So 40 players, who's in?

[Eugene Wrayburn]

I'd have Mako coming off the bench and so start an all Irish front row. Not that I think Mako is necessarily worse or doesn't deserve to start over McGrath, just that I think he probably offers more from the bench.

Faletau or SOB should probably be on the bench given their flexibility, but if you're starting CJ then you don't really need cover at 8

[Mellsblue]

All Irish front row starting followed by an all English front row (Sinckler not Cole) sounds good to me.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

All Irish front row starting followed by an all English front row (Sinckler not Cole) sounds good to me.

Aye. If Sinckler's scrummaging can hold up to it, and I think it probably could given that the kiwis don't go in for power scrummaging much preferring to move the ball, then he's the better bench option.

[Stom]

I'd have Mako coming off the bench and so start an all Irish front row. Not that I think Mako is necessarily worse or doesn't deserve to start over McGrath, just that I think he probably offers more from the bench.

Faletau or SOB should probably be on the bench given their flexibility, but if you're starting CJ then you don't really need cover at 8

Sigh.

Do you think Gatland purposefully made a couple of contentious picks just to make it interesting? As this is all too civil. I can go along with that suggestion, plus the below one about Sinckler.

We need something to fight about!

[J Dory]

OK.

"the kiwis don't go in for power scrummaging"

Bullocks.

[Mellsblue]

OK.

"the kiwis don't go in for power scrummaging"

Bullocks.

I know in NZ bullocks are treated as humans, both in human rights and marital law, but you can't play them at prop.

[J Dory]

OK.

"the kiwis don't go in for power scrummaging"

Bullocks.

I know in NZ bullocks are treated as humans, both in human rights and marital law, but you can't play them at prop.

Oops. Bollocks then. The NZ scrum has had at least parity with the home nations more often than not. The perception of weak All Blacks scrums goes back to Stephen Jones basket ball comments and the one 13 man scrum of England pre-2003 WC, it's bOllocks.

[Mikey Brown]

I'd have Mako coming off the bench and so start an all Irish front row. Not that I think Mako is necessarily worse or doesn't deserve to start over McGrath, just that I think he probably offers more from the bench.

Faletau or SOB should probably be on the bench given their flexibility, but if you're starting CJ then you don't really need cover at 8

Sigh.

Do you think Gatland purposefully made a couple of contentious picks just to make it interesting? As this is all too civil. I can go along with that suggestion, plus the below one about Sinckler.

We need something to fight about!

Robshaw.

[kk67]

Do you think Gatland purposefully made a couple of contentious picks just to make it interesting? As this is all too civil. I can go along with that suggestion, plus the below one about Sinckler.

We need something to fight about!

Yeah. Injuries are inevitable before the first test. And they'll mostly be in the forwards.
Anyone of the original picks that make it to the tests will deserve their spot. We hope.

I hope the guys who are feeling hard done by just keep it technical in their remaining games.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

OK.

"the kiwis don't go in for power scrummaging"

Bullocks.

I know in NZ bullocks are treated as humans, both in human rights and marital law, but you can't play them at prop.

Oops. Bollocks then. The NZ scrum has had at least parity with the home nations more often than not. The perception of weak All Blacks scrums goes back to Stephen Jones basket ball comments and the one 13 man scrum of England pre-2003 WC, it's bOllocks.

The problem is that that isn't what I was saying. I wasn't suggesting that the NZ scrum was especially weak, rather that it isn't used to grind out penalties. NH scrummaging is different not because it's better but because it's seen as an end in and of itself.

[J Dory]

Dammit Euge Stom wants a scrap.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Dammit Euge Stom wants a scrap.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Well he bloody well can't have one, right?

[Lizard]

I know in NZ bullocks are treated as humans, both in human rights and marital law, but you can't play them at prop.

Oops. Bollocks then. The NZ scrum has had at least parity with the home nations more often than not. The perception of weak All Blacks scrums goes back to Stephen Jones basket ball comments and the one 13 man scrum of England pre-2003 WC, it's bOllocks.

The problem is that that isn't what I was saying. I wasn't suggesting that the NZ scrum was especially weak, rather that it isn't used to grind out penalties. NH scrummaging is different not because it's better but because it's seen as an end in and of itself.

Grinding out penalties from scrums won't beat the All Blacks (or the Souper teams, frankly). Modern tests average about 12 scrums a match. There's no way enough of those will be the Lions put in and in kickable position to overcome NZ's average 33 points per test (under Hansen v 3N/6N teams).

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Oops. Bollocks then. The NZ scrum has had at least parity with the home nations more often than not. The perception of weak All Blacks scrums goes back to Stephen Jones basket ball comments and the one 13 man scrum of England pre-2003 WC, it's bOllocks.

