Openside Choices of the Home Nations?

Lets look at who the board rate as the best Opensides possible suggestions for the Lions next year.

Pick TWO Opensides from the Poll below.

Here we go. The biggest decision. Obviously Warburton is a definite starter but who to bring on the bench is the question. I voted for Warbs and SOB. Although not a vintage year for SOB, he can still come back to his bullocking best. At least I hope he will.

Went for Sam and Wood.Toyed with picking Rennie but his butchering of good moves went against him.Rate SOB but he is not an openside.This is the problem with the Irish backrow,they are 8's or 6's.

Havent seen much of Wood this year, injuries and all. Played well last year.

Warburton and Tuperic for me, SOB or Wood as an extra backrower maybe.

Keep forgetting to select 2

So, Warbs and probably SOB as he can also cover 6&8

Actually, probably better to take a specialist 7...Rennie or Tipuric then

I think a specialist seven is what we want in oz.

I will do a utility forward poll I guess to cover multi positional anomalies...!

I think Tuperic is already showing he can be Blwdi useful. The scots are great lads too. Both cracking players despite their performances in attack where they dropped passes, gave the ball away, couldnt catch etc, they don't play like that for their clubs.

Most consistent players at the moment are Armitage & Robshawe.

All the others are either inconsistent, injury prone or show potential.

That doesn't mean to say they are the best but that's the problem with having a poll now. It will all change in 6 months.

Not taking two specialist 7s is ludicrous, as is suggesting that SOB could compete with Pocock as a fetcher. It has to be Rennie and Warbuton on current form.

Warburton and O'Brien. Two of the best players in the NH with Stephen Ferris. These 3 will be the first names down for the tour.

hmm even as an England fan I sense the anti-Welsh feeling has gotten strong on this board

Warburton and Rennie for me. Tuperic not far away, but I fear he won't get enough chances in the Welsh jersey to further his cause.

I think the Lions will take 2 proper 7s, which would mean Warburton and Rennie.

The squad will probably end up with 7 back-rowers with the 7th player being versatile cover, so between Robshaw, Wood and SOB - of those three, I'd say O'Brien is the most talented, but he didn't have a great 6Ns.

I went for Rennie and SOB - main reason I didn't go for Warburton, is his injury record. I would have selected him over the other 2 otherwise, but he really needs to get sorted out next season if he wants to captain the Lions. Very injury prone right now.

Also, there was a good point made about this "natural" 7s thing the other day. There are different types of players in every position, like at 12 you have the likes of Nonu, Roberts, Barnes etc. All different players, play a different sort of game, but they are still 12s. Why does a 7 have to be a certain type of player then? Warburton was described as a 6.5 when he started for Wales I remember..

I'd go Warbs and Rennie simply because they'd be competing with Pocock- who I think is the best 7 in the world. A 6 or a 6.5 masquerading at 7 would get blown away. Got to fight fire with fire.

If you wear 7, you are playing 7. Not 6.5, there is no 6.5 shirt.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:If you wear 7, you are playing 7. Not 6.5, there is no 6.5 shirt.

The point is more that a player who isn't a true out and out 7 playing there against Pocock wouldn't fair well. I.e O'Brien would in my opinion, be much better used as a 6 or an 8, not being forced into the 7 jersey.

O'Brien has outplayed Warburton twice this season. Played him off the park in Leinster v Blues (was motm) and outplayed him on the deck in the 6N.

He isn't forced into the 7 jersey, because his favourite position is either 6 or 7. He would rather not play 8. A "true" out and out 7, what even is that? Someone who competes at the breakdown? Watch SOB play and you will see him do exactly that. Plus Dusuatoir bossed the NZ back row again in a world cup despite not being a "true" 7..

Plus, Pocock is one man, the Lions is a team of 15 players. Why would our 7 be the only man able to combat him? Knock him off his feet, no matter who you are. We don't need a 7 to target Pocock the entire game. That would be a waste of a player.

