So 40 players, who's in?

[Eugene Wrayburn]

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?

Exactly like Chris Robshaw. Capable of not looking as rubbish as they are, but no sane person sets them as the benchmark for anything other than mediocrity.

[Sandydragon]

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.

We won a grand slam with Hal Luscombe in the squad. It's difficult to match that level of mediocrity.

[canta_brian]

Just FYI. The tour matches will be televised live and free to air on s4c. Only with Welsh commentary but matched with talk sport this has to be an option for non sky people like me.

[Mellsblue]

I think it's only highlights.

[kk67]

Tips,.....and then another 14.

[canta_brian]

I think it's only highlights.

Darn. I think you are right. Can I start drinking that early if I can find a pub open?

[Eugene Wrayburn]

I think it's only highlights.

Darn. I think you are right. Can I start drinking that early if I can find a pub open?

Hell yes!

Where in the country are you? Walkabout bars are usually reliably open and serving breakfast.

[Lizard]

I think it's only highlights.

Darn. I think you are right. Can I start drinking that early if I can find a pub open?

Hell yes!

Where in the country are you? Walkabout bars are usually reliably open and serving breakfast.

This was going to be my suggestion, too.

[canta_brian]

I will keep looking...

[Lizard]

For some reason Irish pubs tend to be good with showing rugby.

[Mr Mwenda]

Local rugby clubs organising anything?

[Numbers]

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).

It won't win them tests but it will contribute to the scoreline, I don't think anyone thinks the Lions will play wide against a very skillful ABs side, their only chance is to keep it as tight as possible.