With the worst kept secret in Lions history finally being announced today, a sigh of relief can be heard with the news that the Australia tour in 2013 is in the very capable hands of Warren Gatland. A better man for the job does not exist, he is the most successful coach in the Northern Hemisphere (despite being a Kiwi) and is about as informed a coach as you can find with regards to British and Irish rugby. As an antipodean and veteran of the lost but genuinely inspiring 2009 Lions tour, its not hard to see why Sir Ian McGeechan rates him so highly.
A colleague of mine once saw him coach at a community event, and commented how quiet he was during the session, allowing players to find their own way and make mistakes without fear of criticism. On the flip side, anyone who has seen the 2009 Lions tour video knows he is more than capable of dishing out a rollocking when he needs to.
So without further ado, and pretending the Lions tour was tomorrow, here is what I'd put out against the aussies in the 1st test if all players were fit and available. However, if the French based Lions can't negotiate with their clubs to be released due to overlapping fixtures, this could be a pipe dream.
1. Gethin Jenkins
2. Ross Ford
3. Adam Jones
4. Richie Gray
5. Dan Lydiate
6. Stephen Ferris
7. Sam Waburton
8. Ben Morgan
9. Mike Phillips
10. Jonny Sexton
11. Chris Ashton
12. Jamie Roberts
13. Brian O'Driscoll (c)
14. Leigh Halfpenny (kicker)
15. Rob Kearney
There it is. I'd only envisage Ben Morgan causing much controversy, especially with the availability of Jamie Heaslip, David Denton and Toby Faletau, but these players could have an impact off the bench. I haven't looked at subs really because I want to know who'd make your final starting XV, be ruthless!
I'll throw this XV out there!
ReplyDelete1. Gethin Jenkins
2. Dylan Hartley
3. Cian Healy
4. Courtney Lawes
5. Richie Gray
6. Dan Lydiate
7. Sam Warburton
8. Toby Faletau
9. Mike Phillips
10. Jonny Sexton
11. Chris Ashton
12. Jamie Roberts
13. Manu Tuilagi
14. Leigh Halfpenny
15. Rob Kearney
Like the look of it but Tuilagi and Roberts is too much bosh. Need BOD or, and here's a curveball, Jonathon Joseph!
ReplyDeleteI agree, but I think 12 and 13 could pose a few problems for the Lions. Roberts and BOD this year have had a few injury problems and are they really at their best? The inclusion of the some of the younger guys is pretty much dependent upon their international contributions over the November tests and Six Nations. Are they capable of taking their Premiership/RaboDirect/Top14 form and recreate it on the world stage? And..are November tests and 6 Nations enough of an indicator? Will Joseph produce enough this year to warrant a place even if it is a wildcard, or will they go with the tried and tested older regime?
ReplyDeleteRight! Let me have a go of this:
ReplyDelete1. Gethin Jenkins
2. Matthew Rees
3. Cian Healy
4. Richie Gray
5. Tom Palmer
6. Stephen Ferris
7. Sam Warburton
8. James Haskell
9. Ben Youngs
10. Jonny Sexton
11. Chris Ashton
12. Jamie Roberts
13. Brian O'Driscoll
14. George North
15. Mike Brown
I cannot believe you both left out George North!! Are you absolutely insane?! The guy is a killing machine and will be a massive part of the Lions next year...no doubt.
Haskell will never get into the Lions starting XV ahead of Faletau or Heaslip! Can't really see him getting into the squad at all at the moment. 2009 they took 6 back rows with people like Hines being able to cover. Based on that surely it will be Warburton, Lydiate, Ferris, Faletau, Denton and Croft!?
ReplyDeleteBrown's a bit of a gamble. Despite his good season I'd say Kearney was back to his best and think Halfpenny will be considered for his kicking ability!