Lol the only poster to pick croft. He is thr future mark my words

Look, i'm not bashing O'Brien at all, he is a fantastic player and I think he could be pushing for the starting 6 jersey. Yes, O'Brien does compete at the breakdown, not once have I said that he doesn't. He did a good job at 7 during the 6N, but I don't think his future's there. Pocock's ability to get to the ball first and turn it over is what makes him great, and as a trump to that, I think the Lions will need someone who is equally as effective- getting to the ball first, staying and their feet and turning it over. All attributes that each player in a team is taught, but a 7 typically does the best and spends their career harnessing. That's all. I'm just saying that an out and out 7 (sorry Rory) would be best suited to beat Pocock to the ball and secure it.

I agree and I'd start Warbuton at 7 but I am 100% O'brien will tour and feature in the tests, perhaps from the bench or maybe even at 8.

He's just too good to leave out.

Absolutely roddersm. He has to tour, because I think his physicality will cause real problems. Him or Ferris as an impact sub would be so destructive.

Well I'd have him behind Ferris and Lydiate for the 6 jersey and Warburton for the 7 but I'd find a place for him somewhere. He offers too much not to feature.

Like Croft he has that x factor in attack but he also has a phenomenal all round game and workrate.

Theres so many good back rowers it will come down to balance and the best combinations rather than individuals.

roddersm wrote:O'Brien has outplayed Warburton twice this season. Played him off the park in Leinster v Blues (was motm) and outplayed him on the deck in the 6N.

In Leinster vs Blues,

O'Brein playing 8, didn't outplay Navidi playing 7 (who was the only Blues player to perform from what I remember)


As for SOB outplaying Warbs on the floor in Ireland - I don't think so, in anycase, Tipuric outshone SOB in the second half.

Blues v Leinster O'Brien and Warbs were both playing 7 and O'brien was MOTM.

Were I picking a Lions squad now I'd go with Warburton as first choice and Ross Rennie as back-up.

I think SOB could tour as well, as general back row cover (as he can play across the back row). Judged as a pure openside, I think he's behind Warburton and Rennie.

Warbs & Rennie by a distance

roddersm wrote:O'Brien has outplayed Warburton twice this season. Played him off the park in Leinster v Blues (was motm) and outplayed him on the deck in the 6N.

Thanks for that. The rest of the Rugby world is clearly wrong and SOB is the top 7 and the balance of the Irish back row is just perfect as it is.

Thankfully for the rest of us Kidney seems to agree with you

Me and Deccie are two peas in a pod

Obviously the panels which awarded SOB motm against the Blues and the HEC player of the year award last year don't count as the rest of the rugby world then Dragon old bean?

The problem with Rennie is I feel he could fall off next year with second season syndrome hitting him. SOB is the only choice as the other specialists are not experienced to deal with Pocock. Although SOB hasn't really been up against Pocock in an important match, I still for some reason have more faith in him to deal with him. Besides, dealing with Pocock has a 1 in 10 success chance, at times he's just unstoppable.

Seriously, since when was this season Rennie's first?

He has played for Scotland since 2008...

Yeah Rennie has been playing since 2008, he was injured for the bulk of 2010 and had it not been for that Probably would have been playing instead of Barclay for Scotland.

All trhough the age groups Rennie was always considered superiour to Barclay.

drsambo1928 wrote:The problem with Rennie is I feel he could fall off next year with second season syndrome hitting him. SOB is the only choice as the other specialists are not experienced to deal with Pocock. Although SOB hasn't really been up against Pocock in an important match, I still for some reason have more faith in him to deal with him. Besides, dealing with Pocock has a 1 in 10 success chance, at times he's just unstoppable.

I don't think SOB will handle Pocock better than say Warbs or Rennie. Sure, he might stand a chance using sheer physicality, but a prototypical 7 will be best at nullifying Pocock's threat.

Rodders, Im sorry, but SOB hasnt outplayed Warburton this season, the leinster backrow outplayed the blues backrow and the 6nations game couldnt have been any closer in any aspect all over the park.

I voted for Warbs/Rennie. I think SOB will go as backrow cover though as he is an excellant player and can cover all of the backrow. No-one in the NH matches Warbs at 7 when hes fully fit for me.

