Lions team to face New Zelaland in first test.

1. M Vunipola
2. K Owens
3. T Francis
4. M Itoje
5. A W Jones
6. R Moriarty
7. S Warburton
8. B Vunipola
9. C Murray
10. J Sexton
11. L Williams
12. O Farrell
13. J Joseph
14. G North
15. S Hogg

This will not go down well!

I'd take out most of those Welsh players for starters. And I'm Welsh!!!

Oh no -  not another one of these threads.

Anyway you can't just pick your national team and try and fill in a few places just to make it look 'legit'.

1. M Vunipola possibly
2. K Owens no
3. T Francis no
4. M Itoje yes
5. A W Jones possibly
6. R Moriarty no
7. S Warburton no
8. B Vunipola yes
9. C Murray no
10. J Sexton yes
11. L Williams possibly
12. O Farrell yes
13. J Joseph yes
14. G North no
15. S Hogg yes

A bit of a deserved corrective purge

I Really don't not know how you can select players who have not played for a while ( both vunipolas. sexton )
those 3 for a start.

[quote="international198"]1. M Vunipola - Not played yet this 6N, so unknown
2. K Owens -not in a million years
3. T Francis - you must be joking, can't even get into his club squad matchday 23, shows how desperate the Welsh are at 3.
4. M Itoje - possible, but not played there officially this 6N, both Lawes and Launchbury have outplayed him so far.
5. A W Jones - Possibly but out played by Lawes and Launchbury, albeit in different ways on Saturday
6. R Moriarty - Oh please............... tackling is not everything
7. S Warburton - possible if he moves back to 7 for Wales
8. B Vunipola - If fit, big ???????????
9. C Murray - possible, depends on who is 10
10. J Sexton - Not played yet this 6N, on past form yes, but ?????? on fitness
11. L Williams - Not close to any of three English wings, one Irish and one Scot at present. Three games to prove me wrong.
12. O Farrell - Possible, depends on 10 and 13
13. J Joseph - Not on 6N form would have to be Irish lad whose name escapes me, Ring.............
14. G North - See Williams
15. S Hogg[- Only if WG decides to go on a we can score more than they can, defensive liability, especial against a side that will target him like the ABs/quote]

alive555 wrote:1. M Vunipola possibly
2. K Owens no
3. T Francis no
4. M Itoje yes
5. A W Jones possibly
6. R Moriarty no
7. S Warburton no
8. B Vunipola yes
9. C Murray no
10. J Sexton yes
11. L Williams possibly
12. O Farrell yes
13. J Joseph yes
14. G North no
15. S Hogg yes

A bit of a deserved corrective purge

Ok. I'm willing to negotiate. How about:

1. M Vunipola
2. J George
3. D Cole
4. M Itoje
5. A W Jones
6. R Moriarty
7. S Warburton
8. B Vunipola
9. B Youngs
10. J Sexton
11. L Williams
12. O Farrell
13. J Joseph
14. K Earls
15. S Hogg

alive555 wrote:1. M Vunipola possibly
2. K Owens no
3. T Francis no
4. M Itoje yes
5. A W Jones possibly
6. R Moriarty no
7. S Warburton no
8. B Vunipola yes
9. C Murray no
10. J Sexton yes
11. L Williams possibly
12. O Farrell yes
13. J Joseph yes
14. G North no
15. S Hogg yes

A bit of a deserved corrective purge

Ok. I'm willing to negotiate. How about:

1. M Vunipola
2. J George
3. D Cole
4. M Itoje
5. A W Jones
6. R Moriarty
7. S Warburton
8. B Vunipola
9. B Youngs
10. J Sexton
11. L Williams
12. O Farrell
13. J Joseph
14. K Earls
15. S Hogg

What about the 2nd test?

whocares wrote:What about the 2nd test?

Gatland flies in the Irish lads from destinations all over the world and them still with their holiday speedos on and no kit.

international198 wrote:

alive555 wrote:1. M Vunipola possibly
2. K Owens no
3. T Francis no
4. M Itoje yes
5. A W Jones possibly
6. R Moriarty no
7. S Warburton no
8. B Vunipola yes
9. C Murray no
10. J Sexton yes
11. L Williams possibly
12. O Farrell yes
13. J Joseph yes
14. G North no
15. S Hogg yes

A bit of a deserved corrective purge

Ok. I'm willing to negotiate. How about:

1. M Vunipola
2. J George
3. D Cole
4. M Itoje
5. A W Jones
6. R Moriarty
7. S Warburton
8. B Vunipola
9. B Youngs
10. J Sexton
11. L Williams
12. O Farrell
13. J Joseph
14. K Earls
15. S Hogg

At this moment would swap AWJ for Launchbery.

