thanks very much. -
@rotated said in B&I Lions 2017:
Been seeing a bit of a late push for Conor Murray. That would be attractive to me given the current options, giving the captaincy to someone who has to be substituted in the modern game means you can give one of these guys a spell too,
Even some of the pundits pushing for AWJ as the captain are saying he would still be substituted.
Is Murray guaranteed to start? The advantage is that you would have an Irish 9-10 combo if Sexton is at 1st 5 but, again, a lot think Webb will start and Murray comes off the bench.
Farrell might be as close to a certainty as any player. Does he have any captaincy experience for Saracens?
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Isn't Gatland on record as saying he thinks AWJ is too much heart, not enough head for a captain, or something like that?
Far from assured his Test place too, for me.
Murray is an interesting call, has he captained much before?
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@Bovidae said in B&I Lions 2017:
@rotated said in B&I Lions 2017:
Been seeing a bit of a late push for Conor Murray. That would be attractive to me given the current options, giving the captaincy to someone who has to be substituted in the modern game means you can give one of these guys a spell too,
Even some of the pundits pushing for AWJ as the captain are saying he would still be substituted.
Is Murray guaranteed to start? The advantage is that you would have an Irish 9-10 combo if Sexton is at 1st 5 but, again, a lot think Webb will start and Murray comes off the bench.
Farrell might be as close to a certainty as any player. Does he have any captaincy experience for Saracens?
I think at the moment Murray is as close to a dead cert to start as there can be. Webb has been playing very well but brings an awful lot of niggle and unnecessary penalties. This is a shame as he has pretty good service and is always a running threat too.
I'm not sure if Farrell has much captaincy experience although he has been touted as the England captain in waiting. I'm not so sure. I don't think I've seen enough from him as a communicator to see him as skipper material just yet. Sure he can boss a game and leads by example - just not always a good example.
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Warburton is a done deal as captain judging by the amount of "leaked" reports on him and his injury status.
Here's the latest from today's Telegraph
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@Pot-Hale said in B&I Lions 2017:
Warburton is a done deal as captain judging by the amount of "leaked" reports on him and his injury status.
Here's the latest from today's TelegraphThat article is nearly as bad as something you'd find on "Stuff"... not a single piece of actual new information justifying the headline.
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@Kruse said in B&I Lions 2017:
@Pot-Hale said in B&I Lions 2017:
Warburton is a done deal as captain judging by the amount of "leaked" reports on him and his injury status.
Here's the latest from today's TelegraphThat article is nearly as bad as something you'd find on "Stuff"... not a single piece of actual new information justifying the headline.
Pretty much copied the BBC piece I posted earlier
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@MiketheSnow said in B&I Lions 2017:
Pretty much copied the BBC piece I posted earlier
Yep - just with a more sensationalist headline.
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Latest Lions rumours on the Beeb (including Launchbury and Joseph to miss out).Two days to go until all the speculation can finally stop, and the recriminations and secondguessing begin in earnest.
