Southern Hemisphere Lions...?

First topic message reminder :

As the excitement builds over 18 months away from the next British and Irish Lions tour, four nations, technically five, come together and tour one of the Southern Hemisphere nations. This time its the Australians, possibly the form team of World Rugby, young, fast devastating in counter attack.

But how much fun would it to have a reverse fixture?

The best of South Africa, Argentina, New Zealand and Australia combined touring the UK. Maybe attempting a three match series vs one nation or maybe touring all Six Nations in one go with one off tests.

biltongbek

2 boks only in your side... dude, thats seriously humble and perhaps undervaluing yourself and the boks..... you're almost like one of the many Welsh posters... were you or your ancestors born in Merthyr by chance????

Fourie over AAC easily (although I do rate AAC very highly) and I would certainly find a place for Burger in the backrow.. probably at 7.

Anyhow I think those who think that a team like this would wipe the floor with the ENG, WAL, FRA etc should not try and get too carried away with the romance of it all.

The concept of a lions tour is very difficult to succeed in... regardless of the players you have. You have 8 weeks generally to bring 30 guys together who hardly know each other and are then tasked to build a defence, a lineout, an attack etc that they're all comfortable with.

This is not easy.... added to this you have to work combinations.. this ain't fantasy rugby here... the only way is through game time and that means injuries.

Historically the lions come the test matches have been at least 3 or 4 test players down via injuries due to the 6-7 matches they play prior to tests.

If the lions were the full represented rugby team of the home nations I would say they would be historically as strong as NZ & SA... remember the lions have a better record in SA then NZ and in NZ then SA with all the above problems so the fact that they have achieved so much with so much against them is commendable.

To be honest I completely forgot about fourie, can't actually believe I did.

I just thought up names and didn't even see there were only 2 south africans in there, my problem with 6,7 and 8 was the strength of the combiantions of SA and New Zealand.

I looked at McCaw and then couldn't leave Pocock out, but on second thought I will replace him with burger.

A centre partnership of Nonu and Fourie would be mouth watering! I would love to see that happen.

Plus biltongbek I can't believe you forgot him! You are always saying how underrated Fourie is, and I agree! Best 13 in world rugby IMO. I am disappointed

you know rory when I started the list with the forwards, I couldn't find any place for any australians, so thought it would be biased if there were only South African and Kiwi's in there, then lost focus and tried to think of more australians, and neglecting the south Africans.




















Honest.















It is true.

I forgive you not sure the australians will though for getting the sympathy vote!

Rory_Gallagher wrote:

I forgive you not sure the australians will though for getting the sympathy vote!

I don't care , they got a QF win, so they owe me.

I will have a crack then,Franks .B,DuPlessis,Franks.O
Whitelock..Donnelly
Kaino Read McCaw
Genia
Carter
O`Connor,Conrad Smith SBW Kahui
Dagg
Bench,
Woodcock,Pocock,Mealamu,Byron Kelleher,Nick Evans,Franny Steyn or Nonu,Kurtley Beale.
As to the Uncle Albert Cracks,I AM an Old Man,and the teams concerned were for a Rugby Centenary not sure what.A lot of big names played on both sides
they were festival matches,played for FUN.Barbarians USED to do that for Charity,when the GAME was more important than the result.
Finally the LIONS are worth persisting with because THEY are the ONLY real tour
now.When players got mid week games and being a Lion was THE greatest career achievement.How many NH players have been in a RWC winning team?
,

I put Fourie in my team Biltong. And Burger at 8. I rate AAC but I think Fourie is one of the most underrated players in world rugby.

emack2 wrote:I will have a crack then,Franks .B,DuPlessis,Franks.O
Whitelock..Donnelly
Kaino Read McCaw
Genia
Carter
O`Connor,Conrad Smith SBW Kahui
Dagg
Bench,
Woodcock,Pocock,Mealamu,Byron Kelleher,Nick Evans,Franny Steyn or Nonu,Kurtley Beale.
As to the Uncle Albert Cracks,I AM an Old Man,and the teams concerned were for a Rugby Centenary not sure what.A lot of big names played on both sides
they were festival matches,played for FUN.Barbarians USED to do that for Charity,when the GAME was more important than the result.
Finally the LIONS are worth persisting with because THEY are the ONLY real tour
now.When players got mid week games and being a Lion was THE greatest career achievement.How many NH players have been in a RWC winning team?
,

Yeah, you were right, Alan, we might as well send the all Blacks with a different coloured shirt.

Just don´t make the jersey that horrible grey. Grey shirt, grey life. Plus a quarter final exit.

Kaino´s off to Japan Alan so he won´t be playing. It may preserve him for the World Cup in 2015 but you never know who might replace you.

