2009 Lions Tour

I think we'll do them. There'll be a competitive pack and the Lions will have the edge in the backs. Nobody would want to defend against the likes of O'Driscoll, Williams and Byrne.
 
The squad has been announced today, and there are some (IMO) huge surprises, in who has been picked and who has been left at home wondering why.

The 2009 British & Irish Lions Squad

Full-backs: Lee Byrne (WAL), Robert Kearney (IRL)
Wings: Shane Williams (WAL), Tommy Bowe (IRL), Luke Fitzgerald (IRL), Leigh Halfpenny (WAL), Ugo Monye (ENG)
Centres: Tom Shanklin (WAL), Jamie Roberts (WAL), Brian O'Driscoll (IRL), Keith Earls (IRL), Riki Flutey (ENG)
Outside-halves: Stephen Jones (WAL), Ronan O'Gara (IRL)
Scrum-halves: Michael Phillips (WAL), Harry Ellis (ENG), Tomas O'Leary (IRL)

Forwards:
Back-row: Jamie Heaslip (IRL), Andy Powell (WAL), Martyn Williams (WAL), Joe Worsley (ENG), Stephen Ferris (IRL), David Wallace (IRL), Alan Quinlan (IRL)
Second-row: Alun-Wyn Jones (WAL), Paul O'Connell (IRL, capt), Donncha O'Callaghan (IRL), Simon Shaw (ENG), Nathan Hines (SCO),
Props: Andrew Sheridan (ENG), Phil Vickery (ENG), Euan Murray (SCO), Gethin Jenkins (WAL), Adam Jones (WAL)
Hookers: Jerry Flannery (IRL), Lee Mears (ENG), Matthew Rees (WAL)

No Mike Blair, no Tom Croft, no Ryan Jones. :mad:

Why on earth is Ugo Monye there :eek:

Also very surprised with the makeup of the backrow. Powell is a shocker getting the nod ahead of both Leamy and Jones who are more versatile than the Cardiff man.
Ellis is another howler, the scrum halves are dissappointing as they're all similar type players with Ellis being a poor mans version of Phillips and O'Leary, thought Care, Cussiter, Blair, Peel, Stringer would all be ahead of Ellis in the pecking order, in my view.
Not too happy with Rees touring, Best would have been a better option to bring along as he'd make the ideal midweek captain but presumably that will be Vickery's job.
Don't get why 5 centres but only 2 specialist fly halves especially when Fitzgerald and Bowe can cover the centre as well, pretty sure the Boks will now be laughing all the way to the bank and aiming to hit the fly halves hard and early as there's no specialist replacements out there.
 
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So many English :confused:

There is only 8 there, :mad: there were 13 on the 2005 tour to NZ, and 19 in the 2001 tour to Aus.

Really shows the strength of the Welsh & Irish at the moment that they are the backbone of the tour.
 
Entai said:
Why on earth is Ugo Monye there :eek:

Also very surprised with the makeup of the backrow. Powell is a shocker getting the nod ahead of both Leamy and Jones who are more versatile than the Cardiff man.

Ellis is another howler, the scrum halves are dissappointing as they're all similar type players with Ellis being a poor mans version of Phillips and O'Leary, thought Care, Cussiter, Blair, Peel, Stringer would all be ahead of Ellis in the pecking order, in my view.
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Monye is ridiculously quick, strong and can kick? I rate him above Fitzgerald and Halfpenny any day.

Powell is indeed aweful, running into contact after every scrum and every time he gets the ball just means he's gnna get turned over a lot.

Gotta say I don't rate Ellis at all. To me he is like Toby Flood in that he is very boring, he doesn't add anything other than a safe pair of hands. I would have gone probably for Peel or Care considering they are more adventurous and have the ability to turn a game.

(btw I support Quins so I love Ugo)
 
Suprised to see Earls in there, highly rated youngster but picked ahead of proven centres such as D'Arcy?

Agree with Entai on the scrum-halves and out-halves. Would feel a lot safer with another 10 on tour at the expense of flutey or earls. Ellis is definately not worthy of going on tour, Blair has been superb for Scotland and Edinburgh, its out of order he didn't make it on. O'Leary is a safe choice but i'd choose a few scrum halves before him.