Would not take B Vunipola due to lack of game time. Moriarty at 8 CJ Stander at 6.

Would take Biggar over Sexton at fly half, ( again due to lack of game time)

What we really need to make a fair judgement on a lions team is someone who has no personal bias towards their native land. You can tell without looking from some of the team suggestions what the nationality of the poster is. Talk about tunnel vision!

majesticimperialman wrote:
Would not take B Vunipola due to lack of game time. Moriarty at 8 CJ Stander at 6.

Would take Biggar over Sexton at fly half, ( again due to lack of game time)

Moriarty after a very good performance of basically 50 minutes of tackling?

You do know it's only February right? Providing the injured players get a 6 to 8 weeks in before the end of the season then there is no reason for them not to tour. As long as they are proven international class players such as Sexton and Vunipola then maybe even shorter.

poissonrouge wrote:What we really need to make a fair judgement on a lions team is someone who has no personal bias towards their native land. You can tell without looking from some of the team suggestions what the nationality of the poster is. Talk about tunnel vision!

McGrath, Best, Furlong
J Grey, Wyn-Jones (c)
CJ Stander, Faletau, Warburton
Murray, Sexton
L Wiliams, Henshaw, Jones, Seymour
Hogg

Cronin, Healy, WP Nel, Henderson, Tipuric, Webb, Russell, North

I'll let you guess my 'native' land .

poissonrouge wrote:What we really need to make a fair judgement on a lions team is someone who has no personal bias towards their native land. You can tell without looking from some of the team suggestions what the nationality of the poster is. Talk about tunnel vision!

Push the idea that we should only pick a 15 that does not include any of your own nations players

1.McGrath
2.George
3.Cole
4.J Gray (c)
5.Itoje
6.Stander
7.Tipuric
8.B Vunipola

9.Murray
10.Sexton

11.L Williams
12.Henshaw
13.Joseph
14.Watson
15.Hogg

16.Best
17.M Vunipola
18.Furlong
19.AWJ
20.Faletau
21.Youngs
22.Farrell
23.Daly

Someone's had one too many tonight..,

king_carlos wrote:1.McGrath
2.George
3.Cole
4.J Gray (c)
5.Itoje
6.Stander
7.Tipuric
8.B Vunipola

9.Murray
10.Sexton

11.L Williams
12.Henshaw
13.Joseph
14.Watson
15.Hogg

16.Best
17.M Vunipola
18.Furlong
19.AWJ
20.Faletau
21.Youngs
22.Farrell
23.Daly

I'd go for something pretty similar I think. I've just been told off by an Englishman for saying that George North is not in form, so therefore if he is in sparkling form as the English say then he might make my team as a winger! I might be tempted to put AWJ in instead if Itoje based on 6N form. Not sure I'd make Gray captain either. Sexton or Farell at 10 is a tough one. Based on game time I might play Farell.

international198 wrote:

alive555 wrote:1. M Vunipola possibly
2. K Owens no
3. T Francis no
4. M Itoje yes
5. A W Jones possibly
6. R Moriarty no
7. S Warburton no
8. B Vunipola yes
9. C Murray no
10. J Sexton yes
11. L Williams possibly
12. O Farrell yes
13. J Joseph yes
14. G North no
15. S Hogg yes

A bit of a deserved corrective purge

Ok. I'm willing to negotiate. How about:

1. M Vunipola
2. J George
3. D Cole
4. M Itoje
5. A W Jones
6. R Moriarty
7. S Warburton
8. B Vunipola
9. B Youngs
10. J Sexton
11. L Williams
12. O Farrell
13. J Joseph
14. K Earls
15. S Hogg

You have managed to pick not one but two of the most idiotic starting XV I have seen - some achievement

Wouldn't expect much more from our resident "write a random list" poster

I was ok with it until I saw K.Owens in there, Lol

15 Hogg
14 Maitland
13 Ringrose
12 Henshaw
11 Seymour
10 Farrell
9 Murray
8 Stander
7 O'Brien
6 Itoje
5 Gray
4 AWJ (C)
3 Furlong
2 Best
1 McGrath

Bench: Vainapoli, George, Cole, Kruis, Vainapolo, Webb, Ford , Zebo

1.Vunipola
2.George
3.Furlong
4.AWJ
5.Itoje
6.Stander
7.Warburton
8.Vunipola

9.Murray
10.Farrell
11.Williams
12.Henshaw
13.Joseph
14.Maitland
15.Hogg

2 Scots, 6 English, 4 Irish, 3 Welsh

15. Hogg
14. Seymour
13. Joseph
12. Henshaw
11. Williams
10. Sexton
9. Murray

1. McGrath
2. Hartley (c)
3. Furlong
4. Itoje
5. J Gray (vc)
6. Stander
7. Robshaw
8. V Vunipola

16. F Brown
17. M Vunipola
18. WP Nel
19. AW Jones
20. H Watson
21. Webb
22. Farrell
23. Daly

1. Vunipola
2. George
3. Cole
4. Itoje
5. Kruis
6. Robshaw
7. Tipuric
8. Vunipola
9. Murray
10. Farrell
11. L. Williams
12. Henshaw
13. Joseph
14. Nowell
15. Hogg

A minimum disruption side...but in reality a few of the recent teams look decent.