I saw a thread that said England came second in the 6N and were second best in many positions. It´d be great to have 30 players on the field with each position duplicated and you had to stay 5m of your fellow number. I´d love to see Carter and Fran Steyn operating side by side and Burger and Higganbotham or Dagg and Beale. Scrums could be a problem but it´s a work in progress. Maybe you could have two balls. I need to research this more - in the bar - and I´ll get back to you.

Just make your final recommendaions before the whisky takes over.

That´s how I got there in the first place. Whisky is my muse. It´s my Scottish heritage. My aqua vitae.

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:That´s how I got there in the first place. Whisky is my muse. It´s my Scottish heritage. My aqua vitae.

+1

Single malt. None of this blended muck. No ice. No coke. Just a dash of water and a cleared schedule. Damn this hot weather in Madrid. I need a dram!

Kia how do you like the colour green?

With a little gold on the collar?

And white Rugby shorts?

With Green socks?

And two gold lines to finish it off?

And then perhaps the Tri Nations logo on the chest?

And the silver fern on the left cheeck?

The wallaby on the right cheeck?

And the Springbok on the other side of the chest?

For the SH Lions I mean.

And then just to rub it in 6 rugby world cup trophies instead of a sponsor with the dates?

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:Single malt. None of this blended muck. No ice. No coke. Just a dash of water and a cleared schedule. Damn this hot weather in Madrid. I need a dram!

I like it with just one small block of ice, in a short glass with a nice cigar.

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:Single malt. None of this blended muck. No ice. No coke. Just a dash of water and a cleared schedule. Damn this hot weather in Madrid. I need a dram!

+1 again.

A nice smokey Islay on a winter's day, a smooth light Speyside in high summer, or a lovely complex Highland malt pretty much any time

6. Broussow 7. Pocock 8. Burger

So Kia...you're not gonna let the opposition have any ball at all!! ha ha

Thats a scary back row...might be light with only Burger as the ball carrier though...

Sounds more like the Super XV Lions than the SH Lions mate.

I think a better compromise is needed.

We need a composite animal. The long legs of a kangaroo, the horns of a springbok, the long beak of a Kiwi. The silver bokeroo.

The colour of the strip: Midas brown because all who come up against us turn to s**t.

Geordie, I don´t think light and Burger should be in the same sentence. If you want that, go to McDonalds!

obviously i meant only Burger of those 3 are real ball carriers...or would you be relying on Bismark etc to do the damage with ball in hand?

AHA!!! I knew our SH friends would stop laughing when the question was actually put to them!

They're still deciding the colour of the kit??????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Methinks evasion is doing a deal with fear here!

Come on............... balanced team sheets is what we want. With everyone happy in the end with their contribution (or lack of it due to the series needing to be won )

GeordieFalcon wrote: obviously i meant only Burger of those 3 are real ball carriers...or would you be relying on Bismark etc to do the damage with ball in hand?

Mate, Broussow and Pocock pilfer and then Burger takes on the line and skips out to Nonu and Fourie. Then recycled ball and Genia and Carter weave their magic and Beale and Ioane enter the line at speed and Jane fends off to score. Repeat ad nauseum. We don´t need ball carriers in the forwards!

Risky game against a side with the likes of Wales defence..which has been seriously impressive.

A good 7 to compete, and get some of the NH bruisers like Ferris, or Morgan running making yards...

My attempt

Beale
JOC
Fourie
Nonu
Jane

Carter
Genia

Read
McCaw
Smith

Bekker
Whitelock

O Franks
du Plessis
Woodcock

Bench

B Franks, Moore, Horwill, Burger (full back row cover), Hougaard, Lambie (would be Evans but for selection policy), SBW

kiakahaaotearoa wrote: Sounds more like the Super XV Lions than the SH Lions mate.

I think a better compromise is needed.

We need a composite animal. The long legs of a kangaroo, the horns of a springbok, the long beak of a Kiwi. The silver bokeroo.

The colour of the strip: Midas brown because all who come up against us turn to s**t.

Geordie, I don´t think light and Burger should be in the same sentence. If you want that, go to McDonalds!

Kia just for you. KIWIBOKKOO

Spoiler:

You need to start iwth a squad of 30.

Let's find the top two in each position.

Remember our 7 are their 6 and vice versa

That´s one freaky looking animal. Part of it just wants to sleep all day and the other part wants to run or jump or fight somebody. Actually when I come to think of it, that sounds just about right!