Dont quite get Powell, maybe as an impact player sheerly but him and worsely ahead of jones is shocking
 
Shicky said:
No chance in hell is he better than those two. A decent player for sure and improving all the time the more I see him but he doesn't read the game as well as the other two and is less versatile
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Personally, I just don't think he has had enough International experience yet, to be thrown in to a Lions squad against a very strong South African team.
OK he did start all the Investec Challenge matches, but for the most part they were all so one sided, we (and he) did not get a look in.
I just think he needs to mature a bit yet.
 
was really pleased with mears inclusion, i know that bath have been a bit rough recently but he is an awesome open field player. was cringing until at least one scotsman was named. i like the look of most of the aquad. should work well together. shaw is doing a redgrave and pincent imo, 4 tours now i think.




rotters
 
5 wingers and 5 centres seems a little unbalanced with only 2 genuine full backs and 2 genuine fly halves.

I can't see how Powell made it into the side, he seemed a bit one dimensional during the 6 nations but I guess he'll only make the match day team as an impact sub.

I didn't think Shane Williams has been good enough for his spot if we're truly picking on form. I'm also can't decided about scrum half no one has really shone in that position at the highest level. Phillips is good but hardly showed his best for Wales recently.
Jones and O'Gara are similar sorts of players and with Hook well below his best it's a difficult call to say who the 3rd genuine fly half should have been but not picking one is surely a worse crime.

Otherwise not a bad group. So bring it on.
 
Why does everyone hate O'Gara? I mean his defence isn't great and he can have an off game (but so does everyone?) but when he's playing well, which is most of the time, I would have him over Jones every day of the week?

Also I know what u mean about Ugo in the way he isn't as good a 'rugby player' you might say (doesn't offload, read the game etc.) but he has natural pace and strength, so I geuss he just lacks experience...

If one fly half got injured I would like to see Hook going as the 3rd choice, he's not even in the same league as Flood...
 
Jones is a far more versatile player than O'Gara, he's stronger with ball in hand and defensively. O'Gara edges it in kicking but that's all. I would have had Jones ahead of Powell too. While Powell can be a nightmare with momentum, Jones is more consistent and can cover both 6 and 8.

Am personally pleased that Adam Jones made the squad as I thought he was the most improved Welsh player this year.
 
Full Fixture list

30 May:

Royal XV v Lions (1400 BST, 1500 local time)
Royal Bafokeng, Rustenburg

3 June:

Golden Lions v Lions (1810 BST, 1910 local time)
Ellis Park, Johannesburg

6 June:

Free State Cheetahs v Lions (1400 BST, 1500 local time)
Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein

10 June:

Sharks v Lions (1810 BST, 1910 local time)
ABSA Park, Durban

13 June:

Western Province v Lions (1400 BST, 1500 local time)
Newlands, Cape Town

16 June:

Southern Kings v Lions (1400 BST, 1500 local time)
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth

20 June:

South Africa v Lions (first Test) (1400 BST, 1500 local time)
ABSA Park, Durban

23 June:

Emerging Springboks v Lions (1810 BST, 1910 local time)
Newlands, Cape Town

27 June:

South Africa v Lions (second Test) (1400 BST, 1500 local time)
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

4 July:

South Africa v Lions (third Test) (1400 BST, 1500 local time)
Ellis Park, Johannesburg


Updated Lions Squad

Mike Blair
Tommy Bowe
Lee Byrne
Tom Croft
Keith Earls
Harry Ellis
Stephen Ferris
Luke Fitzgerald
Riki Flutey
Ross Ford
Leigh Halfpenny
Jamie Heaslip
Nathan Hines
Gethin Jenkins
Adam Rhys Jones
Alun-Wyn Jones
Stephen Jones
Rob Kearney
Lee Mears
Ugo Monye
Euan Murray
Donncha O'Callaghan
Paul O'Connell
Brian O'Driscoll
Ronan O'Gara
Mike Phillips
Andy Powell
Matthew Rees
Jamie Roberts
Simon Shaw
Andrew Sheridan
Phil Vickery
David Wallace
Martyn Williams
Shane Williams
Joe Worsley


Firts game this coming Saturday. With it being a relatively small side expect the South African Provicial and guest teams to rough up the midweek teams to stretch the Lions resources ;)

Looking forward to this tour, it should be a cracker :D
 
TheMightyTen said:
Firts game this coming Saturday. With it being a relatively small side expect the South African Provicial and guest teams to rough up the midweek teams to stretch the Lions resources ;)

Looking forward to this tour, it should be a cracker :D
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That's always been the strategy...unfortunately in these days of citing, the Lions can't dish out the retribution like '74...and they haven't got Gibbs to steamroller any looseheads this time which is a pity as him felling Os Du Randt is one of my greatest rugby memories.

It'll be tough, but I think we can do them. All depends on how the players gel on the field.
 
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