Have to agree with DA, Haskell needs to prove himself over the coming months but to be fair he started well on Saturday. That is very big of you to put Ashton in though Colin, that must have hurt! North again needs some good autumn internationals and 6 nations, he faded a bit in this years competition and Cuthbert ended up the stronger of the two. Tom Palmer over someone like Lawes? Lawes terrorised the aussies when they last came to Twickenham, they couldn't cope with his aggression in open play. I've changed my mind on tighthead too to your way of thinking, overlooked Cian Healy in favour of Jones but Healy offers more in open play.
ReplyDeleteBlimey, you agreeing with me Ross?! Think you might have taken too many happy pills to cope with the knee! Lawes has got to start if he's fit, and with Gray the Lions will have the best second row partnership in the world! Providing we get a decent Hooker to throw in, I can't see the lineout being touched by the Aussies!
ReplyDeleteWould have Heaslip instead of Denton in the back row too, so minor blip on the previous comment!
Would be interested to see what you or Colin thought on where the Aussies might have the upper hand? Technically weak in scrummaging and haven't seen too much in the Rugby Championship to say otherwise should see us dominate in the front 5. Back row with Pocock if fit could be a good battle, but one I feel we could win with either of the 6 I chose.
9 with Genia will be a massive battle if Phillips is chosen but he relished it in SA and had probably the best form of his life.
10 with Barnes/Cooper could be interesting if they're firing but if not then they can be dire!
I would then put a bold claim out to say that outside them we'd have the upper hand! I like Ioane, Ashley-Cooper and Michell but reckon our back 3 could definitely do a job on them. As for the centres...Australia have struggled to lock down a consistent pair for a few years. I reckon regardless of who we pick BOD, Roberts, Tuilagi, Joseph, we could do some serious damage through these channels!
Firstly I take back my Cian Healy comment, need someone who is an out and out tighthead and revert to Adam Jones.
ReplyDeleteIf the aussies start playing with Adam Ashley-Cooper at 13 that settle all things down. It would mean the creative pressure would be off of ten, who I think would probably be Barnes if he's fit because if Quade has a breakdown against the Lions, that could be a disaster. Bet the aussies are fuming that they didn't chuck more at Giteau to stay, he has single-handedly breathed new life into Toulon.
The counter-attack is where we are vunerable. If the aussies run everything back at the Lions, we won't be used to it as a tactic. If they can win some quick ball, the opposite to what they're doing currently, people like Beale and Ioane are pound for pound equals to any of the back three we can chuck at them. What you've got is a contrasting style of players as individuals. Phillips is about service and strong running, Genia is about sniping and open-play. Beale is more about counter attack, Kearney is more about decision making and a safe pair of hands. These personal battles, like all the best test matches, will decide the outcome. It did in 2009 when we lost scrum momentum in the first test with Mtwarira and when Jenkins and Jones came off the in the second.
For arguments sake, I'm going to put up the Australia team for this Saturday!
ReplyDeleteAustralia: 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Dominic Shipperley, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia (c), 8 Radike Samo, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Dave Dennis, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Sitaleki Timani, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Benn Robinson. Replacements: 16 Saia Fainga'a, 17 James Slipper, 18 Scott Higginbotham, 19 Liam Gill, 20 Nick Phipps, 21 Mike Harris, 22 Anthony Fainga'a.
Add in Pocock at 7, Mitchell at 11 and O'Connor and you've pretty much got the Aussie squad for the Lions Tour.
I agree about the counter attack although Beale will seriously have to find some form if he's going to threaten our backline. He's been terrible so far in the Rugby Championship.
I honestly think the Aussies will struggle to get front foot ball with the pack they have! Robinson, Alexander and Slipper are not even in the same class as Jenkins, Healy, Jones, Cole etc. They are also very light in the 2nd row department, despite the experience of Sharpe!
If the Lions play an attacking brand of rugby with the platform I'd expect them to get then I'm going all out and saying a 3-0 whitewash! Bold claim I know and one I won't be shouting about around my local Walkabout just yet, but if you are going for a pound for pound comparison system for players then I can't see an Aussie win!