Top 2 and good for my rebel league idea.
15. Beale. Dagg 11. Ioane The other one is up in the air as Gear and Habana have been off form. Almost tempted to put in a fully fit Mitchell.
14. Jane A girly name but not a girly fend. JOC narrowly over Petersen
13. Smith Fourie Really tough on AAC but so be it.
12. Nonu Fran Steyn
10. Carter Lambie (M Steyn for his goalkicking is not really needed. We want to go up in multiples of 5 rather than 3. Cooper is struggling still in the Super15)
9. Genia Hougaard
8. Burger Read Making room for Burger as I like the idea of him running from the back and make room for other players at 6.
7. Pocock McCaw Pocock´s pilfering is unmatched. McCaw´s all-round game and leadership are unmatched.
6. Juan Smith if fully fit. Broussow Just because it´d be great to have two pilferers. Tough on Higganbotham as I rate him and no Kaino makes me sad.
5. Whitelock SA unknown selection
4. Bekker Ali Williams
3. Owen Franks. Beast
2. DuPlessis Mealamu
1. Woodcock Really struggling here in the tight five. I´m a back. These fatties all look the same to me!

That is pretty much how I see it. Beast plays at 1 so I will put him there and Jannie du Plessis at 3 with Franks.

Ok cheers mate. They all look Greek to me up there in the front row. Acidopholus would make a good name for a prop.

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:Ok cheers mate. They all look Greek to me up there in the front row. Acidopholus would make a good name for a prop.

Now now, you can't steal our selection policy and start giving Greek front row players caps just because they've been in your country a while. Makes a mockery of the long-held traditional values of the southern Lions...

ChequeredJersey wrote:

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:Ok cheers mate. They all look Greek to me up there in the front row. Acidopholus would make a good name for a prop.

Now now, you can't steal our selection policy and start giving Greek front row players caps just because they've been in your country a while. Makes a mockery of the long-held traditional values of the southern Lions...

There's plenty of 2nd and 3rd generation Greek migrants in Australia . Most of them play soccer mind you.

What's all this gibberish about Pocock not being a ball runner? The bloke is a one-man team over there in Perth right now. Hit-ups, tackles, pilfers, tries... I'm just waiting for him to take over the kicking duties.

Can't we find a spot for Matt Dunning somewhere?

A 3 test series of a NH v SH lions would be a great spectacle. Utterly pointless, but a great spectacle.

Matt Dunning - I was thinking tackle bag but he's probably too soft

Poor old Matt, he's probably a very nice bloke but for some reason I can't help wanting to make fun of him.

Full Credit wrote:What's all this gibberish about Pocock not being a ball runner? The bloke is a one-man team over there in Perth right now. Hit-ups, tackles, pilfers, tries... I'm just waiting for him to take over the kicking duties.

Can't we find a spot for Matt Dunning somewhere?

A 3 test series of a NH v SH lions would be a great spectacle. Utterly pointless, but a great spectacle.

Well now, not sure it will be pointless, it wil provide us with some more bragging rights of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAvMKkC1kjA

he can't half drop a goal though... Jonny who??

Pity he didn't mean it and that his side needed to score a try... oops.

Matt "the meat pie" Dunning... the baby-faced assassin! That drop goal was hilarious in the context of the match.

Back to the lions, I'm not so sure we could all get along together. I'd feel horribly conflicted cheering on a kiwi. As a handicap PDV should be appointed coach.

Nice one FC.

Matt Moccaccino Dunning. Big and bulky on the outside but soft and marshmallowy in the middle. Yeah he´s in.

Pocock does all that for the Force FC because there isn´t much in the way of choice. Anyway he was in my original team so don´t worry he is much more than a pilferer of the ball. It´s just when you compare him with Captain Tackles then you go for where he is doing better.

As for feeling horribly conflicted cheering on a kiwi, were you booing at poor old Quade Cooper as well then mate?

Too right! Him and Deans both copped an earful after the world cup semi... both were the sole reason we lost.

If things go bad this year for us, you´re welcome to Steve Hansen as well. We´ll also throw in Cowan for free. ANZAC spirit 'n' all.

Cheers mate. We'll be needing Donald as well to sweeten the deal... Cowan at 9, Donald Duck at 10, Hansen at the helm... it's got a good feel to it.

I won´t hear a bad word against Beaver. He scored the winning points for us. He´s ours. Well Bath´s strictly speaking. That HK missed touch was just to give you false hope. All part of our diabolical plan.

Full Credit wrote:Matt "the meat pie" Dunning...

More like a pillowcase full of cake mix.

I prefer marshmellow, you get him close to the fire and he melts.

Full Credit wrote:Too right! Him and Deans both copped an earful after the world cup semi... both were the sole reason we lost.

I hope you gave them an earful after the 3Ns as well.

In hindsight it was obviously a diabolical plot by the kiwi double agents to lull us into a false sense of security ahead of the world cup with Cooper really selling the con with that cheap knee to McCaw's head.

Devious.