Comfort wrote: No-one in the NH matches Warbs at 7 when hes fully fit for me.

I agree, which is why he has to be the man to nullify Pocock. It's a mouth-watering prospect

Comfort wrote:Rodders, Im sorry, but SOB hasnt outplayed Warburton this season, the leinster backrow outplayed the blues backrow and the 6nations game couldnt have been any closer in any aspect all over the park.

I voted for Warbs/Rennie. I think SOB will go as backrow cover though as he is an excellant player and can cover all of the backrow. No-one in the NH matches Warbs at 7 when hes fully fit for me.

SOB was motm so therefore had the better game. How come if Wales beat Ireland Warbs has outplayed SOB but if Leinster beat the blues its the Leinster backrow who've out played Blues backrow?

Is it so hard to give credit were its due and admit SOB had a better game when they were head to head?

Agree Warbs is the best 7 around but SOB's shortcomings at 7 are much exaggerated.

roddersm wrote:

Agree Warbs is the best 7 around but SOB's shortcomings at 7 are much exaggerated.

They are, and I think he's deputised very very well at 7, but it's just becoming apparent that it's not his natural position.

no rodders i agree, and the use of double standards does no-one on here any good!

They're very different types of players, and I think they'd make an excellant pairing on the flanks with someone like Faletau/Heaslip at 8 with a good all round game.

I agree with what you're saying, but i think its hard to describe someone as outplaying another player if they dont play the exact same type of game. The leinster unit certainly outplayed the blues unit but thats involving another 2 players on each side.

sorry didn't read the instructions went for Rennie.

Mad for Chelsea wrote:hmm even as an England fan I sense the anti-Welsh feeling has gotten strong on this board

Warburton and Rennie for me. Tuperic not far away, but I fear he won't get enough chances in the Welsh jersey to further his cause.

Agree with your comments, the problem with Warbs he is always injured so Tuperic will get plenty of chances.

bluestonevedder wrote:

Comfort wrote: No-one in the NH matches Warbs at 7 when hes fully fit for me.

I agree, which is why he has to be the man to nullify Pocock. It's a mouth-watering prospect

At 25 he is a year or two older than Warbs but Rennie was a nominee for the Six Nations player of the championship, he outperformed Warbs and SOB at the openside channel....... IMHO during the 6Ns matches. So based on "current form" he is the man in the Lions 7 jersey most certainly

Considering the Lions is a good while off I would consider Ross over and above the others on performance over the last 3-4 months

flyhalffactory wrote:

bluestonevedder wrote:

Comfort wrote: No-one in the NH matches Warbs at 7 when hes fully fit for me.

I agree, which is why he has to be the man to nullify Pocock. It's a mouth-watering prospect

At 25 he is a year or two older than Warbs but Rennie was a nominee for the Six Nations player of the championship, he outperformed Warbs and SOB at the openside channel.......

Shingler played openside against Scotland not Warburton.

Nor did he play against SOB in the Ireland match, he was up against O'Mahony..

O'Mahony is a good lad, i like him, very honest player. Good prospect.

Could well see SOB move to 8 with Ruddock and O'Mahony on the flanks for Ireland in the future.

Shane Jennings. Best 7 in the NH.

I can't see Ruddock ever making it to be honest. Plus SOB is not an 8, and POM is not a 7. IMO at least.

maestegmafia wrote:

flyhalffactory wrote:

bluestonevedder wrote:

Comfort wrote: No-one in the NH matches Warbs at 7 when hes fully fit for me.

I agree, which is why he has to be the man to nullify Pocock. It's a mouth-watering prospect

At 25 he is a year or two older than Warbs but Rennie was a nominee for the Six Nations player of the championship, he outperformed Warbs and SOB at the openside channel.......

Shingler played openside against Scotland not Warburton.

And gethin Jenkins was the best "jackler" on the day!!!

On tonights performance...dont bet against Steffon Armitage being on that plane....for a guy who looks so unfit...he's was seriously impressive tonight...and has been all season for Toulon...

Warbs and SOB, someone will challenge SOB though, number of people could do it.