Home Nations Choices after the Six Nations with a view to Lions squad selection

First topic message reminder :

Here is who everyone voted as their favourite players in each position.



15. Kearny and Foden

14. Bowe and Ashton

13. O'Driscoll and Tuilagi

12. Jamie Roberts and Brad Barritt

11. North and either Sharples or Trimble they both finished on equal votes

10. Sexton, Farrell and either Flood or Priestland

9. Phillips, Youngs and Blair

8. Morgan and Denton

7. Warburton and Rennie

6. Ferris and Lydiate

5. Gray and Lawes

4. POC and either Ian Evans or Geoff Parling same amount of votes

3. Adam and Cole

2. Best and Hartley

1. Gethin and Corbisiero


Utility backs and Forwards are

Keith Earls, Jonny May

And

Sean O'Brien, Kelly Brown and Ryan Jones


Players that play in more than one position suffered in the vote as for example with a player like Leigh Halfpenny people could not determine whether they preferred him as a winger or as a fullback.

That said, after asking for five player you recommend from nations other than your own, an idea to try and cajole an appreciative view of who posters rate. Results being that a player like Halfpenny then seemed a very popular choice. Likewise Jon Davies and Sean O'Brien.

I use this as an example of what we get from polling in the way I have. It may create a squad that is easily up for debate and deliberation, but in contrast the Test Team is probably quite a likely one.

The Choice Test side looking like:

1. G. Jenkins
2. R. Best
3. A. Jones
4. P. O'Connell
5. R. Gray
6. S. Ferris
7. S. Warburton (Captain)
8. B. Morgan
9. M. Phillips
10. J. Sexton
11. G. North
12. J. Roberts
13. B O'Driscoll
14. T. Bowe
15. R. Kearney

Popular five from each Home Nation post are below

England

Cole
Foden
Farrell
Morgan
Tuilagi

Ireland

Best
Ferris
Heeley
Kearney
Sexton

Scotland

Denton
Ford
Gray
Hogg
Rennie

Wales

Warburton
Davies
Jenkins
Lydiate
North


Relevant Links

https://www.606v2.com/t27937-suggest-five-players-from-each-of-other-home-nations-that-you-think-should-be-in-the-lions-squad

https://www.606v2.com/t27767p50-outside-choices-of-the-home-nations-for-the-2013-lions-tour-to-australia

https://www.606v2.com/t27648-tour-captain-choices-of-the-home-nations

https://www.606v2.com/t27195-utility-forwards-choices-of-the-home-nations

https://www.606v2.com/t27570-utility-backs-choices-of-the-home-nations

https://www.606v2.com/t27514-fullbacks-choices-of-the-home-nations

https://www.606v2.com/t27459-right-winger-choices-of-the-home-nations

https://www.606v2.com/t27406-outside-centre-choices-of-the-home-nations

https://www.606v2.com/t27362-inside-center-choices-of-the-home-nations

https://www.606v2.com/t27441-left-winger-choices-of-the-home-nations

https://www.606v2.com/t27317-flyhalf-choices-of-the-home-nations

https://www.606v2.com/t27250-scrumhalf-choices-of-the-home-nations

https://www.606v2.com/t27122-number-8-choices-of-the-home-nations

https://www.606v2.com/t27020-openside-choices-of-the-home-nations

https://www.606v2.com/t26967-blindside-choices-of-the-home-nations

https://www.606v2.com/t26916-lock-choices-of-the-home-nations

https://www.606v2.com/t26794-tight-head-prop-choices-of-the-home-nations

https://www.606v2.com/t26852-hooker-choices-of-the-home-nations

https://www.606v2.com/t26788-loosehead-prop-choices-of-the-home-nations

Mike Phillips double Grandslam winner and previous Lions tour test scrum half.

Very Very Bad example...

maestegmafia wrote:

Smirnoffpriest wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:Here is who everyone voted as their favourite players in each position.

15. Kearny and Foden

14. Bowe and Ashton

13. O'Driscoll and Tuilagi

12. Jamie Roberts and Brad Barritt

11. North and either Sharples or Trimble they both finished on equal votes

10. Sexton, Farrell and either Flood or Priestland

9. Phillips, Youngs and Blair

8. Morgan and Denton

7. Warburton and Rennie

6. Ferris and Lydiate

5. Gray and Lawes

4. POC and either Ian Evans or Geoff Parling same amount of votes

3. Adam and Cole

2. Best and Hartley

1. Gethin and Corbisiero

So it's basically the England side and one other in every position bar 6 & 7?

Yes it appears that a large majority of the 606v2 pundits were on the selection committee for the 2005 lions tour to NZ...!

It's all opinions & if you don't agree tough. It would appear that there are more English players nominated than other countries players & that will hurt some people I think.

But all in all I think those selections are about right.....for now!

maestegmafia wrote:Mike Phillips double Grandslam winner and previous Lions tour test scrum half.

Very Very Bad example...

Different strokes for different folks. Call me crazy but I want a passing scrum half.

sugar,

I think its a bit of horses for courses. I wouldn't want Phillips and A N Other of the same ilk as him in a match day squad.

I wasn't to keen on having him and Knoyle for Wales as to alike. So if Phillips and say Blair or Youngs were the two No9s I would be happy

I understand your point spikes. I normally prefer a more traditional type passing scrumhalf. But who is the standout candidate apart from Phillips? And you can't deny he has a bit of the X factor about him. He comes up with big plays at important moments. He's one of the key men that have driven Wales recent success. For me he's a definite starter if the Lions were flying out tomorrow.

People just don't like Phillips - The guys a beast and the opposition 9's hate playing against him - He always gets badly treated on here yet has proved to be a match winner time and time again - Iron Mike everytime

Phillips just doesn't fit some peoples perceptions of what a traditional scrumhalf should be, in the way that someone like Will Genia probably does.

But Keith Wood didn't play like a normal hooker. I remember Elsom saying that some of the things O'Driscoll does in defence are exactly the opposite of what you'd coach a young centre to do. He'll stand where he shouldn't be sometimes. He'll shoot out and leave an acre of space behind him. But he'll hit his man and stop the attack every time.

Phillips is effective. Very effective. That's all that matters.

It's all opinion guys.

Primarily I want a scrum-half who is good at his core business and and I don't buy into the 'look what else he adds' argument. It's like having a prop who is good around the park but struggles in the scrum. Yes, he might look flashy as he chases down a back or acts like an extra flanker but if he's not good at the basics he can be a liability. Phillips is very effective at some aspects of the game but, for me, not in the right areas.

I'm not averse to players being unconventional, but there has to be a benchmark of ability for the core skills of a position.

Plus, he was successful against the Boks in the last Lions but the Aussies are very different. Horses for courses.

Pour moi:

15. Kearney
14. Bowe/Cuthbert
13. BOD
12. JD2
11. North
10. Sexton
9. Phillips

1. Corbisiero
2. Best
3. A Jones
4. POC
5. Gray
6. O'Brien/Ferris
7. Warburton
8. Denton/Heaslip/Morgan/Faletau???

16. Hartley
17. Healy
18. Lawes
19. O'Brien/Ferris
20. Reddan
21. Farrell
22. Halfpenny

I like that team the losty - though would expect Ashton to regain some form at some point next season and be in instead of Cuthbert

This is from a year ago...!

Thought it would be interesting to see who 606v2 thought was and was not in the mix when the final team was announced