The Lions Tour of Oz 2013

[Mick Mac]

To start a long running thread.

Question 1. Who will be captain?

Does it in your view have to be someone who is nailed on for their position for 3 tests or someone who is captain of their country?

Who is your choice ?

Will Gatland be reluctant to choose an English captain ?

How about Paul O'Connell as a late shout

[????]

You're bottom of the rugby prediction league...how can we take anything you say seriously?

[Worker]

I'd pick Robshaw. He's a better player than Warburton and seems down to earth enough to gain the respect of the Scots, Irish and Welsh.

[gregring]

Its surely got to be Chris Robshaw. Not only is he a great captain but you would like to think that he would be nailed on as the Lions flanker. If England were to win the Grand Slam I think he would be odds on.

Sam Warburton's a great player but is injury prone and in his infancy as regards captaining a national team.

[Alan Medic]

Warburton has lost the Welsh captaincy so I doubt it will be him. To say he in his infancy as a Captain of a national team may be correct but he has done it more times I think for Wales than Robshaw has for England and has 3 times the number of caps. Robshaw got a lot of stick after a couple of the Autumn matches for decisions he made near the end of games.He is new to it too.

If he is fit and in form there can only be one Captain and that's Brian O'Driscoll. From what I read he is very well respected by players who have played with him and against him.

[Mick Mac]

I'm not sure BOD will be a certainty for the team Declan, and I think the captain should be. Im not sure Robshaw is better than Sean O Brien. I'd be surprised if Gatland does not pick a celt.

[JohnL]

Warburton is back to form it seems, but he won't captain Wales on Saturday, rumour is it's Gethin.

Lots of people saying BOD, but will he even make the team.

Robshaw would need to ensure he is in the team too - there's a lot of good flankers around. I think he can play 6 or 7.

A LOT will depend on Saturday - if England get the GS then I'll say Robshaw, otherwise it's up in the air.

[david_carnell]

Your Lions captain has to be the no1 choice for his position and be a shoe-in to play all 3 tests.

There aren't many players in that position.

I think I might be tempted to make Rory Best my hooker and captain. As good as Youngs in the loose and Hartley at line-outs, more consistent than Hibberd and Ross Ford. Seems like a no-brainer.

Every other position seems to have two choices with little to choose between them.

For what it's worth my XV would be

15 - Halfpenny

14 - North

13 - O'Driscoll

12 - Tuilagi

11 - Visser

10 - Sexton

9 - Phillips

8 - Faletau

7 - Robshaw

6 - Brown

5 - Parling

4 - Launchbury

3 - Cole

2 - Best ©

1 - Vunipola

[JohnL]

1 - Vunipola - replaced in Saturdays England side by Marler - selection based too.

Showing how difficult it is to select this Lions side.

I'd have Mr A W Jones in there too.

[Alan Medic]

After his performance yesterday I wouldn't be surprised if POC is asked to be captain again.

[Mick Mac]

Alan Medic Wrote:

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> After his performance yesterday I wouldn't be

> surprised if POC is asked to be captain again.

Have you read the opening post declan?

[Alan Medic]

I did. And the second post!

[Mick Mac]

Paul O Connell now favourite with betfair for the captaincy.

[Alan Medic]

I read in the Irish Times online where Gatland now is (Ireland I mean)that he said he had chosen his captain some time ago. That would rule POC out of it but maybe not BOD. Maybe as a Kiwi he feels he owes BOD something given what happened in 2005.

Of course given his Welsh connections he may have decided on a Welshman. All will be revealed by the end of the month.

PS I do hope Zebo gets selected in the squad.

[Chillaxed]

Oh God, not the BOD incident again. I can say, as a Kiwi, that if Gatland thinks like most Kiwis he'll think he owes BOD zilch.

That said, if he's fit and on form(ish), I'd pick him as captain.

[david_carnell]

Wilcard choice - Christian Wade of Wasps....absolutely electric pace and Jason Robinson-esque elusiveness. Scoring for fun at the moment in the league.

[Alan Medic]

How do Kiwi's think then Chillaxed? Was he fair game?

I saw Wade against Leinster and he is fast. I don't know enough about him to know what his defence is like though.

[Chillaxed]

No, we don't think about it at all, it was eight years ago.

[Mick Mac]

It will always be remembered as one of the all time low points in dangerous behaviour on a rugby field. Whereever you come from.

[Alan Medic]

You probably didn't think about it eight years ago either.

[Chillaxed]

I thought it was dangerous play at the time, but haven't thought about it (unless reminded, which is frequently) since the tour ended.

Anyway, back on topic. Lions to win series 2-1.

[david_carnell]

Interestingly, in this season's Super Rugby, Australian teams have won 7 from 8 games against their traditionally superior Kiwi opposition.

The teams are normally made up of players of the same nationality as the franchise (plus a few pacific islanders) so it seems the Aussies are hitting a seam of form and a production line of very good players at just the right time.

Heart says Lions but head is beginning to think the Australia.

[Mick Mac]

Chillaxed Wrote:

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> I thought it was dangerous play at the time, but

> haven't thought about it (unless reminded, which

> is frequently) since the tour ended.

Well, there you go, you are trying not to think about it, but other people are keen to remind you about it.

The issue heralded a change in attitude to tip tackling that thankfully referees are taking a hard line against today. It focussed everyone's mind on the dangers of reckless play.

[Mick Mac]

The fierce debate over the British and Irish Lions captaincy in Australia this summer turned full circle when a leading bookmaker suspended betting on Sam Warburton, the Wales flanker, who started the season as red-hot favourite before drifting towards outsider status as injury and poor form undermined his candidacy. Ladbrokes made their decision after taking ?a flood of money? on the Cardiff Blues player, much of it from gamblers in Wales. As recently as February, Warburton was listed by the bookies as a 33-1 no-hoper, way behind Chris Robshaw, the England captain, and the celebrated Ireland centre Brian O?Driscoll. When another Irishman, the lock Paul O?Connell, staked his claim with a brilliant Heineken Cup performance for Munster earlier this month, most observers felt the race was wide open. But over the last couple of days, business on Warburton has been brisk. He is now the favourite at 4-7. Warren Gatland, the Lions head coach on secondment from Wales, will announce his tour party, complete with leadership hierarchy, in London a week on Tuesday.

[Alan Medic]

Mick are to trying to take credit for the above cut and paste job?

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/bergamasco-odriscoll-dump-tackle-878943-Apr2013/?utm_source=shortlink

A more recent dump tackle on BOD............yesterday!