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Lions Tour 2013

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HSM

Allen Oxlade (6)
HSM the team has been named

Team: 15-Leigh Halfpenny (Wales), 14-Tommy Bowe (Ireland), 13-Jonathan Davies (Wales), 12-Jamie Roberts (Wales), 11-George North (Wales), 10-Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), 9-Mike Phillips (Wales), 8-Toby Faletau (Wales), 7-Sean O'Brien (Ireland), 6-Dan Lydiate (Wales), 5-Geoff Parling (England), 4-Alun Wyn Jones (captain, Wales), 3-Adam Jones (Wales), 2-Richard Hibbard (Wales), 1-Alex Corbisiero (England)

Replacements - 16-Tom Youngs (England), Mako Vunipola (England), 18-Dan Cole (England), 19-Richie Gray (Scotland), 20- Justin Tipuric (Wales), 21-Conor Murray (Ireland), 22-Owen Farrell (England), 23-Manu Tuilagi (England)

Cheers Swat - I live in the States, so I was writing last night, and just woke up to the team announcement.

I think it is an excellent XV - but I would have kept BOD in the team purely for his defensive leadership at 13, never mind the fact that he and Roberts have been very dangerous together on attack in the past. Davies has also been flogged on this tour. It feels like a mistake, but I'm praying it's not.

If AWJ is captain, I suppose you don't want him also having to call the lineout, and that necessitates Parling's inclusion.

Glad there is true lock cover on the bench, but I'm not sure what Tipuric is doing there. Especially now that George Smith is playing, I think you start Tipuric (with Lydiate and Faletau) so that you have a true 7 competing at the breakdown. Part of O'Brien's value is that he can cover all 3 backrow positions, and I would definitely want him getting 25 minutes from the bench. I don't see what Tipuric's value off the bench is besides fresh legs.

And there is no back three cover on the bench. Surely it is more sensible to have Hogg instead of Farrell?
 

Dai bando

Charlie Fox (21)
I was greatly shocked by the omission of BOD, so too many welsh men on the board I use, Awfully Brave or awfully stupid to leave him out, Win the Match very brave, loose it and gatland will be crucified,
Youngs had a terrible game Phillips I think is the obvious choice, better than Murry, Davies for BOD, bit iffy that,
Corbisero was going to slot in once fit anyway.
Felatau, well he does offer more I think than heaslip around the fringes
We are going to try and out muscle the Aussies
Dangerous tactic that.
 

Wales Fan

Alfred Walker (16)
I was greatly shocked by the omission of BOD, so too many welsh men on the board I use, Awfully Brave or awfully stupid to leave him out, Win the Match very brave, loose it and gatland will be crucified,
Youngs had a terrible game Phillips I think is the obvious choice, better than Murry, Davies for BOD, bit iffy that,
Corbisero was going to slot in once fit anyway.
Felatau, well he does offer more I think than heaslip around the fringes
We are going to try and out muscle the Aussies
Dangerous tactic that.

I can't honestly see on form why anyone would be surprised by BOD's ommission. He's been an absolutely wonderful player, probably one of the best I've ever seen in my lifetime. But he's not that player anymore, far from it. The only sane reason for his inclusion now would be as a defensive leader - he's not missed a tackle in the series so far. Offensively he's done at the top level.
It's still arguable whether Davies is a better option of course, and theres not much in it either way.
I'm more surprised by Roberts, I'd have paired Davies & Tuilagi.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
 

Dan54

Tim Horan (67)
Agree Wales F, I have been a bit disappointed with BOD in tests this tour, but can't say I have seen enough of centres to have a real strong opinion what pairings would be best.
HSM, although I can understand what you are saying re Tipuric, I don't think you should ever pick your team to try and cancel out the effect one player would have (ie G Smith), you are then saying that the opposition is going to be the team to dictate the style of game, which I find a little negative.
 

Cardiffblue

Jim Lenehan (48)
Clearly Gatland wants impact in the centres. Jaw to start and Tuilagi to continue after 55mins methinks. Since they can't carry 2 centres on bench, it comes to a straight choice, who do you drop BoD or Foxy? Foxy has played well out of position BoD has not been on top form but if the chips are down, his experience would be what I'd want. It's a close call, but I'd have gone with BoD
 

JSRF10

Dick Tooth (41)
Clearly Gatland wants impact in the centres. Jaw to start and Tuilagi to continue after 55mins methinks. Since they can't carry 2 centres on bench, it comes to a straight choice, who do you drop BoD or Foxy? Foxy has played well out of position BoD has not been on top form but if the chips are down, his experience would be what I'd want. It's a close call, but I'd have gone with BoD

Davies lined up with 12 on his back but spent most of those two tests at 13. It suggests to me that if Roberts hadn't of gotten injured BOD wouldn't have made the test team.
 

Cardiffblue

Jim Lenehan (48)
Parling is getting hammered L R and C by the media, Welsh and even half the Saes. He will get burnt at the stake if the Lions lose and probably get no credit if they win.

Good Luck Geoff, have a blinder, you're twice the player people are making out and I hope you get a try and man of the match.
 

Zander

Ron Walden (29)
What's the issue with Parling? With O'Connell out he's clearly the next best option. Gray has been average this tour and Evans is not very good at all. Ryan, Hamilton or Launchbury should've toured instead.
 

the plastic paddy

John Solomon (38)
That selection has done wonders for my cause. Strangely considering BOD was the only person I wanted on the tour in the first place, I didn't really think he deserved to be on the plane on the basis of his six nations form.
Truth be told the Lions will lose this tour in the forwards and more especially the line out. Without a functioning line out that your opponents struggle to challenge a team cannot gain any sort of grip on a modern game of rugby. The hookers have copped the blame but the coordination involved just cannot be achieved by a scratch team in a matter of weeks. At least I can unequivocally support Australia on Saturday, I suspect I will be joined by many thousands of fellow Irishmen and women.
 

JSRF10

Dick Tooth (41)
Who else is going to run the lineout if Parling isn't there? Messers Gatland, Howley and Rowntree should be the ones taking the flack if the Lions lose, selection and mainly tactics are the big problems

The one lock they should have taken is Nathan Hines, the man is an animal!
 

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
That selection has done wonders for my cause. Strangely considering BOD was the only person I wanted on the tour in the first place, I didn't really think he deserved to be on the plane on the basis of his six nations form.
Truth be told the Lions will lose this tour in the forwards and more especially the line out. Without a functioning line out that your opponents struggle to challenge a team cannot gain any sort of grip on a modern game of rugby. The hookers have copped the blame but the coordination involved just cannot be achieved by a scratch team in a matter of weeks. At least I can unequivocally support Australia on Saturday, I suspect I will be joined by many thousands of fellow Irishmen and women.
BOD is like George Smith - I think its a question of class.
You pick him if he's available.
25 tackles without a miss and its hardly his fault that those inside him cant get the ball to him with any sort of an opportunity.
Great player and, seemingly, a good bloke too.
 

Zander

Ron Walden (29)
Gatland has gone back to the backline that provided the most attack on the tour thus far. That is the backline vs the Waratahs.

Phillips, Sexton, Roberts, Davies, Halfpenny - some of the interplay between them was brilliant.
 
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