15. Hogg
14. Seymour
13. Joseph
12. Henshaw
11. Williams
10. Farrell
9. Murray

1. McGrath
2. George
3. Furlong
4. Itoje
5. J Gray (vc)
6. Stander
7. Robshaw
8. Moriarty

16. F Brown
17. M Vunipola
18. WP Nel
19. AW Jones
20. H Watson
21. Webb
22. Sexton
23. Daly

Starters

1- O'Brien
2- George
3- Furlong
4- J Grey
5- Itoje
6- CJ Stander
7- Warburton
8- B Vunipola
9- Webb
10- Farrell
11- L Williams
12- Henshaw
13- Joseph
14- Watson
15- Hogg

Finishers
16- M Vunipola
17- Best
18- Sinckler
19- Henderson/ Kruis
20 - Haskell/ Tipuric
21- Murray
22- Sexton
23- Daley

Mcgrath at 1?

poissonrouge wrote:What we really need to make a fair judgement on a lions team is someone who has no personal bias towards their native land. You can tell without looking from some of the team suggestions what the nationality of the poster is. Talk about tunnel vision!

here goes
- Irish front row
- Scottish 2nd row
- welsh backrow
- Irish halfbacks
- English 3/4ers
- Scottish FB

subs : English forwards, Welsh HBs and FB/W

probably far from perfect but could work

Why put Farrell at 12? We have plenty of better inside centres available - or even at 10 where he doesn't play for england?

lostinwales wrote:

poissonrouge wrote:What we really need to make a fair judgement on a lions team is someone who has no personal bias towards their native land. You can tell without looking from some of the team suggestions what the nationality of the poster is. Talk about tunnel vision!

Push the idea that we should only pick a 15 that does not include any of your own nations players

I'm an Ireland fan with only tunnel vision in relation to what's best for the Ireland team, so I don't want any Irish players picked for the Lions.

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:

international198 wrote:1. M Vunipola - Not played yet this 6N, so unknown
2. K Owens -not in a million years
3. T Francis - you must be joking, can't even get into his club squad matchday 23, shows how desperate the Welsh are at 3.
4. M Itoje - possible, but not played there officially this 6N, both Lawes and Launchbury have outplayed him so far.
5. A W Jones - Possibly but out played by Lawes and Launchbury, albeit in different ways on Saturday
6. R Moriarty - Oh please............... tackling is not everything
7. S Warburton - possible if he moves back to 7 for Wales
8. B Vunipola - If fit, big ???????????
9. C Murray - possible, depends on who is 10
10. J Sexton - Not played yet this 6N, on past form yes, but ?????? on fitness
11. L Williams - Not close to any of three English wings, one Irish and one Scot at present. Three games to prove me wrong.
12. O Farrell - Possible, depends on 10 and 13
13. J Joseph - Not on 6N form would have to be Irish lad whose name escapes me, Ring.............
14. G North - See Williams
15. S Hogg[- Only if WG decides to go on a we can score more than they can, defensive liability, especial against a side that will target him like the ABs/quote]

Dont disagree with much of this except Liam Williams (though OP think's Cuthbert was faultless so what do you expect)
The idea of Ken Owens or Thomas Francis as Lions is simply ridiculous, though i think Moriarty is renewing his passport after this weekend. Tackling isn't everything but then this wasn't ordinary tackling. I also don't think either Watson, Daly or Nowell are streets ahead of North or Williams and the latter is a better bet for 15 IMO because Hogg isn't a great defender; since i am sure Farrell will start then Halfpenny is not required, nor IMO is he deserving of FB right now. North had a great Lions tour in 2013 and i think he will always figure for Gatland if fit.

Would be nice to see your side though having hammered this one to death?

international198 wrote:1. M Vunipola
2. K Owens
3. T Francis
4. M Itoje
5. A W Jones
6. R Moriarty
7. S Warburton
8. B Vunipola
9. C Murray
10. J Sexton
11. L Williams
12. O Farrell
13. J Joseph
14. G North
15. S Hogg

international198 wrote:Gethin Jenkins, Alun Wyn Jones, Sam Warburton, Ross Moriarty, Taulupe Faletau, Rhys Webb. Sam Davies, Liam Williams, Scott Williams

I leave you to spot the slight booboo between two threads/posts.