The problem is that that isn't what I was saying. I wasn't suggesting that the NZ scrum was especially weak, rather that it isn't used to grind out penalties. NH scrummaging is different not because it's better but because it's seen as an end in and of itself.

Grinding out penalties from scrums won't beat the All Blacks (or the Souper teams, frankly). Modern tests average about 12 scrums a match. There's no way enough of those will be the Lions put in and in kickable position to overcome NZ's average 33 points per test (under Hansen v 3N/6N teams).

I want suggesting that we try to find out penalties. I was suggesting that you wouldn't.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Is it controversial to say that I think a Gatland team will lose every single match on tour?

[Stones of granite]

Is it controversial to say that I think a Gatland team will lose every single match on tour?

Not for me, it isn't

[Stom]

Is it controversial to say that I think a Gatland team will lose every single match on tour?

I think even most of the Welsh posters have had enough of him and would agree :p

Schmidt would have been better...

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Is it controversial to say that I think a Gatland team will lose every single match on tour?

I think even most of the Welsh posters have had enough of him and would agree :p

Schmidt would have been better...

I think Schmidt is a much better coach but he tends to take a while to get players into his system. I'd have liked Cotter or Galthie.

[Stom]

Is it controversial to say that I think a Gatland team will lose every single match on tour?

I think even most of the Welsh posters have had enough of him and would agree :p

Schmidt would have been better...

I think Schmidt is a much better coach but he tends to take a while to get players into his system. I'd have liked Cotter or Galthie.

Cotter took a long time with Scotland, too...Jones would have probably been the best coach

[Eugene Wrayburn]

I think even most of the Welsh posters have had enough of him and would agree :p

Schmidt would have been better...

I think Schmidt is a much better coach but he tends to take a while to get players into his system. I'd have liked Cotter or Galthie.

Cotter took a long time with Scotland, too...Jones would have probably been the best coach

If Jones wasn't coaching England I would take him in aheartbeat over gatland. If he went whilst still England coach I could see him using it as an opportunity to fuck with the minds of the competition in the home nations.

[Mellsblue]

I think Schmidt is a much better coach but he tends to take a while to get players into his system. I'd have liked Cotter or Galthie.

Cotter took a long time with Scotland, too...Jones would have probably been the best coach

If Jones wasn't coaching England I would take him in aheartbeat over gatland. If he went whilst still England coach I could see him using it as an opportunity to fuck with the minds of the competition in the home nations.

We won two Six Nations and equaled the world record for most consecutive tier one wins with a team including Dylan Hartley, James Haskell, Ben Youngs and Owen Farrell at IC. Consider your minds fucked already.

[kk67]

Cotter took a long time with Scotland, too...Jones would have probably been the best coach

If Jones wasn't coaching England I would take him in aheartbeat over gatland. If he went whilst still England coach I could see him using it as an opportunity to fuck with the minds of the competition in the home nations.

We won two Six Nations and equaled the world record for most consecutive tier one wins with a team including Dylan Hartley, James Haskell, Ben Youngs and Owen Farrell at IC. Consider your minds fucked already.

So totally, fucked. Totally.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Cotter took a long time with Scotland, too...Jones would have probably been the best coach

If Jones wasn't coaching England I would take him in aheartbeat over gatland. If he went whilst still England coach I could see him using it as an opportunity to fuck with the minds of the competition in the home nations.

We won two Six Nations and equaled the world record for most consecutive tier one wins with a team including Dylan Hartley, James Haskell, Ben Youngs and Owen Farrell at IC. Consider your minds fucked already.

I'm pretty sure we won agrand slam with a team that occasionally featured Fergus McFadden. You ain't got nothing on us.

[Stom]

If Jones wasn't coaching England I would take him in aheartbeat over gatland. If he went whilst still England coach I could see him using it as an opportunity to fuck with the minds of the competition in the home nations.

We won two Six Nations and equaled the world record for most consecutive tier one wins with a team including Dylan Hartley, James Haskell, Ben Youngs and Owen Farrell at IC. Consider your minds fucked already.

I'm pretty sure we won agrand slam with a team that occasionally featured Fergus McFadden. You ain't got nothing on us.

And Mr. Average himself, Dave Kearney. A player who looks like that bloke down the pub, and plays like him, too.

[Mikey Brown]

We won two Six Nations and equaled the world record for most consecutive tier one wins with a team including Dylan Hartley, James Haskell, Ben Youngs and Owen Farrell at IC. Consider your minds fucked already.

I'm pretty sure we won agrand slam with a team that occasionally featured Fergus McFadden. You ain't got nothing on us.

And Mr. Average himself, Dave Kearney. A player who looks like that bloke down the pub, and plays like him, too.

Kind of like Chris Robshaw, eh Euge?